Voice Over Internet Protocol, also known as VOIP, means that your phones use an internet connection rather than a copper wire going to the phone pole. It also means that you do not need to invest in expensive hardware that comes with an office phone system. This technology opens the door to a ton of premium features that the phone company cannot offer or charges a premium to use.
- A sales team can be more productive while traveling to customers with advanced call routing and Voicemail to email.
- The Auto Attendant feature will relieve some of the stress caused by an office administrator handling each and every call by allowing people to choose who they would like to speak with.
- Music that you pick will play instead of dead air while callers are on hold.
- Easily add extensions by purchasing another handset and plugging it into an internet connection.
These are just a few of the features included at no charge!
Hosted Communications or Cloud Communications use VOIP technology and give you control over your phone system with user-friendly software accessed on the internet. All of the extras listed above are driven by someone in your business so, you don’t need to wait for a technician to make simple adjustments to extensions or features.
Now that you’ve read about the basics of VOIP and Hosted Communications, I bet the one question circling in your head is….
“If my internet goes down, do I lose my phones too?” and the answer in short, is yes. The phones need internet to operate but, if your primary internet connection is lost, it’s not the end of the world. There are several options to choose from that range in price and depend on how much access you need to your communications.
- A secondary, backup internet connection whether wired or wireless can do the trick and depending on your business, may or may not be cost effective.
- Tell the cloud ahead of time to route you calls to a cell phone or another location if internet is lost.
- Keep a regular old landline for emergencies.
The benefits tip the scale in VOIP’s favor and it can fit a business any size.