Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)

What is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP)?

VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), also known as IP Telephony, is a technique by which you can transfer your voice communications and multimedia data using a broadband connection. It means you don’t need a Public-Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to make a phone call. If you want to use a VOIP phone service, then all you need to make a phone call is a laptop/computer with VOIP software or any VOIP-enabled device. Many organizations use business VOIP phone service because it offers a wide range of features that cannot be found on other smartphone devices, like recording calls, custom caller ID, voicemail to email, and much more.

VOIP business phone service working:

The working of VOIP is similar to a regular smartphone, but VOIP uses an internet connection in order to make phone calls and transfer other multimedia data. VOIP business phone service can be enabled by methodologies and technologies such as local area network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN.) A VOIP phone service for business converts the audio signals of the user’s voice into digital data and sends these digital data to the concerned person. To transfer the signals, VOIP uses a method named codecs. Codecs are software or hardware that converts VOIP data. Sometimes a voice quality suffers because of compression, but it minimizes the requirements of bandwidth. If another user calls from a regular number, these digital signals are again converted back into typical telephone signals before reaching the user.

Standard Features of VOIP:

• Audio calls
• Video calls
• Emails
• Team chats
• Text Messages
• Instant messaging
• Voicemail
• Desktop and mobile apps
• Portable local number (without needing a new number, it allows the user to adopt a new telephone carrier)

VOIP phone service for home:

Many people think that voice over internet protocol (VOIP) is only associated with businesses, IT professionals, companies, and large organizations. This is somehow true, but these services are not only restricted to businesses. For example, have you heard about a triple deal from your cable service provider company, i.e., Internet, Phone, and TV? If yes, then that service is a VOIP phone service for home. Many people get this service but do not know that it is a phone VOIP service. Some people get VOIP phone service free with their internet, and some get TV cable as well. The main focus of cable TV companies is on the internet and TV, but at least you should get these four vital features:

1. Custom caller ID
2. Voicemail (which means that an answering machine is not required.)
3. Call waiting service (which means providing the line hold service.)
4. Support of 911 (Usually, we call it E911.)

Another core feature of VOIP phone service for home is the phone itself. Many cable TV operators provide it, and their main device act as an ancient-styled landline phone. But still, some companies offer you an exclusive VOIP phone for residential buyers. This exclusive voice-over internet provider (VOIP) phone works like your regular phone until the initial setup, which ensures that the phone is connected to an internet connection and is configured by the VOIP service provider.

Advantages of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP):

1. SAVES YOUR MONEY:

Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) uses a DSL internet connection, and that’s why it saves your money that is spent as an expense on other traditional phone companies. It also saves your direct costs, for example:

• Hardware expenses:

In an organization, setting up a traditional phone system can be very costly because of the cost associated with the hardware, for example, copper wiring that brings voice media, a PBX system that connects landline phones of your organization to each other, and much more. VOIP phone service for business saves your money because it reduces the cost of hardware expenses. With phone service VOIP, you can set up your communication system without using specific hardware.

• Operational expenses:

When a call is made through a public-switched telephone network (PSTN – A network operated with copper wires), a circuit is opened between the caller and receiver. If this circuit breaks or ends within the call, you hear delays, voice breakage, and distortion. Many people may experience this issue when doing long-distance or international calls. So, this circuit remains open until the call ends, and traditional phone services charge per minute to keep your circuit open. Still, the VOIP phone service saves you these charges because it uses an internet connection that works on a subscription basis. A company can purchase this subscription according to the organization’s needs.

• Maintenance expenses:

Traditional phone systems may need repairing and maintenance after some time, which can disturb your company’s budget. But a hosted phone VOIP service covers all the repairing and maintenance fees in the monthly subscription plan.

• Reduced resource cost:

Every organization thinks about hiring a receptionist who can transfer the calls according to the need of the caller, but now your company no longer needs a receptionist because phone service VOIP offers a feature named an automated attendant. This feature transfers the incoming calls to the extensions according to the caller’s specifications without needing a human operator.

2. BUILDS A REMOTE WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Business VOIP phone service offers advanced functionalities like conference calling, video calls, etc., which is why a company can work efficiently in a remote working environment. So, it completely cut downs the cost of office rents, bills, utility bills, and other expenses.

3. OFFERS ADDITIONAL FEATURES:

Voice over internet protocol (VOIP) offers many additional features such as caller ID, call recording, voice mailing facility, and conference calls.

4. SCALABILITY:

VOIP business phone service completely grows with your organization which means that it easily allows you to add a phone line or delete a phone line at any time without any additional cost.

5. OFFERS OUTSTANDING PORTABILITY:

VOIP phone service allows you to make a call anywhere in the world and receive calls from anywhere in the world by just a VOIP device (with the same number) and must be using an internet connection. It is complicated to communicate with the people that are working remotely within an organization because of using a traditional phone system, but VOIP phone service for business uses advanced features to connect with your team anywhere in the world without spending any cost.