Many businesses are taking advantage of a new telephone system that offers more capabilities and an attractive price point. The Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems are some of the more popular business telephone networks.
VoIP uses voice data that is collected in a digital form and then transferred through internet lines. The system does not rely on the traditional telephone company, but can be provided through systems such as OnSip hosted VoIP. This type of phone network has become quite popular, with as many as 30 percent of all businesses now using the system.
While VoIP has been around for several decades, the technology has improved quite a bit. Concerns about call quality have been resolved, making it better than most landlines. And the VoIP system offers more capabilities for businesses, particularly those expanding more into digital commerce.
Why are more businesses switching to VoIP?
As the popularity of VoIP continues to grow, businesses are finding that phone systems offer a number of benefits, including:
- Call quality: Evolving technology means VoIP systems now can benefit from advanced high-definition codecs, which have greatly improved voice quality. These systems now surpass the quality of landline calls.
- Low upfront costs: Small businesses find VoIP easy to use without the need for the installation of a telephone infrastructure or special equipment. Cloud-hosted VoIP offered by vendors do not require equipment or specialized technicians to install and maintain the system, only an internet connection.
- Easy to use: VoIP systems do not require tech support and do not experience downtime to maintain, which landline networks can experience.
- Simple scalability: Cloud-based VoIP makes upgrades and additional lines easy. As a business grows and hires more workers, additional lines can easily be included on the network and plugged into an Ethernet port.
- Remote functionality: Many businesses have turned to cloud-based VoIP as they have transitioned into hybrid and remote workplaces. The VoIP system allows workers to use a mobile system app to make and receive calls from anywhere without callers knowing the workers’ location. This offers companies flexibility in how they meet the needs of workers who prefer the flexibility of remote functionality.
- Cost flexibility: More businesses are switching to cloud-based VoIP because of the cost and the ability to control expenses. Traditional phone networks hosted by telephone companies often charge by the minutes used in calls. Most VoIP vendors charge businesses a flat monthly per-user fee, and in some cases, businesses can get free access to limited features. There also are no upfront equipment costs.
- Expanded capabilities: VoIP systems offer businesses expanded capabilities, such as videoconferencing, call recording, and other features. That is in addition to the typical features, such as call hold, transfer, forwarding and caller ID. These digital features give businesses more control over monitoring customer service and how they engage with external callers.
- Optional integration services: Some VoIP systems offer businesses the ability to integrate some of their existing communication tools, such as chat services and email. This offers more control and oversight of communication between employees and customers, in addition to internal communications. Some systems also offer conferencing capabilities, including video call integration.
The future of VoIP services
As technology improves, businesses will gain access to even more capabilities in VoIP systems.
For example, VoIP systems will soon benefit from the use of artificial intelligence and sentiment analysis. This trend offers businesses AI-fueled analytics that use natural language processing to provide sentiment analysis. Businesses will have the ability to analyze every customer call and interaction, using the insights to determine how customers feel about service, products, and other aspects of the business. The AI-powered analysis uses the calls to make those insights actionable, whether it’s for customer service quality, advertising impact, or product sentiment.
Future VoIP systems will also help organizations use call data to develop a unified customer experience through an omnichannel approach. This is particularly important as businesses expand their digital commerce strategies. Organizations will be able to assess the customer experience along any point of the customer’s journey, using data obtained to provide actionable insights. No matter where the customer is, the future VoIP system should be able to provide seamless communication for more productive interactions.
