There is an astounding amount of material that has been written and said on the subject of Business VoIP, but what lies at the core of this solution? How can we cut through the chatter and focus on the aspects of this technology that actually matter? It’s not an easy task, but let’s give it a try. The first thing to be aware of is the advanced feature set offered by this solution. A business has many demands for a modern phone system, including supporting employees’ mobile devices, linking together people working remotely all over the world, and unifying multiple contact channels into one stream. This is a lot to expect from any technology, but VoIP is somehow able to pull it off. Employees and customers are brought together, no matter where they are or how they choose to communicate, to improve internal productivity and the quality of customer service. Features such as hunt groups, find me/follow me, and auto attendant further enhance productivity by keeping customers and employees connected at all times.

The feature list is a deep rabbit hole to go down, so we’ll stop there and move onto another core element of Business VoIP: the price. While there are large enterprises who can afford to pay any amount for a functional and feature-rich phone system, most organizations are not so fortunate. Small and mid-sized businesses have a definite need for an advanced phone system that won’t blow a hole in their budgets. That’s where this solution comes in. VoIP is flexible enough to meet the needs of any size organization and can do so at a reasonable price. A smaller business can get all the features it needs to compete in the market and interact professionally with customers while staying on budget. Of course, larger enterprises can also get a fully equipped solution that is more cost efficient than older telecom services.

The secret to the better price is the move away from physical components. That is not to say that Business VoIP has no physical element at all; of course it does. However, there is less equipment for the end user organization to deal with and more centralization of hardware at the service provider’s location. Phone lines are eliminated as calls travel over the Internet using an existing data connection. Aside from lowering the price, this setup also means that scaling the solution is much easier. A small business may not remain small forever, so it’s important that a service be able to grow alongside the organization.

Business VoIP is an advanced phone system and as such there are many aspects of it that are not immediately apparent or well known. Now, the system is designed to be easy to use, so end users do not need to know about these things. However, it can enhance the experience to have a little background into what’s going on behind the scenes. For example, the prioritization of voice packets on a shared data network is referred to as quality of service or QoS. What this does is help keep the quality of voice calls high by assigning bandwidth to voice over data as necessary. When the bandwidth isn’t being used for calls, it can be switched to data, which makes the setup more efficient and cost effective overall. Codecs also affect voice quality by compressing the voice packets to use less bandwidth. Greater compression means less bandwidth use, but also lower quality. G.711 is a standard codec that strikes a good balance, but there are other options that some businesses may want to explore.

It makes sense to use the Internet for calls as many businesses already have a connection as an essential part of operating in the modern world. Business VoIP uses this to full advantage by sending voice signals as data over the IP network to get rid of the need for a separate network devoted entirely to voice. As one would expect, reducing the number of networks reduces the associated costs. What may not immediately be apparent is that it also reduces the time and effort needed to oversee the system. If both voice and data services are delivered by one provider, then it is much easier to deal with them, pay bills, and locate issues. With two or more providers involved in the mix, troubleshooting often turns into a game of finger-pointing as no provider wants to be the one to step up and take responsibility.

As might already be obvious, bandwidth is the key to this entire operation. Dynamic allocation and QoS uses existing bandwidth more effectively, but it still may be necessary to add more bandwidth to get the most out of a Business VoIP phone system. While older conventional telephone solutions required the installation of additional physical phone lines to increase capacity, VoIP only requires adding more bandwidth to support a greater number of simultaneous calls. This can be done quickly and easily with minimal fuss.

Size isn’t everything is a popular saying and, whether it’s true or not, we can all agree that size should, at least, not limit what type of phone system you have access to. With Business VoIP, the power to choose is in your hands. Regardless of whether your business is a small affair or a large enterprise encompassing multiple offices, there is a solution that can provide you with the results and features that you want. The flexibility behind VoIP is a large part of why so many organizations have chosen to use it for their professional communications. Since it offers power and customization, alongside features and savings, there’s almost no reason to not at least consider this solution.

Here’s another saying for you: features are everything. Perhaps I just made that one up right now, but the point is that a solution is in many ways defined by what it can do. This solution offers advanced next generation features and does so at an affordable price that is actually below what some organizations are already paying for a lower standard of phone service. A quick sample of the features on offer includes such things as unified messaging, simultaneous call ring across multiple phones, mobile device integration, security, e-fax support, and a user friendly web management portal. The cost of these features is much less than with traditional solutions and such items are only offered with this new technology.

Of course, I don’t want to suggest that Business VoIP is defined entirely by its features. The solution also provides many benefits that directly elevate your business operations, such as reduced costs, scalability to adjust for future growth, convergence of voice and data for streamlined solution management, increased employee productivity, and a superior customer experience. Each of these benefits is worth its weight in gold (ignoring for a moment the fact that abstract things don’t have a weight) and represents a shift away from the limitations imposed by older phone systems. This is just a taste of the power that VoIP can unleash.

All too often, we cling to cliché sayings and outdated frames of mind. This can be especially problematic for an organization in a fast-paced industry where such things can cause it to fall behind the competition. Business VoIP delivers the flexibility, mobility, capacity, and more that the market demands and makes it available to all organizations. So forget the clichés and open yourself up to the exciting reality of modern IP telephony.

Many organizations in these days use a PBX system, alongside what is known as Business VoIP. This allows them to connect to an IP network to make voice calls, while still retaining the functionality of being able to use the PSTN when necessary. It’s important to understand that there is no loss of functionality in the transition to VoIP. In fact, the flexibility and scope of IP-based communications solutions means that functionality is actually drastically increased by the switch.

While it is widely used, this technology is not, however, widely understood. In large part this is due to the technical aspects creating a barrier to entry. Not that it is hard to grasp the workings of the technology, but rather that much of the language involved appears at first to be impenetrable. Take, for example, codecs. These are used to convert analog voice signals into digital packets for transmission and, in doing so, compress them so that less bandwidth is used. Of course, there is a balance to be struck between the amount of bandwidth used and the quality of the transmission. Business VoIP supports many different codecs, though the two most common ones promoted by service providers are G.711 and G.729. If you have specialized needs that aren’t met by one of these two, then your best bet is to speak directly to a provider.

As for the operation of the technology itself, it is no harder to grasp than the Internet. Many people use the Internet every day without knowing exactly how it all works. VoIP is very similar in fact, as it is essentially voice services that use IP networks such as the Internet rather than the traditional phone network (often referred to as the PSTN). There are numerous advantages to this, such as a lower cost for phone service and the ability to simplify things by using a single network for both voice and data. It is also a good way to begin bringing together all the various communication channels in use under a single umbrella, a process that is referred to as unified communications or simply UC.

At this point, it becomes clear that the basics of VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, aren’t so complicated after all. Really, the expanded name tells you almost everything that you need to know. Business VoIP is a specialized service which takes the benefits of the basic service and adds on advanced features and capabilities to build a product targeted at professional organizations. You may also hear about a technology called SIP trunking when looking into IP communications, but that is a story for another time.

It’s not easy to predict the future. Sometimes the best you can do is look at current trends and guess that they will continue. However, despite the uncertainty of gazing into a crystal ball, we can reasonably state that Business VoIP will continue to grow. What’s driving the adoption rate for this technology? One benefit of the VoIP experience is the move away from physical phone lines and the traditional telephone network to a digital IP network. This is less expensive to set up and run. An additional benefit of IP communications is that they can share a network with data, thereby simplifying the communications infrastructure of a business as it can move to one network with services from one provider. With only one bill to pay and one point of reference for any questions, a single provider setup is much easier to navigate. This gives some insight into why this technology is going to continue to grow in the future.

There are many more great reasons behind the growth of this technology. For instance, it has important benefits in the areas of cost and productivity. The system can improve communication and information sharing among employees thanks to features such as conferencing, intercom, presence indicators, and unified mailboxes. Business VoIP makes it easier for people to connect to each other and to reach the right person. More efficient communication also has a cost benefit by making sure time is used more wisely. It’s not just for employees either; the improved communication benefits customers who are able to reach the right representatives to help them with their specific problem and better connect with the company.

Some of the other benefits driving the transition to VoIP are the flexibility to integrate mobile employees from remote locations anywhere in the world as long as there is an available Internet connection, support for a unified communications strategy incorporating the multiple channels through which employees and customers interact, advanced call features, and an online portal that allows users to adjust settings to their personal preference quickly and easily through a web browser.

It’s impossible to know the future, whatever analysts and weather forecasters might say, but we can make some logical guesses about where we are headed. For communications in the professional realm, the trend is clearly for more growth in Business VoIP. This technology offers ease of use, reduced cost, and advanced features, making it a clear winner for the next generation.

There are few things people like more than saving money. Therefore, it’s no surprise that Business VoIP is enjoying extreme popularity due to its ability to cut the cost of voice communication services for businesses. Professional organizations can expect to see savings of one third or even one half over what they are currently paying for phone service. This is accomplished by the convergence of voice and data traffic on a single circuit and improving the efficiency of existing data networks. This process can be done without any loss of quality, as voice packets are prioritized to ensure that they get network priority. This eliminates any delays or quality loss caused by data hogging bandwidth. With dynamic bandwidth allocation, bandwidth is actually moved around as needed so that it is always where it is needed most and never going unused because it has been assigned to a non-active process.

In the year of 2013, with 2014 rapidly approaching, VoIP is not rare or unusual. In fact, it is rapidly becoming the new standard for communications. While residential services are proliferating, it is in the professional sphere that adoption is most active. For professional organizations, Business VoIP provides many advantages over older phone solutions. The commercial versions of VoIP offer additional features and functions over the bare-bones residential versions. Such features take a variety of forms and the flexibility of the solution makes it hard to offer a definitive list. However, a brief and incomplete list includes such things a simultaneous call support with bandwidth availability, PBX compatibility, conference calling, custom hold settings, and support for tools such as automated attendant services.

As should be clear, there is a sharp difference between residential and business services. Residential services advertise themselves as free, but only offer basic service or hide advanced features behind paywalls. This means that directory assistance and emergency response, both basic features, may not be included and thus a separate older line must be retained. Businesses do not have to worry about this and can completely switch to VoIP knowing that all necessary services are included.

Regardless of the specific features, the transition to packet-switching and convergence of voice and data are strong arguments for moving communications to Business VoIP all by themselves. The flexibility and savings that are achieved through these practices give the solution a huge advantage over older analog options. This explains why this solution is so popular with professional organizations.

What’s holding you back from making the transition to Business VoIP? With so many advantages to this technology, there’s no reason to delay the moment when you make the switch. Whatever concerns you have about this solution can easily be addressed. For instance, you may be worried about limits on the number of calls you can make before quality degrades or whether moving voice traffic onto your data network will overload it. Such issues can easily be addressed by the service provider. Unlike older solutions which required physical lines to be installed at great time and expense in order to increase capacity, adding bandwidth is a straightforward affair and can be done in small increments to match your needs. Dynamic allocation is used to ensure existing bandwidth is used effectively and gives voice priority over data to make sure it doesn’t lose quality.

What else can this solution do for you? Thanks to an impressive array of features, quite a bit! IP solutions such as Business VoIP offer the ability to expand your phone system far beyond what it was previously capable of doing. There are many features and functions which can be added to your phone system, some of which include conference calls, voicemail to email transcription, e-faxing, auto attendant, caller ID with name, and various handling protocols that can be automatically applied to your inbound calls. Such service sounds expensive, but it can actually reduce the cost of phone service for your business due to the lower cost of Internet calls and the ability to scale the solution accurately to your needs.

Another problem this solution solves is that of location. Unlike traditional solutions, which are tied to a physical place, VoIP is geographically independent. What this means is that it doesn’t matter where you are; as long as you have an Internet connection available, you can take advantage of VoIP services. This is incredible beneficial for companies that have remote employees to manage or frequently send employees on trips and yet need to remain in touch. For large enterprises with multiple offices around the country or even the world, this aspect helps keep them connected without costing a fortune. Geographic independence also manifests in lower rates for long distance and international services.

Far from being a risky move, once you weigh the benefits it is simply a logical choice to move your organization’s communications to Business VoIP. From lower rates to advanced features and sophisticated management, this technology has got all of your bases covered.

There’s a revolution happening in telecommunications and your desk is the front line. I’m talking about the advance of Business VoIP services, which are on track to replace traditional phone services within a few years. IP-based communications are rapidly gaining ground due to their ability to solve numerous problems at once. This service has more features and more flexibility and does so at a lower cost. In light of these advantages, it’s no surprise that so many businesses are switching sides. The difference for the end user is immediately apparent in the greater capabilities available to them from their desk phone or from anywhere with an Internet connection.

VoIP’s battle plan is as follows: instead of the dated tactic of sending an analog signal through conventional phone lines, VoIP transmits voice calls as digital data using the Internet or other private network. This gives businesses the upper hand in their communications. For instance, the transmission of digital packets reliably improves the quality of calls, while the redundant connections inherent in network design help compensate for outages that would otherwise shut down your phone system. It’s also easy to provision additional bandwidth to increase the number of concurrent calls that can be made, transfer services between locations, or manage services yourself with online interfaces rather than constantly contacting your provider.

When using Business VoIP, you can count on it to provide reinforcements in the form of numerous features. The full list of tactical maneuvers hasn’t yet been written as more are being discovered, but some things possible with VoIP include using a max of devices including IP phones and soft phone apps, integrating with email clients and browsers for click to dial, routing and forwarding tools to keep you connected at every hour of the day, and the option of using MPLS as an advanced network for greater security and reliability.

There’s no need to miss a step in the transition as you can gradually move over to the new system and maintain existing numbers. Providers can work with you to arrange a quiet time for the final switch over to avoid disrupting service at peak times. With so many features and benefits, there’s no reason not to declare your allegiance to the cause. Customized features and affordable pricing make Business VoIP a five star recommendation for any general. Don’t let competitors steal a march on you; get your business the tactical advantage of VoIP today.

How can Business VoIP help your organization recover from a disaster? Picture this scenario: the ground is shaking beneath you, water’s racing through the streets, and hurricane winds are pounding on your office windows. In such a situation, your first concern probably isn’t your organization’s phone system. But what about afterward? Once the ground has stopped vibrating, once the water has retreated, once the hurricane has blown itself out, then what happens next? Even if your office building is still standing, you are likely facing power or phone outages. Frustrated customers will find themselves unable to reach you and, in the days, weeks, or even months until service is restored, your business may see its revenue disappear. Such disasters can mean the end of a business, unless it is prepared.

In the event of a disaster, it is essential that a business be able to keep in contact with its customers, employees, and partners. To do this, it is important to have in place a disaster recovery plan to maintain business continuity and prevent loss of revenue. A key cornerstone of such a plan is a Business VoIP phone system that keeps calls flowing regardless of the status of your office.

The way this works is through moving your phone system to the cloud. A VoIP system unifies your communications, including faxes and voicemails, in the cloud and, in doing so, detaches them from the physical location of your office. The phone system is safe in a provider’s network, which should be located separately from your office and have several backups, thereby allowing communications to stay up even if your office is totaled.

A useful feature of VoIP is the ability to forward or reroute calls to another number quickly and easily by simply logging in the web-based control panel. As long as you have an Internet connection, your calls can be set to ring to another office, a mobile phone, or even to home or a hotel room. For disaster recovery plans, this can be set up to allow employees to stay in touch and receive messages either from a backup office or from their own homes. Voicemails and faxes can be checked through an online portal. With plug-and-play IP phones, it’s even possible to remove the phones from your office and use them at another location simply by plugging them in.

Business VoIP has the flexibility to adapt to emergencies and keep your business running no matter what comes at it.

As you’ve probably heard, there’s a growing trend of people “cutting the cable” with their TV services and relying on online offerings instead. This trend has a parallel in the growing popularity of Business VoIP. As VoIP technology has grown and developed, alongside the proliferation of affordable high speed Internet, more and more business are cutting the cord of traditional phone services and landlines. At first glance, VoIP may seem perhaps a bit farfetched. A flexible phone service that comes packed with features and is somehow cheaper than existing services? It sounds too good to be true, but everything you’ve heard is the truth.

So how does Business VoIP work? Well, simply enough, you use compatible equipment to route your calls over the Internet instead of the standard telephone network. There are hosted services available where you can get plug-and-play phones that connect to an offsite service managed by a provider. This solution is low cost and saves you the trouble of dealing with hardware. You also have the option of maintaining an onsite system, though the upfront cost of purchasing hardware is cost prohibitive for many businesses. Either way, you typically have a PBX which connects to the Internet and makes IP-based calls at a fraction of the cost of regular calls.

Since most companies already have data networks installed, VoIP could cost almost nothing to deploy. It all comes down to available bandwidth. While voice and data can share one network, there needs to be enough bandwidth to ensure clear call quality and allow other applications to run. Business VoIP requires broadband Internet and varying amounts of bandwidth depending on the number of simultaneous users. Voice traffic is tagged to prioritize it, which helps keep call quality high, but it may also be a good idea to limit the number of simultaneous calls possible in order to prevent quality from dropping due to an overloaded network.

Many providers offer a router configured with Quality of Service settings to maximize voice quality. Different codecs can make a difference too. G711 is perhaps the most popular as it balances call quality with bandwidth use. If your Internet service has a bandwidth cap, that’s definitely something to be aware of when moving to a VoIP service. Once you have the connection and a VoIP compatible phone, you can start making calls and saving money. VoIP also allows you to take advantage of a wide range of advanced features, but that’s a story for another time.