You may have heard a lot of talk recently regarding VoIP as a cheap way to place international phone calls. Using an internet connection, the communication is instituted either via your computer, or with a jack that connects to a regular handset. But is this a viable option for businesses? Definitely.
Many business owners have been programmed to believe that internet phone service is somehow less reliable than that received from a traditional telephone company. This is simply not true. Read on for some of the advantages a company can realise by utilising VoIP to make international phone calls.
New Technology
Perhaps in the early days of VoIP there were problems experienced by some callers, such as poor quality, unreliability, and a lag in connection times. Much of this has changed recently due to the advancement of technology.
In fact, today’s internet telephony service travels at a high rate of speed, dependant, of course, on your internet connection. Most businesses utilise a Broadband connection or faster, so this should not be any issue anyway.
The hardware provided by a VoIP is usually plug and play, meaning it can be taken anywhere at any time and it is very easy to use. It also prioritises the call service over other network traffic.
The quality of the call has improved greatly, as well, with a rating of at least 95% and as much as 105% better than communications travelling over copper wires. Much of this relies on the calibre of phone service provider, so take care when shopping and ensure you find a company that received high marks from customers.
Benefits
Of course the biggest benefit to a business owner is in the cost savings. Compared to a traditional land line, international phone calls placed utilising VoIP can cost up to 75% less.
The capacity is greater. With a traditional phone system, you must pay for each line used in your business and usually a PBX centre as well. With internet-based calling, you merely have to purchase the jacks and ensure that your network capacity is sufficient to handle a high volume of voice communications.
For any business that already has a substantial computer network in place and a high speed internet connection in place, the move from traditional phone service to VoIP for making international phone calls is a wise one. If you’ve tried this option before and found it unsatisfactory, it is time to revisit the idea. Today’s advanced technology means that internet-based telephony can outperform systems of the past. And the rates cannot be beat.
By: Chris Jenkinson
Posts Tagged ‘Traditional Telephone’
VoIP – International Phone Calls For Businesses
December 12th, 2009VOIP Technology in Call Centers
December 12th, 2009
To those who may be less familiar, call center technology consists of automated phone systems capable of answering incoming phone calls and performing outbound autodialing. A call center is a group of telephone agents who receive incoming calls and/or make outgoing calls. Software applications usually associated with calls centers are CRM (Customer Relationship Management) programs.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) is a call center technology that allows call center to make and receive calls using the Internet instead of traditional phone lines. As a matter of fact, today, many call centers deploy VOIP technology in a bid to reduce costs and improve operational efficiency as also employ remote call center agents. Businesses worldwide have built VOIP into their call centers, because of the scalability, and VOIP enables call centers to adapt and grow along with business and technology needs.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology has come to stay. It has made steady progress in replacing traditional telephone lines in most businesses and even in homes. It is the technology of the future as more and more people are enamored of the features of VOIP technology and the concomitant benefits. For many businesses, reduced cost is perhaps the most compelling reason to adopt VOIP in the office. VOIP allows organizations to set up core operations in their main office, while operatingat many locations across the globe.
Ordinarily, a VOIP is a virtual communication warehouse for marketing, and to a lesser extent, customer relationship management (CRM) functions. Using software on your workstations along with a broadband Internet connection can result in significant savings on operational costs. The telephone communications through the Internet allows the VOIP staff to initiate and respond to any number of simultaneous telemarketing calls, phone orders, and customer inquiries. Essentially, a VOIP centralizes telemarketing, ordering and customer service functions for various manufacturing and service companies.
There are two different choices – one is to make your current equipment -enabled. The other is to build up a new system through a separate gateway. But there are greater gains in having VOIP technology native to your existing system. You can use your current equipment by adding a VOIP interface board or similar bridging device to your current system configuration. There are many manufacturers who offer these products.
While exercising this option, buy a product that is certified and capable of easy integration with your existing equipments. Please remember the vendor’s commitment to developing VOIP solutions for you is important. If you find it difficult, hire a professional consultant, who has already handled multiple VOIP deployments, to guide you through your project.
Since all telephone functions of are computerized, and since the Internet is by far more capable of handling multiple phone transmissions than a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a call center need not be unduly bothered about overburdened telephone lines. This is a huge advantage. A number of opportunities are presented once you have your call center on the VOIP technology.
By: Cyril Bird
VoIP – The Ultimate Calling Solution
December 8th, 2009
VoIP which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol is changing the way people think about making long distance phone calls.
VoIP uses technology that can translate analog audio signal, the signal traditionally used for telephone calls, into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet and translated back to analog at the other end, if necessary. This technology can also be used without traditional phones, bypassing the phone company (and the outrageous fees) altogether. This technology has the potential to completely revolutionize the telephone industry offering a whole range of new choices for the consumer.
It is highly possible that this technology will eventually completely replace the traditional phone system.
There are several ways to take advantage of this new technology including both pay and free services available through the Internet. Some require purchasing new equipment to make and receive phone calls with a traditional telephone and others make and receive calls through your computer using the speakers and a microphone.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both methods with the computer method being available for free, but requiring your computer to be on and connected to the Internet in order to make or receive calls and the traditional phone method usually requiring the purchase of additional equipment and a monthly usage fee. Even with the fee, however, in most cases VoIP would prove to be a considerable savings over the standard telephone company’s bill.
Actually, there is a good chance you are already using VoIP technology without even knowing it. Many of the big-name long distance telephone service providers are already streamlining their networks using VoIP. This technology takes advantage of sending information electronically in the form of packets instead of the traditional method of circuit switching.
By using packets the information is sent only when it is created as opposed the circuit method which leaves a circuit open for the entire duration of the phone call so that there is a constant flow of information in both directions even when only one person is talking or when nobody is talking at all. Since the packet-switching method only sends actual data as it is created there is much less information “traffic” making the whole system much more efficient.
VoIP phone plans usually include all the premium services such as call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding and three-way calling in their one low (or free) fee rather than charging extra for each of these like the regular phone companies do. This provides yet another advantage for the VoIP customer.
There are even more premium features that go beyond what a standard phone company is capable of, such as filtering calls and routing specific phone numbers to either another number or a predetermined recorded message. Imagine sending all telemarketers to a “this phone is no longer in service message.”
The only potential drawback for some customers is not having access to a high-speed Internet connection. This can pose a problem for close to 50% of Americans who are still forced to use traditional dial-up connections. For the other 50%, however, VoIP is a viable alternative to the high phone bills and lackluster service they have been getting for years. The technology is still in its infancy and its popularity is likely to skyrocket in the coming years.
By: Aaron Siegel
