Many providers of VoIP services to businesses were able to grow significantly throughout 2011. Mobile VoIP expanded by 113 per cent, according to Allot Communications, which indicates that the availability of high-speed data connections on modern business mobiles is making it easier for companies to eschew traditional voice calls in favor of an IP-based solution across multiple platforms. 2012 is expected to feature even greater growth in the VoIP industry, as more and more businesses become convinced of its benefits.
Reduce Costs
The first thing which makes VoIP an advantage in a business environment is the cost, because it is possible to make significant long-term savings if you invest in this type of technology rather than a traditional telephone system. This is primarily possible because you will no longer need multiple PSTN lines linking your premises to the network, as a single broadband connection will be able to handle multiple simultaneous calls. This means that there will be no additional line-rental charges to pay and you can instantly revise budgets downwards.
Cost savings also come when you look at the price of making a VoIP call when compared with a standard landline call. Any call made between two on-net users will cost absolutely nothing, so if you have more than one site for your business then it will not cost a penny for staff to stay in touch. In addition, you can call any landline or mobile number using a VoIP service and enjoy average call costs that are lower than their PSTN equivalent.
Because VoIP can be leased efficiently, with little to no upfront investment required and a per-user pricing package, your budget will also be under less strain. In addition, the scalability of VoIP far exceeds that of older business phone systems. You can add new handsets to your set-up as the growth of your business leads to new employees being taken on and the price of doing so will not be a burden.
Increase Productivity
In terms of productivity, VoIP comes into its own when you consider its application in the facilitation of remote working. The virtualised nature of VoIP means that you can allocate a single number to an employee on which clients and colleagues will then be able to reach them, whether they are in the office, at home or out in the field. As long as there is a means to connect to the network, then staff can make VoIP calls when on the move just as easily as if they were at their desk. This is not only more convenient and efficient, but also means that the reduced call costs will lead to much greater savings on calls over time.
Image via WikipediaFully Flexible
The flexible, mobile nature of VoIP is not only useful on an everyday basis, but can also ensure that your business is resilient in the face of disastrous circumstances. If you are unable to get to a phone in the office or elsewhere, then VoIP will be able to automatically re-route calls appropriately, which would be impossible to achieve if you were relying on in-house systems that been damaged in an emergency.
Converged Solutions
Convergence of multiple communications platforms is possible thanks to VoIP because voice calls are not the only feature available from providers. You can also integrate a host of other services, such as fax, SMS texts, voicemail and many more, enabling you to receive everything through a single portal. Along with the cost savings, added flexibility and business resilience which it affords most of its users, this is the icing on the cake of VoIP that should help to make it a great impact on your business.
Hosted VoIP systems from Daisy Group plc allow companies to take advantage of the many advanced features provided by IP Telephony. Unlike traditional telephony suppliers, Daisy has over 12 years experience in cloud, data hosting, networking solutions and voice services enabling us to provide businesses withed-to-end solutions to help maximize the benefits of data (data replication, backup) and voice (IP Telephony (VoIP).
Daisy Group plc are leading providers of business telephone systems including Hosted VoIP and IP telephony phone systems to UK SME, Corporate and public sector customers.
