So What’s Hosted VoIP Got That Old Landlines Don’t? Article

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So what’s hosted VoIP got that old landlines don’t?

How can a hosted VoIP telephone system benefit a business? That is the question that many up and coming businesses are asking. Should we be switching from a traditional landline system to an internet based telephone network?

Author: David Nath

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Since the long forgotten days of the old telegraph wires, we’ve survived just fine with the traditional landline system. Some would say if it isn’t broken then don’t fix it. Others assert that change is a positive and necessary thing. But the fact remains that communication systems are evolving at an expeditious rate now, and with the ever growing use of software like Skype, wireless is fast becoming the way to connect people. But what advantages does hosted VoIP actually have over the old style landlines?

VoIP takes the voice from one end of a telephone, encodes the information and transforms it into digital packets, and transmits it over the internet. This data is then converted back to an analogue signal before it reaches the phone receiver on the other end of the call. Because there is a lot less hardware involved in this process compared to old landlines, more and more businesses are finding hosted VoIP to be more simple and cost effective. The days of needing to manage a great deal of onsite equipment are gone, all that is required is an internet connection and VoIP-compatible phones.

Possibly the most appealing aspect of a hosted VoIP telephony system is the amount of money that businesses save on their phone calls. The lack of expenditure on landline installation, maintenance contracts and all the hardware makes a big difference. And VoIP call rates are significantly cheaper than traditional landline calls. Overall, businesses are saving around 40-50% - we are talking about potentially halving the telecommunication costs here! Another benefit is that additional new business phone numbers can be added at very low costs, and this can be done in a matter of a couple of hours. The days of waiting up to 30 days for telephone service providers to deliver a new number are fast becoming extinct.

Hosted VoIP handsets are not tied down to one location either, unlike landline telephones. As long as there is internet access, the phone can be used from any location, and retains the same telephone number wherever it is being used. This is especially useful for employees who work from home and/or varying locations. And if you have a soft phone – VoIP software that runs directly on your computer - you don’t even need a separate handset, all you need is a laptop and a wifi connection, and your phone number will be fully operative – a great advantage to those who need to work while on the move.

The fact that VoIP is hosted from the provider’s network rather than from hardware at a company’s office, means it is much easier to recover from any unfortunate damage to onsite equipment. All the critical elements will still be in place, and in a matter of hours, service can continue as normal. This level of security is also winning favour with businesses, who no longer need to worry about these kinds of potential disruptions to their services, and the loss of business and reputation that can ensue.

VoIP phones also have a range of features, such as call divert and transfer, conference calling, voicemail, call recording, and voice-to-email messaging.

So, to go back to the original question posed, it’s clear to see that hosted VoIP has made significant improvements on the old phone systems that businesses have relied on for over a century. With the VoIP growth just starting to boom now, it seems like the ideal time for businesses, large and small, to take advantage of the huge savings that can be made, and stay ahead of their competitors.

For more information on hosted VoIP services see www.forgedynamic.co.uk

About Author

David Nath is an IT specialist working for London based IT Support company Forge Dynamic.

Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com/author-david-nath-48254.html

So what’s hosted VoIP got that old landlines don’t?