Before we start to go into some of the benefits a small business will see when they switch to a VOIP system, we thought it worth mentioning what a VOIP system actually is and why businesses of all sizes should be thinking of switching from their old landline phone systems to a cloud-based solution.
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol or Voice Over IP and is the term used for communications technologies that enable voice and video calls to be made via the internet rather than using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS).
So, why should businesses be thinking about switching to VOIP systems? Well, BT have announced that from early 2020 new ISDN lines will no longer be offered, and existing systems will be turned off by 2025, therefore, if you are a BT telecoms customer it would be a good idea to start planning ahead of the game.
As a small business owner, you would be forgiven for thinking that VOIP systems are only suitable for bigger businesses. This is a common myth within the telecoms industry and one that we, at The Red Penguin Group are trying to stamp out. There are many benefits of VOIP systems for small business owners and we are going to outline a few for you now:
Cost Reduction
As a small business owner every penny counts and installing a VOIP system for your business will result in significant savings for your business. Placing calls over the internet will reduce call costs and VOIP systems don’t have the same installation and maintenance costs that are associated with old ISDN lines. Small businesses that switch to VoIP reduce the cost of their local calls by up to 40% and save up to 90% on international calls. (tech.co)
Any device can be a phone!
For small businesses every customer is valuable meaning, it is essential that the possibility of missing calls from potential or existing customers is reduced as much as possible. With a VOIP system, calls can be made or taken from any device including a desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone through the installation of simple software. This means that calls can be made from anywhere in the world without incurring the usual costs for long-distance or even international calls.
VOIP systems offer scalability
Installing a VOIP system gives every small business the opportunity to scale up and add features as their business grows. This gives businesses the flexibility to start small and increase features used or the number of phone numbers as and when the business requires it. There is also the option to scale down features if the need arises.
Call Forwarding
The call forwarding feature within the VOIP system enables small business owners to keep on top of calls to numerous phone numbers without having to be in a specific physical location. Calls can be forwarded to a mobile phone, for example, that can be answered when employees are on the move.
A VOIP system behaves like a regular phone system
With the advancements in technology over recent years, the old problems that were faced by VOIP users such as calls dropping out and time lagging have been practically eradicated. VOIP systems operate like a regular phone system and your clients or customers will not know the difference.
Before you jump in and start the process of switching to VOIP there are a few things you should consider first:
- VOIP systems need a stable and reliable internet connection to work. If you have an unreliable or poor internet connection, then you should look into upgrading this before moving over to a VOIP system.
- Power outages could mean loss of internet connection, and therefore, loss of VOIP. If you are in an area that suffers from regular, lengthy power outages then VOIP may not be the system for you.
- In case of emergency, the emergency services find it difficult to trace calls to a VOIP system, if you work in a remote area or in particularly risky environments it might be worth ensuring you have an alternative method of communicating with the
emergency services should the need arise.
The key to successfully implementing a VOIP system is finding the right service provider. Here at The Red Penguin Group our team have over 20 years of combined experience in the Managed Service Provider sector, and we can advise you on whether a VOIP system is the right choice for your business.
If you would like any help in choosing the best option for you, Get in touch today