What if, instead of being limited to an in-office phone system with its possibly rough connection and dropped calls, you could experience seamless communication via the cloud? This is possible with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP, for short), an Internet-based unified communications solution. Read on to learn more about VoIP’s benefits and considerations, and about looking for a potential provider.
Benefits of Unified Communications
Telephone technology has come a long way since the time calls were transmitted over copper wires. Nowadays, with VoiceOver IP, users can call each other using an Internet-based cloud solution. With this different interface, the provider handles back-end infrastructure and all the customer needs is the internet connection. This technology is flexible and scalable, and can be integrated with your company’s applications to help speed business processes. Lines can be added easily via your company’s internet router to accommodate more remote workers, and they can access your network and its applications. Like with other cloud offerings, VoIP can convert the capital expense of phone sets to a flexible internet-based subscription model.
Preparing Your Network for Unified Communications
No matter your company’s needs, considerations remain when considering cloud-based phone technology. First, is your company’s network strong enough, with sufficient bandwidth, to support more traffic? Does your network and all connected devices have the most current antivirus and anti-malware definitions? Another question to answer: have you considered what features of a provider’s plan would best align with business goals?
Considerations When Choosing a Provider
Numerous providers exist, and offer internet telephony packages with varying features. Some can furnish you with things like toll-free numbers and even international calling. Which features are must-haves for your business, and which are simply nice to have but not essential? Businesses with call centers, for instance, might need a package they can integrate with their customer-service software. Technical support is another consideration; some providers offer 24/7 support but others don’t. Whatever your business, you’ll need to know about the security of the provider’s data centers and if data is encrypted both in transit and at rest.
Unified Communications has the potential to transform how your business collaborates. For further assistance, contact your trusted technology advisor today.
