What is VoIP
and why is everyone getting it?

WHAT IS VoIP?

VoIP is a communication protocol which works like a telephone system but uses an internet connection to transport voice data rather than telephone infrastructure.
It is defined as:

“A method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet.”

The first VoIP audio message took place in 1973. The first practical business using this technology was later created to save money on long distance calls. Since then the technology has evolved to suit a broader spectrum of business requirements.
VoIP is widely acknowledged as the superior technology to traditional phone systems and will become to the only phone system available to UK businesses by 2027.

WHAT DOES VoIP STAND FOR?

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. VoIP is sometimes referred to by other names such as IP Telephony, Internet Telephony, Broadband telephony, and Broadband Phone Service.

UK TO ABANDON ANALOGUE PUBLIC PHONE SYSTEM NETWORK (PSTN) BY 2027

Yes, you did read that correctly. The UK will completely halt all use of our current analogue telephone infrastructure by 2027, that means everyone.
By this time everybody should have adequate Internet access to enable all calls to be routed over VoIP rather than the traditional telephone system. This is not just a UK wide anomaly, changing in telephone infrastructure happening across the world at an extremely fast pace.
For this reason, you the business owner should consider when, not if, you will upgrade your telephone systems as to avoid communication blackout.

WHY ARE VoIP PHONES BETTER THAN LANDLINE PHONES?

There are many reasons why VoIP is their superior technology this includes:

More cost effective than a landline phone system.
CRM integration allows for greater customer service and increases staff work rate.
Scales more efficiently when running multiple phones.
Call recording
Auto attendants for directing callers to the correct staff member or department.
Unified billing for data and voice allowing for easier accounting.
Multiple customers can be on hold.
Greater mobility, allowing for remote work / working from home.
Advanced functionality and integrations with computer systems such as video conferencing.

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED TO USE A VoIP SYSTEM?

Fortunately, most equipment needed for a VoIP telephone system is usually readily available in most office environments.
The items required are:

Broadband Connection – Faster the better.
Modem to connect to the internet.
VoIP phone
PBX – If hosted on site or rented if hosted in the cloud.

If all are needed, we provide bundle packages for all the equipment you may need.

WHAT IS A PBX?

PBX stands for private branch exchange – it is a telephone switch system which allows for dynamic transferring of incoming and outgoing numbers. Its main function is to reduce the requirement to have multiple lines to each member of staff.

Hosted IP PBX – This is a cloud telephone solution where the PBX Box is hosted on a server on the Internet. This creates greater flexibility for your company and allows for easier integrations with 3rd party solutions when you might require them.

Managed IP PBX – This is where the PBX Box is located and installed on site this costs more upfront, but you retain the physical box if you wish to change providers.

HOW MANY VoIP LINES CAN I HAVE?

As many as you want, this is not like an analogue phone system. The only restriction is how many simultaneous calls your broadband can handle. If you have a slower broadband system than average locally, we offer a business broadband service to bring your business up to standard.

WHAT IS A VoIP PHONE NUMBER?

A VoIP number is a unique number assigned to a user on the businesses VoIP system. The advantage of this system is that each user is assigned a number but that could represent multiple devices. E.G Your mobile and your office phone could be assigned one number and ring at the same time.

DO I GET TO KEEP MY COMPANY PHONE NUMBER WITH A NEW VoIP SYSTEM?

Yes, in most cases you should be able to retain the company phone number and it will be a simple change over to the new system.

WHAT FEATURES DOES OUR VoIP PHONE SYSTEM PROVIDE?

Call recording

Record all your conversations to help resolve disputes with customers and review staffs calls for quality of service.

Mobile apps

Our VoIP phones come with a feature rich set of applications that you would normally only experience on a mobile phone.

Softphone

Turn your laptop into an additional phone by utilising our softphone computer application or use your mobile as a business phone. Avoid having to juggle multiple devices whilst on the go.

Video Conferencing

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is a million. Improve your internal and external comms with the ability to host video conferencing.

Call Reporting

Collect data on every call that comes in and out of your business. Questions are easily answerable on a glance of a dashboard.

Work From Home

Experience the exact same working environment from the office or from your lounge at home..

On Hold Advertisement

Customers on hold waiting to be serviced can see be a valuable source of additional revenue. Why not inform a current customer of a new service you provide whilst they wait?

CRM integration

See notes on customers before you answer the phone, update details on the fly, know exactly what you need to without annoying delays.

Virtual receptionist

Having a dedicated person to redirect calls to the correct department is an ancient practice which is no longer needed.

Admin Portal

Manage over your phone system without needed to contact your phone provider.

Change staff phone numbers.
Add additional members of staff.
Rearrange department numbers.
Send voicemails to staff email addresses.

All this and loads more without needing a prominent level of technical computer skills.

ARE VoIP PHONE SYSTEMS COMPLICATED?

No, VoIP systems are different from a traditional landline phone system, but they are not horribly complicated. If you do have problems our technical support staff are exceptional and we can provide video guidance for you to complete the task from your desk or failing that we can send one of our experts to visit your office.

ARE VoIP PHONES EXPENSIVE?

No, although it is hard to provide an up-front cost of the system as each customer’s requirements are different to each other. The phone units are affordable and VoIP channels are cheaper than a traditional phoneline.

WHAT IS THE CALL QUALITY OF VoIP PHONES?

A VoIP phone system will have a higher call quality than a landline phone. This is because landline phone lines have a lot lower data transfer rate than the internet resulting in distortion.

CAN VoIP PHONE CALLS BE TRACED?

Yes, almost anything you do on the internet is trackable in one form or another, whether it be data left behind on a server or information left behind on a telephone exchange.

The concern should less be about tracing, rather safety and tracking. A GDPR compliant system should allow for a business to protect user data and report every communication they have had with a customer easily on request.

WHAT INTERNET SPEED DO I NEED FOR VoIP?

We recommend 200Kbps for each phone system you plan to run on your network.

WILL MY SMART PHONE INTERNET RUN VoIP?

Yes, if you have a stable 4g connection it should be able to sustain a high-quality VoIP call. You can also use your Wi-Fi on your mobile to hold a good connection.

CAN I SET UP A VoIP SYSTEM ON MY OWN OR WILL YOU NEED TO SEND OUT SOMEONE TO INSTALL IT?

For an exceptionally large system you may want a technician to save you from doing the work. We offer plug-and-play Cloud VoIP which most companies will find matches everything they could ever need without any complex work.

ARE VoIP PHONE SYSTEMS SAFE?

VoIP telephone systems are as safe as your computer network. If your network security systems are up to date and of high quality, then VOIP systems are extremely secure. If you are unsure about your local network security, we provide a security service package to help bolster your network, supported by one of our experts.

What is VoIP and why is everyone getting it?