More than ever before, businesses are looking for new ways to cut down costs. Many are considering using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) for at least part of their telephone needs.
The number of residential and small office/home office VoIP subscribers worldwide is expected to double by the end of the year to more than 47 million, according to Infonetics Research. Right now, only 17 percent of small and medium-sized businesses have converted to VoIP.
The primary advantage of a VoIP system is that you can make and receive phone calls using your existing high-speed Internet connection and save on long distance charges. The industry reports an average savings of 30 percent. Considering commercial phone rates, this is a considerable saving, especially to a small business owner.
VoIP has other benefits. If your business has several locations, you can establish a private VoIP network that will allow your locations to stay in almost constant contact for no cost. Also, you may be able to avoid paying for both a broadband connection and a traditional phone line. VoIP is extremely portable. Calls can be forwarded anywhere there is access to a computer – at home, on the road, or to a laptop at the beach. Wireless “hot spots” in locations such as airports, parks and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet, enabling you to use your VoIP service wirelessly.
There should be no change in quality, compared to conventional phone service. But because calls are transmitted over the Internet, there may be occasional disruptions during times of heavy Internet usage. A good gauge of this is the frequency of your congestion issues now. If congestion is relatively common, you may want to upgrade your connection or simply drop VoIP.
Before converting to VoIP, you should know that the whole picture includes a few other drawbacks. Some VoIP services don’t work during power outages and the service provider may not offer backup power. Also, not all VoIP services connect directly to emergency services through 9-1-1. You may need to assign different priorities to different types of Internet traffic. VoIP traffic, for example, should be given higher priority than e-mail traffic because voice is more time-sensitive. Finally, VoIP providers may or may not offer directory assistance or white pages listings. But for most businesses that have converted to VoIP, the view has certainly been worth the climb.
It isn’t necessary to use VoIP for your entire phone system. Some businesses have blended systems in which traditional phone service handles the bulk of the calls, while VoIP saves on long distance.
While it is possible to use a dial-up connection for VoIP calling, this connection speed is too slow for commercial use. VoIP requires a broadband (high-speed Internet) connection via cable modem, DSL or a LAN. You also need a computer, a phone adaptor or a specialized VoIP phone. Dedicated VoIP phones plug directly into your high-speed Internet connection. They run several hundred dollars now, but they retain all of the features of current phones – extension dialing, an auto attendant to answer the phone and route calls to VoIP extensions, voice mail boxes, audio conferencing -- and the prices are dropping as VoIP becomes more popular.
If you use a traditional phone with a VoIP adaptor, you will be able to dial as usual, and the service provider may also provide a dial tone. Businesses can implement VoIP between computers using nothing more than downloadable free software like Skype of Asterisk, but additional capabilities are available only through VoIP service providers.
Your computer has to be turned on when making a call only if your service provider requires it, but your broadband Internet connection must be active at all times. And yes, you can use your computer while making a call.
As your VoIP system is being installed, employees should be trained on how to use it. Some of the basic courses offered by system vendors are vital tools for non-technology workers who must master the vocabulary and a basic understanding of IP telephony and networking. As the buzzwords and jargon are clarified, employees will attain key knowledge that cannot be acquired simply by reading trade publications.
The major VoIP service providers – Verizon and Vonage in this area – offer a bewildering array of service plans. Some of these charge for long distance calls outside your calling area; others permit you to call anywhere at a flat rate for a fixed number of minutes.
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