The personalization in the service becomes fundamental when it comes to offering the greatest savings to its users. And is that each company has its own characteristics and specific needs: more international calls, have several lines. IP voice systems allow that personalization to not lose money. Do not you still know what we're talking about? Do not worry, let's explain what they are and how you can save on your company's telephone bill.
Voice Calls Over IP
We are used to analogue technology, which is what traditional companies offer, in which the voice travels through telephone circuits. Voice calls over Internet Protocol (voice IP) are resources that allow the voice to travel through the network. Traditional telephone technology has become obsolete in recent times. It has little flexibility and complicates communications between different headquarters of the company or with customers and suppliers.
Talking on the Internet opens a new horizon that, before the arrival of the network, could not even imagine: it facilitates communications and users can talk through different devices, without being linked to the telephone network. To understand the operation of voice calls over IP, we must first know the actors involved:
- The user, who connects to establish voice calls. It must have an audio output and a microphone to be able to use this service.
- The servers, which are responsible for managing the database.
- The gateways, the communication bridge between users.
Therefore, to contract an Internet call service, we would only have to contact the company and have a mobile phone, a tablet or a computer with an Internet connection.
The benefits of using voice over IP calls in company
By contracting voice over IP services, we avoid the high costs of telephone companies, which we must take into account if we have suppliers or customers abroad.
We have already mentioned that voice calls over IP allow greater mobility of work centers. And it is no longer necessary to be stuck to a phone: a user can answer calls from a computer or a tablet.
Who has not happened that you need to make an urgent call and you find the lines collapsed? With voice calls over IP this is almost impossible, since you connect to data networks.
Nowadays, new forms of communication are parking phone calls. Thanks to voice calls over IP you have all communications in one place: calls, chats, text messages, emails.
The Virtual Switchboards
This type of switchboards, also known as cloud switchboards by their nature (as we will see later), are neither more nor less than a service offered by companies that facilitate IP voice calls to companies, which consists of having a virtual telephone reception. The clients that hire this service will have several telephone stations or extensions, which can be fixed or mobile, according to the particular needs of each one. The great advantage of this type of switchboards is that you do not need employees to be connected to the same telephone line: they may be working from home or elsewhere and answer calls from customers or suppliers.
Its operation is very simple. Calls enter the company's headquarters and are transferred to the IP voice software available to the employee. Simply mark the extension of that employee and you can answer the call directly: the person on the other side of the line will not realize that the person attending you is not at the company's headquarters. Another facility offered by virtual switchboards is that you can have as many extensions as you wish: it is not necessary to develop a complex infrastructure and employees can have them with only an Internet connection.
The advantages for companies of the use of virtual switchboards
If you want to save on your company's telephone bill, forget the traditional switchboards and opt for virtual ones:
It is not necessary to buy a physical switchboard, which involves a disbursement of several hundred bucks. It must also be borne in mind that this type of equipment soon becomes obsolete and it is necessary to renew it every so often. With an IP PBX you will only disburse the amount of the contract and it will be updated periodically by the company to which you contract the services.
The virtual switchboards require less maintenance than the physical ones. If you have a switchboard of the traditional ones in your company, you will know that it requires constant maintenance (which usually involves a periodic cost from the company providing telephone services): if the system fails, until the technician arrives, you run out be able to make or receive calls. In the case of virtual switchboards, the maintenance is carried out in the place where they are located and it is more complicated that they fail. You will not have to wait for the technician to show up at your office. All this makes them simpler, more productive and more efficient.
Choose freely the type of extension. It is no longer necessary to convert traditional telephones (landlines) into extensions. Now there is freedom and you can create the extensions you need through a mobile device or the IP address of a computer, for example.
IP voice calls and virtual switchboards: you still have not convinced yourself?
In addition to the advantages that we have commented, companies can obtain others using these telephony systems:
The companies are more productive. As we have seen, switching from traditional to virtual telephony means a considerable reduction in expenses (the traditional telephony bill is reduced and there are no extra costs when talking to people in other countries), but it also implies increasing sales ( allow you to receive calls at the click of a mouse, which means an increase in the number of potential clients) and you have total control of telephony at your disposal: the companies that offer these services will give you access to an easy-to-use web control panel and where you can register new extensions, create groups for call diversion and take control of costs in real time.
Improve communication with customers. Employees can be in contact with customers at all times and not only during office hours. This means that they can negotiate at all times and give technical assistance and support from home (this also facilitates teleworking and the reconciliation of work and family life).
What services do IP voice telephony companies offer me?
In general, these companies offer varied, packaged services. You must take into account the particular needs of your company before deciding on a service or another. Among the services that all offer, they stand out:
- The integration of fixed and mobile telephones of the company.
- Unique switchboard for all company delegations (no need to hire or buy one for each of the locations, as with traditional telephony).
- Videoconferences, which, in addition, are very easy to manage, without problems or unnecessary cables.
- Forwarding and diversion of calls. Is an employee not available? The call jumps to the next one in the list.
- The possibility that any employee receives calls, wherever he is.
- Really interesting rates (and flat, in many cases, to avoid surprises at the end of the month).
Conclusion
Doing all this organization and management is critical for you to cut costs with telecom. However, you need to know that this requires a lot of time, which could be being devoted to other needs in your work. The telecom companies perform all the management necessary so that you do not have to worry about the expenses generated by telephony in your company, even performing auditing on your accounts.
Author Bio
Kimbrely Stewart is a technical content write and currently working for PBX Systems Dubai, which offer Cisco phone system in Dubai. She loves to learn and share technical news and updates.
