Although landlines have been around for a much longer time than Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems, more and more small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) have been opting for VoIP since internet connection speeds surged in the early 2000s.
If you’re still on the fence about whether your company should also do the same, then this blog will help you decide. If you can relate with any of the five scenarios below, then VoIP may be ideal for your company.
1. You’re looking to cut communication costs
VoIP business phone systems cost significantly less than regular landlines mainly because calls take place over an internet connection, something that you’re already paying for separately. This means that with VoIP, employees can call one another with little to no additional expense to the company. In fact, they can even make and take international calls for free or at significantly lower rates than with international direct dialing.
Moreover, since VoIP systems use broad internet connection, your company no longer needs to maintain separate networks for data and phones.
2. You want to leverage more call functionalities
Landlines become all the more expensive compared to VoIP systems when you add call features — features that are readily available in even the most basic VoIP service plans such as:
- Caller ID – Gives the caller’s name and phone number so you can decide whether to take, reject, block, or forward the call
- Voicemail – Prompts the caller to leave a message when the call is unanswered
- Call forwarding – Transfers the call to another VoIP-enabled device, number, or service like voicemail to prevent calls from being unanswered
- Call queuing – Allows you to queue multiple incoming calls and answer them in the order you receive them while informing callers who are on hold of the estimated waiting time
- Music on hold – Plays music to entertain callers who are put on hold
- Three-way calling – Lets you talk to three people at once
- Address book – Stores names and phone numbers of contacts in the control panel or within a company directory
Most VoIP business packages include advanced features, some of which may come at an additional cost:
- Audio and video conferencing – Allows you to see and hear everyone on the call and use tools such as screen sharing and screen drawing, giving the impression of being in the same room for a meeting
- Voicemail to email – Converts voice messages into texts files and then sends these files via email
- Find me/follow me – Lets you define the path of incoming calls so that if a call is routed to your desk phone but is unanswered, it gets transferred to your desired secondary device (such as your mobile phone) before it can failover to voicemail
- Auto attendant – Answers calls and provides voice menu options to route calls to the right extension or department without the help of a live operator
- Real-time call reports and analytics – Provides reports on call metrics such as the average duration of each call and average call waiting time
- Call recording – Records calls for you to listen to at a later time
- Database integration – Integrates with other business tools such as support ticket systems, customer relationship management apps, chat, and many others
3. Your employees work remotely or you have multiple office locations
VoIP is perfect for SMBs that have more than one location, offer flexible work arrangements, or hire remote and field-based employees because they can use it wherever they may be, so long as they have internet access. This means your employees do not need to be physically present in the same office. They can work from home, in another office location, while on the go, or even in another country.
Despite the distance, employees can still work together and seamlessly transfer calls to another colleague without requiring the caller to dial another number. They can also easily brainstorm and collaborate using VoIP’s audio and video conferencing capabilities.
Related reading: Your guide to choosing the right VoIP solutions for your business
4. You want a phone system that’s easy to set up and manage
Unlike with landlines, most VoIP solutions have an app or web portal with a user-friendly interface that makes installation, configuration, and maintenance easy. With VoIP, your employees can even use their existing devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, allowing you to do away with the traditional desk phones.
5. You want a scalable phone solution
Adding more landline users is more costly and complex because you’ll need to pay a provider to install wired phone lines and phone sets. And when you downsize, you get stuck with more landlines than you need.
Unlike with landlines, scaling up or down with VoIP is straightforward. All you have to do is click to add or reduce the quantity of lines, numbers, and extensions — no physical installation required. This means that you can conveniently scale your VoIP system to meet your current needs.
Partner with SpectrumWise so you can enjoy enterprise-level VoIP solutions and remote management service for an affordable monthly fee. Schedule a consultation with us today.
