How to Choose an Excellent Hosted VoIP Provider?
Hosted VOIP is a cost-effective way for businesses to take their telephone system to the next level. The idea behind VOIP is fairly straightforward, it is just that the service is hosted by a third party. In some cases this can be a reseller, but often businesses find that it is a dedicated partner. These businesses are able to use a scalable network, a low-cost connection, and the bandwidth of their choice. In addition they are not tied into any hardware or long distance charges which eliminates a great deal of hassle for businesses.
In order to understand how businesses are benefiting from hosted voip services, it’s important to understand how VoIP works. In essence, voice over IP or VOIP converts an analog voice signal into digital data which can then be transmitted over the Internet. The process is very similar to what happens when you make a telephone call, although instead of receiving the signal over your telephone, it is sent digitally which can be received and understood by your computer.
Because there is no need for equipment to be installed at the customer’s location, along with the high cost of maintaining and updating telephone equipment, the cost savings for businesses comes from utilizing VOIP based communications. Because of this low down-front cost and the up-front pricing of hosted voice services, businesses can use the service in a manner that is most beneficial to their needs. Along with this, voice over IP can be integrated into business continuity plans, helping organizations to avoid the extra cost and inconvenience of purchasing additional phone systems.
Automated voicemail is one feature of hosted voip services that many customers are very interested in. Auto-attendant software can be integrated into business continuity plans, allowing customers to receive automatic updates on voicemail. Additionally, this feature can also be set up with the customer’s permission, making it easy for management of voicemail. This feature has proven to be very useful for many organizations, who utilize customer-relationship-management (CRM) programs to manage their relationships with clients.
With hosted voip phone systems, it is possible to allow employees to use cellular phones while on the go. Many business continuity plans include auto-attendant services, which allow employees to place cell phones on hold when traveling away from the office. All of these benefits come from the premise that you can have your hosted voip phone system integrate with auto-attendant software that can be accessed through your laptop, tablet PC, or Blackberry device. These services typically include auto attendant, call forwarding, call waiting, call forwarding, call return, and voicemail. A typical auto attendant utilizes a touch-tone phone, so you will be able to personalize your messages. Voicemail will save a business any time messages can be replied to, along with any attachments needed.
There are two different types of hosted voip services that businesses can select from, namely IP-PBX and cloud ip-PBX. The former operates using the same principles as a conventional telephone system, whereas the latter operates using voice over internet protocol (VoIP). The former operates using digital or analog telephone lines, whilst the latter utilizes a hybrid system, incorporating both digital and analog features. As opposed to traditional telephony services, VoIP allows for seamless voice and data transfer to and from internet servers.
One of the most compelling benefits of hosted voice services is data integration. Data integration refers to integrating voice calls with email, web browsing, and other forms of internet activity. With a hosted voice service, you get a single contact number for all aspects of your communication, thereby eliminating the need for multiple phone numbers, separate fax machines, or separate data entry machines. Instead, all calls are managed by a single system, thereby freeing up a lot of valuable employee time for other duties.
Many companies are also turning to hosted voice service providers to provide them with advanced call quality features. Advanced call quality features include auto attendant, call queue, music on hold, call redirection, and call waiting. Aside from these advanced features, many businesses are also turning to hosted voice solutions to give their customers more value for their money. Businesses can get extensions, add-on features, high-bandwidth, and other options that can improve their call quality.
