Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has only been around for about twenty years, but in that short time, it has impacted business telephony around the world. Using the internet instead of telephone lines to make phone calls has become efficient and cost effective. International companies find that a hosted phone sytem makes it possible to communicate with far-flung branch offices and mobile employees without incurring the fees associated with long-distance phone calls.
In some ways, the U.S. lags behind other parts of the world in adopting VoIP. This is primarily due to the fact that the U.S. has such an extensive copper telephony infrastructure. This is not the case in many other countries, motivating foreign businesses to jump onto the VoIP bandwagon for their personal business phone system.
What is a Hosted VoIP Phone System?
Hosted VoIP means that the hardware and PBX features are not owned or managed by the business end user, but hosted at an off-site location. The service is transparent to people making or receiving calls. A wide variety of calling features are available.
The 4 Primary Benefits of Hosted VoIP
1. There is no Large Capital Investment for Hardware
Setting up a PBX is complicated and expensive, requiring a capital layout and technical expertise. Hosted VoIP, on the other hand, is considered to be an operational expense, much more attractive for small business.
Set-up is simple, since the hosted voip provider will take care of the installation. This is particularly useful for small businesses who do not have a telecom or VoIP expert on the payroll.
2. Using VoIP Saves Money
Broadband is cheap and widely available, making VoIP very appealing. The reason for the savings rests on the fact that VoIP is billed as data instead of at the more expensive voice minutes rate. Providers are able to estimate what bandwidth is necessary.
How much can a business save? The international accounting firm Grant Thornton saved over $800,000 during the first year with VoIP. How much your business could save depends on many factors.
3. Employees can Work Remotely
VoIP users can hold conversations anywhere there is Internet connectivity for less than the cost of calls made with cell phones.
4. Increased Productivity
Advantages of a hosted VoIP phone system include increased productivity. New VoIP phones include more unified communication features, such as integration with email, contacts, and calendars, improving business workflows.
VoIP has changed how the business world makes phone calls. Discover for yourself how VoIP could benefit your business by contacting us.
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