Last Updated on September 15, 2020 by Husain Parvez
For small businesses looking for affordable telephony solutions, VoIP is one that comes to mind. It turns telephone (and sometimes video communications) into something that is transmitted via data packets over the internet rather than relying on traditional telephone networks.
If you want better efficiency with call answering and to employ automated systems to let callers indicate what their call is about, an Auto-Attendant service is needed. Check out this website to learn what is auto attendant in VOIP and how it streamlines the internal process.
What is VoIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol is simply a way to convert phone calls into a stream of data that is transmitted over the internet instead of originally over copper-based phone lines.
It has existed in various forms for many years. Some of the largest VoIP providers were in existence since 2000 but have innovated, radically improved, and scaled up their services as the technology has evolved.
Of course, the average internet speed available to small businesses at a price that won’t consume ten percent of their gross revenues is vastly different than it was just a few years ago. Originally, only the largest companies could afford to implement VoIP because they were already paying for fast enough internet access to use it. That’s all changed now.
How Does VoIP Work?
To avoid getting overly technical, VoIP unlocks telephone services (and sometimes video calling too) not unlike how it’s possible to unlock the iCloud account by letting you to make and receive calls a different way. Instead of being beholden to a single telephone provider for business services where your office is located, VoIP calls work from anywhere there’s a good enough internet connection.
Eventually, the telephone system did convert from analog to digital, whereupon phone calls became a data stream. VoIP also works by converting a phone call conducted on a phone or a connected headset in real-time, so two people can talk without the need to use traditional phone services.
What Benefits Does VoIP Provide Small Businesses
Maintaining a switchboard and a receptionist to answer the phone isn’t a practical solution any longer. When companies are receiving many phone calls, they need a digital system that’s capable of answering the call, keeping people on hold, and directing them through an auto-attendant service.
The auto-attendant service lets callers confirm what department or person they wish to speak to. Offering this service via traditional phone services is prohibitively costly for small companies. However, a similar setup with VoIP is far more affordable and completely compatible with existing phone systems too.
Improved calling clarify is possible compared to traditional calls too. A VoIP network can automatically redirect traffic to move around network congestion issues as they occur. This helps to keep the call noise-free.
Calls can also be managed better to coincide with the available workforce at any given time. Phone calls don’t just ring off the hook or suffer excessive wait times before they are handled.
Also, VoIP can be used by remote workers for the company too. It’s not just for office-based workers alone.
Why VoIP is Growing in Adoption at Small Businesses
As pricing has become highly competitive and more companies have entered the VoIP service space, the service offerings have diversified.
While some VoIP companies offer a generalist service with numerous add-ons or features, others have specialized by offering voice calls but not video, for instance, or limiting their feature set in other ways.
This process has allowed smaller companies to pick between several service providers based on their specific needs rather than having few options. As such, solutions can be better tailored to what’s required instead of simply being a one-size-fits-all approach that can turn some businesses off VoIP adoption.
Communication Requirements Are Evolving
Smaller companies now realize that the preferences of potential and current customers have evolved.
Given that people are often busy and on-the-move, they prefer flexibility in how they communicate and deal with companies. Sometimes, this has meant customer service teams needing to respond to a tweet that’s gaining attention in a bad way. Other times, it’s seen the need to not only answer calls, but respond to support tickets, video conference with a client or colleague who has an on-site issue, and to be creative in other ways too.
As business is conducted over so many different platforms and communication on a myriad of channels now, companies are looking to use modern communication solutions to keep up. Depending on the implemented VoIP solution, several technologies and communication methods may be supported without confusing the employees who have to use them. The interfaces for employees to use the VoIP have also been vastly improved for better usability too.
For growing companies that require technology to support their requirements going forward, VoIP is an impressive communications solution. There are numerous useful features that companies can turn on and make the best use of to streamline their operations and remove customer bottlenecks.
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