For businesses considering voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone services, cost-saving benefits can be a major consideration. Telzio reports that the average business that switches to VoIP saves between 50 and 75 percent on phone bills, though specific savings can vary significantly. Saying goodbye to complex monthly phone bills and itemized long-distance calls can be appealing to organizations of any size.
However, the benefits of VoIP definitely aren’t limited to simpler billing and cost savings. Organizations that switch to VoIP can appreciate a host of other benefits, including improved automation, better uptime, and greatly reduced needs for costly on-site maintenance visits. Join us as we review five more reasons VoIP can have a positive impact on your business telephony.
1. Automation
For organizations operating on plain old telephones, a lack of automation can be a costly source of frustration. Adequately routing calls can require a human switchboard operator, and a lack of mobile forwarding can damage an organization’s ability to provide seamless customer service 24/7.
Automated call distribution and forwarding to employee mobile devices is a key feature of most VoIP systems, which can provide cost savings and the ability for the busiest employees to stay continuously connected. As TechAdvisory highlights, some VoIP systems can even translate voice mails to emails. Intelligent voice recognition is a readily available add-on feature from many VoIP vendors, which can provide ease-of-use to customers and end users for simple call routing.
2. No More Reliance on Phone Grids
Organizations using VoIP are no longer reliant on public switched telephone networks (PSTN). There are some benefits associated with public telephone networks, including what tech editor Kara Deyermenjian lists as “built-in security… emergency location services.” However, switching away from your business’s reliance on PSTN can provide new freedom. Instead of having to rely on dedicated lines or public telephone grids, you’re able to better control and scale your growth to fit your needs, without costly hardware and installation requirements.
3. Scalability
For startups and organizations with aggressive growth plans, VoIP simply makes sense. Many VoIP providers allow their customers the ability to easily expand the number of phone lines without any downtime to the company’s system. Provided your organization’s Internet bandwidth is sufficient to support additional users, you’re able to scale up (or down) as needed, with the simple investment in additional handsets.
4. Remote Management
Many VoIP providers and solutions offer the benefit of remote management, from a centralized Web portal. Whether you opt to host your own VoIP or select a provider that offers a hosted solution, this remote management can facilitate incredible efficiency. If you are using hosted VoIP, you’ll no longer need expensive “truck rolls” or on-site visits every time a minor tweak or small fix is needed.
5. Rich Media Services
Business communications are no longer limited to phone calls. To communicate internally and externally, modern employees may use chat software, emails, teleconferencing software, text messages, and a host of other mediums. VoIP can accommodate rich media services in addition to phone calls, allowing your customers and employees to communicate in the ways that are most convenient for them.
The benefits of VoIP telephony aren’t limited to cost savings. For companies with strong growth plans or a need for remote management, or for organizations that use rich media for customer communications, VoIP can be a convenient and centralized way to meet business requirements.
Sources
https://telzio.com/blog/cost-benefits-switching-voip-service/
http://www.techadvisory.org/2013/04/5-benefits-voip-can-provide/
http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/feature/PSTN-vs-VoIP-Whats-best-for-your-business