With the economy in the shape it is today, many small businesses are facing some tough realities as how to manage their business. Small business owners are keeping spending to a minimum and controlling costs while they ride out this economic downturn. Many seasoned business owners will tell you the good thing about running a business during a downturn is that it forces you to really look at your business and decide what’s important and what’s not. All operating costs and expenses are looked over with a fine toothed comb and it is in this time that many business owners find money that has been going to waste.
Depending on your business, your telecommunication costs can eat up a sizable chunk of your budget. Over the last few years VOIP technology has really come of age as costs keep getting lower and service keeps getting better. Listed below are the 5 reasons you should consider making the switch to VOIP technology for you business in 2010.
1 – It’s Cheaper than old fashioned telephone service. Although you will spend several hundred dollars in equipment to get yourself set up, the savings over the long run can be substantial. One of the biggest savings is long distance charges. Besides having to pay long distance access fees each month, most traditional phone companies charge rates considerably higher than VOIP providers. Most VOIP plans come standard with almost every feature you can think of while traditional phone companies usually charge a monthly fee for even the most basic features. These add on fees can quickly add up on your monthly bill.
2 – Unified Communication. Unified Communications is a fancy word to describe the ability to integrate your VOIP phone service with other communications such as email and computer programs. With unified communications you have the ability to have voicemail messages emailed directly to you wherever you may be. Long gone are the days you have to repeatedly call into the office to see if there are messages waiting. Another great application for VOIP is integrating it into a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) program for you business. Imagine when the phone rings the computer screen automatically pops up the account history of your customer before you even pick up the phone. Talk about a great customer service tool.
3 – The technology is here. In the early days of VOIP chronically dropped phone calls and sounding like your calling from Mars were the norm. Over the last few years bandwith has increased to a rate where businesses can operate several applications, including VOIP, over their internet connections without losing quality. Quality of Service technology, which gives VOIP and streaming video priority over data transmission has also paved the way to superior Voice over Internet phone calls.
4 – Hosted PBX. Traditional PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems were usually reserved for big business as it is very expensive to set up. You also need someone with IT experience to manage it. With a Hosted PBX, the entire system is hosted on a remote server, where you, or your service provider, can manage it remotely. All of this can be done at a fraction of the cost of a traditional PBX system while giving small and home based businesses the professional image they need to compete with the big boys.
5 – It’s coming anyway, whether your ready for it or not.
Traditional phone services are going the way of the dinosaur. High fees, long term contracts and poor customer service has been the hallmark of traditional phone companies for a very long time. VOIP and Hosted PBX plans offer the small business owner lower telecom costs, more productivity and a chance to take their customer service to the next level. There are dozens of VOIP providers to choose from, the important thing is to educate yourself on this technology and seek out a vendor who can provide the proper support and consultation for a seemless transition.
By: Gary Shouldis
Posts Tagged ‘Telephone Service’
Ways to Use VoIP Technology
December 27th, 2009
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, uses your broadband internet connection to place phone calls. By converting your voice (or analog) signal into a digital signal, this makes for a more efficient way to talk on the phone and can save you money.
There are three ways you can use VoIP. You can either connect using your regular phone and an adapter, a special internet phone, or download software and use your computer. Here are the methods, in greater detail:
Using your home phone. If you would like to switch from your regular phone line to VoIP, many people opt to continue using their home phone. To do this, you must use an analog telephone adapter, or ATA. This device converts the analog signal (your voice) to a digital signal. Once the signal is converted, it goes through the internet connection. When shopping for a service provider, ask them if they include this adapter with their packages. Most do.
Connect using an IP phone. When using a special IP phone, you don’t need a separate ATA. Everything you need to use your broadband internet connection as your telephone service is included with the hardware. Instead of using a regular phone jack and connector, it uses an Ethernet connection to plug into your router.
Connect using your computer. If your computer has speakers, microphone, a sound card, and a high speed internet connection you can use your computer for VoIP. Companies offer free or low cost software downloads which allows you to use your computer to make phone calls. Using this method is either free, costing only the price of your internet connection, or nearly free. Earthlink’s Vling software is both free to download and free to use. The only hitch is that you can only talk with other Vling users.
By: Michael Bell
VoIP 101
December 23rd, 2009
VoIP is a relatively new type of telephone service that has been gaining more and more popularity in the past few years. VOIP is short for voice over Internet protocol, which basically means your phone calls are made through an internet connection, rather than through regular phone land lines. The rise of it’s popularity could mean that it will be the way of the future for most home phones. What is it that has all these people so excited about VOIP technology? Well, with VOIP you save quite a bit of money, when you compare it to standard land line telephone service. VOIP providers usually have unlimited calling, as well as free added features like caller ID and call forwarding, which would cost you extra with a standard phone service.
Those combined savings can add up to a savings of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars for many people. The biggest group this appeals to, and that stand to save the most, are larger companies or corporations that make a large number of calls on a daily basis. That doesn’t mean it won’t save money for those who only need it for their home phone, just that the more you use your phone, the more you’ll be saving.
Some might tell you that using the internet for voice chat can be choppy or get an echo, thought this can be true, VOIP uses RTP (real time protocol), which greatly limits and often completely eliminates such problems.
VOIP is not just useful for making and receiving phone calls either, it can also be used for other things, such as sending and receiving other types of data. File transfer is possible through a VOIP service, so you can share pictures with friends, or even send important documents instantly. Video chat and instant messaging can also be done through VOIP, when teamed with the right program, such as Google Talk or Skype.
With all these great features and the savings included, many people are making the switch. So much so, that even some standard telephone companies are starting to offer VOIP service to their customers, a sure sign that it’s here to stay.
By: Joanne Greco
