Find out how cloud-based VoIP phone services can catapult your company’s performance to greater heights
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of VoIP phone service providers offering their services, but it is quite challenging to find the one that best fits your business. This guide will help you find what to look for when choosing a VoIP phone service provider in line with your budget and requirements.
Technological advancements in telephony have made business communications easier and way quicker. Now, you don’t have to rely on the old-school traditional lines to connect you to your consumers. You can reach out to them instantly by using cloud-based products that aren’t only cost-effective, but are also more reliable, inclusive, and effective.
Here’s what we’re going to take a look at:
VoIP stands for “Voice over Internet Protocol,” a technology that allows anybody to place phone calls using an internet connection. You can make these telephone calls via a variety of options, such as computers, VoIP phones, WebRTC-enabled browsers, and even through a smartphone!
VoIP technology has existed longer than you might think, with digital lines carrying telephone calls as early as the 70s. However, advancements in recent years have made VoIP a secure and more reliable option for communication.
Not only is the technology more future-proof than a standard landline, but the costs can actually be lower than those of traditional phone plans. So let’s take a closer look at VoIP services and how they can help you enhance business communications.
Traditionally, phone calls are transmitted using physical copper wires connected to the public switched telephone network (analog method). VoIP solutions bypass this by transmitting phone calls using the internet. This is done by converting the audio information into digital signals and transporting them as data packets to their destination.
Data packets are transported through the internet using either RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) or SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol).
While some VoIP services may only allow phone calls in between their networks, others may allow you to call, via their services (using Wi-Fi or any other network connection), anyone who owns a phone number, be it a national, international, mobile, or local number.
Additionally, a number of phone services are only functional over a desktop or a dedicated phone for VoIP but there are some for which you can use the traditional phone (desk phone) with an adapter (VoIP).
Next, let’s explore what benefits VoIP has to offer.
There are several benefits of VoIP. These include, but are not limited to:
Let’s take a look at some of these advantages in more depth:
One of the great things about Voice over IP phone systems is that there is a variety of helpful features that can complement the service according to the usage. Here are some of the essential features you’d like to look for when choosing a VoIP phone system:
Let’s look at each feature in more detail:
Auto attendant functionality is an excellent feature that can help dramatically reduce call waiting times, and improve the overall customer service experience.
Incoming callers are presented with self-service options, allowing them to choose which department they wish to be connected to, depending on their query. This helps reduce the amount of time spent transferring calls.
The ability to record outgoing and incoming calls can have many benefits. You can play calls back to other members of your team for a second point of view on a problem, provide customers with a copy of their call if they require it, or even use them for training purposes.
It’s important to make sure call recordings are stored in a secure location so that only authorized personnel can access them. Calls can be stored on a desktop or in the cloud so they can be accessed remotely for those working from home.
A virtual office dashboard can give you easy access to your recordings, which can be replayed, reviewed, deleted, or distributed as necessary. These can take the form of a desktop app or even a mobile app.
The ability to access saved voicemails from anywhere means that messages can be picked up anywhere, at any time. This is great for businesses that have remote customer service agents using mobile devices.
Some VoIP services provide an option to transcribe voicemails as well, allowing users to view voicemails as written records. These written voicemails can then be sent as text messages or via email.
Call monitoring allows office managers to observe calls. A whisper function also allows the observer to give information to their employee, without the other party being able to hear them. These features can be incredibly helpful in contact center environments. They can help with training new agents or offering support on difficult calls by giving managers the ability to assist agents in real time.
As with all areas of a business, security should be a consideration when choosing a VoIP business phone system. Calls with customers can often carry sensitive information, such as addresses, government numbers, or credit card details. This means that every effort should be made to ensure calls are secure and any recordings made are safely stored.
Call logs can be reviewed to scan for suspicious activity, while passwords and two-factor authentication can help ensure only desired parties have access to your VoIP system.
When choosing a business VoIP provider, make sure to review not just the features they offer on their information sheet or website, but also what’s included in their service level agreement. When it comes to security for business VoIP, you need to be vigilant about what your provider can or cannot deliver so you won’t run into any risks in the future.
eXperience communications as a service (XCaaS) integrates multiple experiences, such as the employee experience and the customer experience into one end-to-end communication platform. From instant messaging, SMS, team chats, and video calls/meetings to the business phone and contact center now accessible via a single platform, XCaaS allows for improved efficiency and increased productivity across all VoIP services.
To be more specific, XCaaS isn’t exactly a VoIP feature. Rather, VoIP services are usually packaged with a more comprehensive XCaaS platform that gives you access to multiple communication channels spanning across the customer and employee experience instead of just one. However, you can still opt for just voice if that’s all your team needs.
It has all of the features you require plus some more. Let’s have a look at some of those:
With unified communications as a service (UCaaS), you can have a bundle of essential features without having to download a separate app for each of them. With Contact Center as a service, you can utilize the software that is directly offered by your provider. A combination of both, as in VoIP with XCaaS, helps you enjoy scalability and functionality, introduce pro-creativity, create accountability and improve connectivity, all while generating greater ROI.
VoIP, under the umbrella of XCaaS, is an excellent option for enterprises and companies who are looking to grow their business exponentially. Each of the features, such as unlimited calling, are designed to positively complement your business in unprecedented ways.
To help you gain a clearer perspective, we will compare both of these services against the following verticals:
Dependability
VoIP phone services utilize the internet connection to function, whereas traditional phone lines carry signals over copper wires. Therefore, naturally, VoIP phone services offer more coverage and quicker connectivity when compared with landlines, which are only functional over geographical regions.
Costs
Maintenance costs of landline systems are significantly higher than those of VoIP services. Because landlines require a system of equipment to operate, they cost more. Whereas, you can use VoIP services at much cheaper rates as all that is required is a working internet connection, freeing you from the hassle of system maintenance.
Accessibility
A modern-day business can no longer function at its fullest under the limitations associated with tools and products that don’t offer flexibility, like landlines. VoIP enables your employees to immediately access their work and dashboard, and connect with consumers effectively from anywhere, anytime.
Audio quality
One of the most important advantages of using VoIP phone services over traditional phone lines is better audio quality. Your team might encounter noisy connections and unnecessary lags when using landlines, which can be quite annoying. With quality VoIP phone services and a good internet connection, you’d never have to worry about poor audio quality.
There are several factors that you should keep in mind when considering the various service providers for VoIP that offer services. To find out which one is right for you, cross-match these aspects with the service you are considering:
Have a clear idea of what you can afford to spend on your VoIP service, and factor in the cost of the services you are receiving. Some plans may be better value for money than others.
Consider a product coming from a VoIP phone service provider that promises improved functionality over your existing product and is more than just a new addition to your fleet of software and toll-free numbers.
When considering features for your new VoIP system, you need to ask yourselves a number of questions:
When you want to dial in for success, you need to procure a VoIP phone service that is flexible and adaptable with integrations so that you can have a holistic view of metrics and your agents can perform seamlessly.
It is a must to consider how much technical support is offered by your provider, and when they are accessible. Do they offer live chat or give satisfactory support?
Different features may be offered by different VoIP service providers, and at different price points. Which do you need, and which can you manage without?
As you’d expect, the cost of VoIP can vary greatly depending on the provider and the features they're offering. The good news is that the prices will almost always present a great saving over a traditional, on-premises landline system.
Many providers will offer various bundles on different price plans, so business owners can choose a cost-effective plan that involves them only paying for their business needs.
8x8 has carefully designed packages that are all-inclusive and serve the best of your demands cost-effectively.
Here is a simple table for 8x8’s business phone product series and their features:
8x8 Express | X2 | X4 |
|---|---|---|
Unlimited Domestic Calling | Unlimited voice calling to 14 countries | Unlimited voice calling to 48 countries |
Auto-attendant | Video meetings with up to 500 participants and advanced moderator controls | 8x8 Frontdesk, a best in class call handling suite for receptionists and operators |
Visual voicemail | Business SMS and MMS Integrations with essential business apps like Microsoft Teams, SFDC, Slack, and more | Call analytics for supervisors |
Advanced call management | 99.999% uptime guarantee | Monitor, whisper, and barge capabilities for small customer support teams |
Unlimited Video Conferencing with room for 100 participants | Up to 30 days storage of meeting and call recordings | Up to 130 days storage of meeting and call recordings |
Content sharing | Unlimited internet fax | |
Unlimited Chat | Call activity analytics | |
Team Messaging | ||
One-on-one Instant Messaging | ||
File Sharing |
Is a VoIP business phone system suitable for my company?
VoIP is suitable for companies of any size or industry. In case your company requires employees to work remotely or if your organization is multinational, VoIP services can be indispensable to ensure smooth and efficient communications.
It's also helpful if you’re looking to expand your business in the near future and want a communication system that is easily scalable and future-proof.
Just remember that VoIP is reliant on the internet, so a high-speed internet connection is recommended, as you want to minimize your risk of outages.
Will I have to change my equipment or my phone number?
Some existing handsets can be compatible with VoIP technology, but not all. It’s worth checking if your current infrastructure can adapt to the change as part of your research when considering making the shift.
The good news is that most VoIP providers will allow you to keep your existing phone numbers, even business phone numbers, which will help with continuity for your business. The added benefit is that with VoIP, you will be able to use these numbers from anywhere.
What’s the quality of VoIP calls like?
Since VoIP uses an internet connection to transmit audio, call quality relies on the strength of your internet connection. If you have a weak connection or if you don’t have enough bandwidth, VoIP calls might stutter or get choppy.
Still, the internet requirements for VoIP aren’t that intensive, and you’re likely to experience far fewer issues with VoIP than with an analog phone service that’s more susceptible to interference.
Now that you’re a little more familiar with VoIP, it’s time to consider getting in touch with VoIP service providers and seeing what they can offer you. With a large variety of calling features available, you must choose a provider and package that offers exactly what you need.
Remember, you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get started; your existing mobile phones and laptops should have everything you need to get started with VoIP. As long as you have a stable internet connection, you’re ready to go.
If you’re considering taking the plunge with VoIP, why not take a look at what 8x8 can offer your business?
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