VOIP Phones
Voice over IP telephony has changed the way businesses think about phones. Traditionally tethered to the desktop by telephone wires, phones can now be located anywhere in the company or in the world where an IP connection can be established with the company’s voice server.
1. What are VOIP Phone Systems?
VOIP telephones transmit call setup, voice and call teardown data over data networks rather than a separate network of digital or analog phone cables. This configuration is economical in the workplace, but also lends itself to the economical use of advanced telephone operations such as unified communications, unified messaging and computer telephony integration.
Internally, VOIP phones communicate between themselves with little interaction with the voice server. External calls, however, often require the use of either internal gateway cards or an external IP gateway service to translate IP calls for use on the PSTN.
2. VOIP Phone systems vs. Analog Phone Systems
Analog phone systems are usually two or four wire systems that allow standard telephones to share external phone lines and to call from one phone to another inside the company. These phones require DTMF receivers on the phone system to translate touch tones into telephone numbers. Companies with many analog phones in use often experience service delays when all the DTMF receivers on the premises are in use.
Although many small companies can operate with analog phones, most business systems have already transitioned to digital phone systems. These systems give users access to robust features like call routing, call transfers, parked calls, voicemail, conference calls and other business telephone features that most people expect.
VOIP phone systems provide most of the features of a digital business telephone system, but are usually more economical to purchase and operate. Companies that still need analog phone ports should look for a system that either supports analog station cards or external analog to IP converters.
3. What are the main reasons Business are switching to VOIP?
Businesses are switching to VOIP in record numbers for several key reasons.
- Lower installation cost. When equipping a building for business use, companies only need to pay for the installation of one set of cables.
- Reduced operating cost. Businesses no longer need separate administrators for data and voice systems. This offers the chance for substantial payroll savings. Companies can also
use less-expensive VOIP trunks when available from local service providers to reduce the cost of external communications.
- Flexibility. Businesses now can relocate phones anywhere in their office by attaching them to any available Ethernet cable. VOIP phones can often be connected to wireless access points, making their deployment in hard-to-reach places easy.
- Modern workforces. Companies can utilize modern workforce trends such as hybrid, mobile, and distributed workforces. These make it possible for people to connect to the business telephone system from almost anywhere an Internet connection is available.
4. Refurbished vs. New VOIP Phone System
Businesses often have the opportunity to save money on their infrastructure by buying a refurbished system. These are used systems that have been restored to factory specifications and often come with some warranty coverage.
When buying a refurbished system, businesses should be conscious of the fact that they may not have access to the latest VOIP technologies and features, so they should carefully research the specifications of any system they might buy.
5. Important considerations when selecting a VOIP phone installer.
VOIP installers should employ professionals that have data network certifications and certifications earned from the equipment manufacturer. When installers do not have these credentials, they may not be authorized dealers of the equipment they sell and may not have the manufacturer’s expertise and support resources available to them when problems arise.
