Does your business still use a traditional landline system to make and receive calls? If so, you are likely missing out on features and tools that could enhance your company’s efficiency, communication, and mobility. Today, many companies are making the switch to advanced VoIP phone systems and leaving their landlines behind.
VoIP Phone System: What Is It & How Does It Work?
A Voice over Internet Phone (VoIP) system is a phone system that uses internet connectivity to send and receive calls. These systems provide a range of calling features, including visual voicemail, caller data, seamless call transfers, computer-based calling, and more.
VoIP vs. Traditional Phone Systems
The primary difference between VoIP systems and traditional phone systems is the technology they use to facilitate phone calls. VoIP systems make phone calls through the internet, whereas traditional landlines convert calls into sound waves and send them along telephone wires.
While landlines can reliably make and receive phone calls, their modern features are few and far between. Many businesses have begun switching to VoIP phone systems to acquire more advanced benefits that streamline their business’s calling processes.
How Does It Work?
VoIP systems transmit calls by converting your voice into data and sending that data over the internet. Zoom and Skype are popular examples of VoIP systems in action—these programs allow you to talk directly to other users with voice communication in real-time. You can make VoIP calls through a phone or a computer app.
Benefits of Our VoIP Phone System
Switching to our VoIP system can provide numerous benefits for your company. Here are three primary advantages of using our VoIP phone system.
Low Cost
Our VoIP system is more affordable than most traditional phone systems. This system requires no additional hardware and operates with a low monthly subscription fee. In addition, because VoIP systems connect calls through the internet, there are no additional fees for long-distance calls.
Mobility
Today, many businesses have begun allowing employees to work from home either part-time or full-time. VoIP systems enable employees to continue making calls from their business phones while at home, in another office location, or from anywhere. Employees can use the VoIP program to call directly through their laptops or desktop computers.
Scalability
Our VoIP systems also support your business’s growth and advancement. Instead of needing to purchase additional hardware to upgrade your phone, you can upgrade your VoIP system regularly by adjusting your settings and adding new online features.
Integration with Unified Communications Systems
Unified communications (UC) systems allow your business to integrate your phone, instant messaging, email, fax, and other communication tools into a single program. If your company currently uses a unified communications system or is considering implementing one soon, you will be happy to know that these systems include many overlapping features with VoIP systems.
UC systems and VoIP systems both rely on network connectivity to make and receive calls. Additionally, the best VoIP phone systems include the integrated communications features—such as instant messaging, video calling, call management, conferencing, and mobility—that unified communications systems provide.
If you currently have a UC system, you can integrate your VoIP with your existing system to maximize its benefits. If not, you can utilize your VoIP to receive the advantages of a UC system.
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling technology that enables the initiation and termination of real-time call sessions— including VoIP conversations. This protocol allows private phone networks to connect to public networks, eliminating the need for businesses to maintain landline systems to connect to other landlines.
Our VoIP system uses SIP to define and manage the elements sent from one phone to the next.
Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP)
Real-time transport protocol (RTP) is another protocol that supports VoIP systems. This protocol enables real-time data transfer between two endpoints. While RTP can be complicated to understand, all you need to know is that this protocol helps make our VoIP system lightning-fast, delivering your communications quickly and effectively.
Types of VoIP Phones
There are two primary types of VoIP phones: hard phones and softphones. Let’s discuss these two types in further detail.
Hard Phones
A hard phone is a stationary, hardware-based phone that stays within a specified location, such as at an employee’s desk, and connects to the business’s IP network. Hard phones resemble traditional landline phones, allowing your staff to learn the ins and outs of these VoIP phones quickly.
A few common types of hard phones include:
- Desk IP phones: Phones that connect to hardware at an employee’s desk
- Wireless or cordless phones: Phones that employees can take with them throughout the building
- Conference phones: Phones that facilitate group calls
- USB phones: Phones that connect to a laptop or desktop computer through a USB cable
Softphones
In contrast, a softphone is not a physical phone. Instead, it is software that allows you to make calls through a computer rather than specific phone hardware. Softphones allow you to answer calls, transfer callers, place callers on hold, view caller information, and more through your computer.
Security on VoIP Networks
Many businesses fear transitioning to a VoIP phone system because they have heard horror stories of companies losing their private information to internet hackers. However, VoIP phone networks can be just as secure as traditional landlines as long as their internal processes are safe.
At Emerald City Solutions, we use specialized processes to ensure that your VoIP network stays secure against hackers and security breaches. When you hire our security team, we will regularly take the following actions to strengthen your network security:
- Encrypt your data
- Create secure passwords for routers and firewalls
- Employ a VPN on your network
- Perform data and security audits
Failing to implement adequate security measures can place your VoIP network at risk of a data breach. However, you can trust our team to keep your network secure and use the best processes in the industry to protect you against security threats.
VoIP Phone System for Businesses
Switching to a VoIP small business phone system can be very beneficial for your company. A few advantages you can receive from implementing a VoIP phone system for small businesses include:
- Reliable connectivity: You will always be able to use your phones as long as you have an internet connection.
- Service mobility: You and your employees can call customers from anywhere through your business phone number
- Advanced calling features: Call screening, visual voicemail, call monitoring, audio recording, group conferencing, and hot-desking are a few of the many advanced features that come with VoIP systems.
- Lower costs per call: VoIP systems are typically more affordable than landlines.
- Global access: Employees and customers worldwide can make and receive calls to each other without any long-distance interference.
- Unified communications: VoIP phone systems can unify your communication tools across your business.
Emerald City Solutions: Strengthen Your Business & Adopt VoIP as a Useful Tool
Switching to a VoIP business phone system could be the best change your business makes this year.
Our VoIP system provides the advanced calling features your competitors are already using in a simplified, easy-to-integrate system. And when you combine your VoIP system with our managed security solutions, you can feel confident in your system’s protection against hackers and other threats.
Contact our Emerald City Solutions team today at 206-531-3978 to learn more about our VoIP phone systems.
Areas We Serve:
Everett
