One of the best parts about VoIP technology is how many uses it’s got. These are, in order, the top three among those:
One of the best parts about VoIP technology is how many uses it’s got. These are, in order, the top three among those:
Find out what a VoIP caller is and how Voice over IP can benefit your business.
There’s so much to know about VoIP technology. We’re going to help you understand all the ins and outs of VoIP calls, from the definition of Voice over IP telephony to the ways you can protect yourself against VoIP scammers. For quick access to any of the topics, we’ll be covering, simply click one of the links below.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a type of technology used in communications. It’s essentially a way to place calls over the internet. It uses a Wi-Fi or a broadband connection instead of the cellular or landline connection that a traditional phone call would use.
VoIP systems take the analog sounds of you speaking into your cell phone, office phone, or laptop mic, and convert them into digital signals.
The main difference between VoIP phones and traditional phone lines is that a VoIP phone system only needs a functioning internet service to work. A traditional telephone relies on telephone lines and/or a cellular connection, which might be patchy depending on the caller’s physical location.
VoIP calls are an example of voice-based telecommunication that happens via an internet connection. Accordingly, VoIP callers are people who place VoIP calls.
These voice calls can be placed and taken using any compatible device. That means you can, for example, use softphone software (a kind of virtual phone tool you can access on a PC, laptop, etc.) to make VoIP calls to other people’s desk phones, provided you have access to the right phone numbers.
There are a few key differences between VoIP calls and conventional calls, just as there are differences between VoIP phones and traditional hard phones. We’re going to take a closer look at those just below.
| Traditional phones | VoIP phones |
|---|---|
| Place calls using a phone line | Place calls using the internet |
| Can call phones worldwide, but connectivity and in-call voice quality are sometimes limited by the coverage offered by phone companies | Can easily place calls to international and local numbers alike, provided the caller has a working internet connection |
| Rely on hardware and handsets, like traditional landlines or handheld phones | Can take the form of softphones, which are software-based |
| Low portability thanks to their reliance on hardware | High portability, since special VoIP phones only need an internet connection to work |
| Use traditional telephone numbers | Can use traditional numbers, and can also use VoIP phone numbers |
| Associated phone systems are provided by a telephone company | VoIP service is provided by a designated VoIP service provider |
| Call pricing changes depending on various factors, including location and whether you’re calling a landline or mobile phone | Fixed call rates for all calls placed using VoIP phone service |
Using a VoIP network for your business phone system means you’ll get a set of business phones that provide the same features as a traditional telephone network, plus extras.
Business VoIP phone systems are cost-efficient solutions that work with physical and IP phones alike. That means you don’t need to spend a ton of money on new hardware to start using them, which is especially helpful for any small business looking for a new phone system.
As long as you’ve got an internet connection, you can use VoIP technology to connect with pretty much anyone, anywhere.
That makes VoIP highly useful for conference calling, since it can put you in touch with as many people as necessary to have great conferences.
It also makes VoIP a great tech to use in call centers that handle large volumes of calls everyday, from a wide range of locations. VoIP easily connects callers with no extra charges or waiting times.
If your business uses a traditional copper wire-based PBX system, you’ll find that scaling up is costly and time-consuming. To get around this, it’s a good idea to upgrade your phone system by swapping that PBX for a new system powered by IP telephony.
VoIP technology is particularly well-suited for upgrades because it’s so versatile.
You get to keep every functionality you’re used to, from voicemail to call recording to toll-free numbers. You also get to start using new apps, improve your business’ scalability, and increase your phone system’s uptime.
You can benefit from lots of features with the right VoIP phone system. Some of the best ones include:
This seems obvious, but it’s important to mention! VoIP phones let you place and take all your calls over the internet.
That means you never have to worry about the factors you’d otherwise need to consider to keep a traditional phone connected, since you’ll be able to connect your calls at any time provided you’ve got an internet connection of any kind.
When you place a call using your VoIP phone, you’ll receive a VoIP caller ID. That means your call will register as one that’s coming from a VoIP device to your conversation partner(s), since the receivers’ devices will register your IP address as a VoIP-based one.
This helps when it comes to knowing what to expect. If your partners know you’ll be calling from a VoIP device, they can protect themselves from fraud by ignoring any calls from regular phone numbers.
These are numbers that are assigned to individuals instead of to devices.
In other words, with VoIP phone numbers, you can call from one single number across your phone, laptop, tablet, and other devices. That means you can smoothly transition between devices during calls without having to go through the call transfer process.
With a non-fixed VoIP number, you’re also not bound to a single geographical location the way you would be with fixed VoIP. That boosts your flexibility even further.
The list of benefits that come with VoIP service is extensive, which is why we’ve picked out some highlights to focus on.
The people responsible for the maintenance of your VoIP systems are your service providers, not you. That means all you need to do in terms of maintenance is the occasional VoIP speed test— and maybe check your router occasionally—everything else is handled by your provider.
Unlike comparatively flimsier phone connections, VoIP phone services come with nearly perfect uptime. Any business that uses the internet regularly will be able to use VoIP 100% of the time while their internet connection holds steady.
Telecom solutions based on VoIP are far cheaper than traditional telephone company solutions. They operate on a flat-rate model where all calls cost the same, regardless of whether they’re being made to numbers with a specific area code.
The best VoIP phone system will offer you a range of smart call routing options. This will help transfer all your calls to the right place, right away. You get to save time and money, while your callers never have to wait long to be put in touch with the correct team, agent, or individual.
A good indication of VoIP fraud is if a VoIP caller keeps calling and you don’t know who they are. If they call repeatedly and don’t have any caller identification, that makes it more likely that the calls are actually attempted fraud attacks.
You can protect against VoIP fraud by always checking the caller ID on incoming calls before you pick them up. That way, you can ensure you only take phone calls from trusted sources.
It’s also helpful to let your legitimate callers know when you’re looking to receive calls. That way, you can identify calls that arrive outside your designated window as spam calls and stop VoIP calls accordingly.
You should always double-check the area code on any incoming call. If it’s an unexpected long-distance call, it’s more likely to be fraudulent.
Lastly, it’s always worth keeping up to date on the latest guidance from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) on the subject.
Excellent VoIP providers have to provide flexible, versatile services so that anyone who’s interested can make the most of their services. They should have internet protocol VoIP solutions available to suit the needs of small, medium, and large businesses alike. They may even handle things like SIP trunking and other related services.
A great VoIP provider will also provide lots of options and functionalities to cater to the needs of all of its customers.
For example, let’s say you’re looking for a company that provides VoIP adapters alongside their phone systems. Those adapters form a bridge between your legacy phone system hardware and the wider VoIP network. A great provider would give you lots of options for adapters to suit different budgets, office styles, and individual needs.
Finally, the best providers also make it easy to try out their services by providing a free demo. That’s because demos are the best way to test whether a provider’s services are a perfect fit for your company.