VoIP Companies Offer Several Pros and Cons
VoIP companies are popping up everywhere these days. In fact, you may be hearing the term “VOIP” in the workplace more than you hear the term “broadband.” But what is VOIP and how does it differ from broadband? Broadband is simply the current definition of high-speed internet access, as it provides fast, consistent delivery of information through the use of telephone networks.
Broadband providers offer both CDMA and GSM services, but the differences between them are fairly minimal. For VOIP services, however, you need a broadband connection and either a telephone adapter or a dedicated phone service to make use of the features of VOIP. If your company uses a lot of voice over internet protocols (VoIP) where the information must be sent over a telephone network rather than across a computer network, then you are probably best served by choosing a cloud phone system instead of a conventional VOIP provider.
One of the primary differences between cloud phone systems and traditional business voice services is the amount of bandwidth you will need for voice calls over the internet. You will be able to receive and make unlimited long distance calls, conference calls, video conferencing and even e-mail to business customers at very low rates. You don’t need a separate phone line – your phone will be using the Internet to make these calls. That makes it easier for you to manage your communication expenses and in addition it makes it easier to track your usage.
With cloud phone systems you can easily configure voicemail on your website or in your own private server. You can then create filters that will help you manage who gets your messages and you can even set up voicemail to send alerts to your customized email addresses whenever new messages are received. Another great feature with cloud-based oil companies is the ability to customize voicemail for each individual employee. You can do this by simply adding or removing text within the voicemail message itself.
Unlike normal analog boxes, voice over internet protocol will not affect your productivity or your bottom line. Business VoIP services are flexible and efficient, since your employees can use their regular phones to make and receive calls. This can be especially useful if your business has more than one location.
The biggest disadvantage of using business voip services is the high cost of long distance and international calling. Most analog pbxes have similar calling rates across the country. Voice over IP however will allow you to make calls even to other countries for a much higher cost than an analog PBX. The reason for this is because you are only charged for what is needed. Your callers don’t have to pay for long distance charges when they are making a local call to your company.
In addition to having the capability to make local calls for free, VoIP companies also have a lot of pros to offer. One of the most valuable offerings is caller id, which allows you to block certain numbers from being called. This can allow you to keep out telemarketers and other annoying callers. Another pro is the call blocking, which keeps you from wasting time with out important calls. This is especially helpful for USA based businesses as USA has one of the highest per minute rates in the world.
Some of the best VoIP companies include Vonage and PhoneJacking. Vonage is probably best known for its voicemail and auto attendant feature. PhoneJacking is another industry leader and has several great features to offer. Some of the other pros include call forwarding and conference calling, which can save you money each and every time you make a conference call. This also applies to voicemail and auto attendant as well.