Should Your Business Use IP Phones for Business Communications?

If you run a business that makes a lot of long distance calls, you could save some telephony costs if you switch from traditional telephone systems to Business communications IP Phones. Many businesses have already utilized the power of VoIP systems to cut costs and expand their business.

VoIP Makes Long Distance Calling Cheaper.

Since VoIP uses the Internet to transmit calls, it does not need any special equipment or access point to make the connection. The customers won’t even need a traditional phone line to sign up for VoIP services. All they need is an Internet connection. Calls will be transferred across the Internet and the business owner could choose to take calls on his computer, or to use a special VoIP telephony device instead. Many VoIP providers are now offering unlimited long distance calling plans to their customers, enabling businesses to save a lot of money on their monthly phone bills.

Internet Conferencing Made Easy.

For businesses that need to make a lot of conference calls, VoIP is their cheapest solution. Instead of having to travel from one place to another to attend a conference, or having to make long distance calls to multiple people to make a phone conference, business owners can just sit in the comfort of their chair and use their computer to make Internet conference calls with a few clicks.

Value-Added Features.

When you use a VoIP telephony system, you can take advantage of many other value-added features such as 3-way calling, music-on-hold, personalized voice mail, auto-responder corporate directory and auto attendant. Plus, since this technology is independent of any location, you are free to pick any phone number you like. A business located in Europe may choose to sign up for a US telephone number to improve its image to its US customers. There is also no limit on the number of phone numbers you can sign up for.

If you are looking for a way to cut costs and improve your business operations, then VoIP telephone system is the way to go. You will have access to your calls anytime you want, so long as you have an Internet-connected computer with you.

Choosing the right VoIP service provider is also very important. You should take into account the reputation of the service when making a decision. If the service has too many bad reviews online, maybe you should stay away from it. Today, many VoIP service providers offer competitive calling plans to attract new customers. Many of them even offer free trials to let the customers try their service first.

When making a choice, you should put two important factors in mind: price and features. You should choose a cheap provider, however, this does not mean you have to sacrifice quality for cheap price. With enough research, you are sure to find a good business VoIP service with competitive rates.

How to transition your business to IP phone system…

Minneapolis Small Business Phone Systems are changing. Instead of some type of switchboard and a bunch of extensions that go to a desk or office, things are becoming more mobile, more variable and providing more communication platforms. Now is the time to switch to Cloud based phone systems and get your company in the 21^st century.

Making the Switch.

Once you decide on going with a VoIP phone system, you need to have the right Internet service. You will need more bandwidth to have all your communications running across the Net. Determine how many phones you need, how often and how many will be used at the same time and what the peak usage time will be. Contact your local cable or DSL company to determine which can provide you with the most bandwidth at the best cost. Have the new Internet service installed and buy or rent the appropriate modem.

Have Your Number Transferred.

Unless you want to have a new phone number, which is not recommended if you have been in business for any length of time, you will need to contact your current phone company and ask them to port our number to the Internet provider. This is generally a simple phone call but be prepared if they ask you to sign a form stating you requested the change. There are companies that try to change your phone service without your permission; the legitimate companies often require a signature to do so. Set a date for your service to be switched, allowing for time to buy and install any new equipment.

Decide on Equipment and Have it Installed.

Depending on your needs, you may choose to have VoIP desktop phones installed, utilize existing cell phones or have your calls all come through computers with a “soft phone” application. When you decide to use computers or cellphones, your system becomes much more variable and mobile. Employees may be able to log into the system from home or anywhere they can access the Internet. Having desk phones keeps the routine running almost normally, people will not need to learn new communication procedures.

Integrated Communications.

When you use the Internet for your phone use, you will also be able to keep all your other methods of communication together. Have your voice mail, email, instant messaging and text messaging all running through the cloud based phone systems. Have meetings with a video conference to make sure everyone knows what is going on and keep teams working together on documents or projects no matter where they are physically located.

Using Internet Protocol for your phone and other communications is the best way to keep up with your competition. Clients and customers will have more access to you and your business. They will feel more confident in dealing with you when they know you can be reached at almost any time. Work projects will not fall behind because someone needed to be elsewhere; they can log in and work from a remote location. Once you make the switch, you will not believe you can get so much more work done.

4 Tips to Selecting the Best VOIP Phone System…

If you are interested in cutting your communication costs, then there are a number of things that you can invest in. Digital telephone systems are one of them, but many people are also taking a look at VoIP and what it can do for their businesses. You may have already heard of VoIP-enabled phones, but might not be entirely sure as to what they are. Put simply, VoIP means sending calls over a network. That network does not necessarily have to be the Internet: it can also be the local network in your office. As a result, Voice over Internet Protocol is a new way of communicating that will not cost you much. In a time when many people are looking to cut down on their bills, VoIP can come as a bit of a lifesaver. Whether you are looking for Cincinnati Telephone Systems or contact center telephone systems, you will need to be careful about the type that you choose. Understanding what the best VoIP system to use is going to mean doing your research. Although this may take time, you will be happy with the results due to the money that your business will end up saving.

1) Customer Reviews.

Reviews are a good way of finding out what a business is like. You can go onto the provider’s website and see what other customers have had to say about them. From this, you can gain a little more insight into what the business offers you. If there appear to be more bad reviews than good, then it may be best to avoid that particular company. This is of course going to be left up to your own judgment, so make sure to read all of the reviews carefully.

2) Features.

VoIP often gives people a number of different features to its users. These features will include not just network telephone calling, but video conferencing and instant messaging. All of these features will need to be present on a good VoIP system. As well as this, it is possible to get systems that will be able to call landlines. These will of course cost you money, but the costs are going to be significantly lower. You will need to make sure that you know how much these costs are going to be. This will enable you to find out what the best way of communicating with your clients will be, as well as how much you can budget for your communication costs.

3) Data.

VoIP systems will require a certain amount of data to run, and this mean that you may have to get more. Of course, the amount of data that you buy will depend on how much you are willing to use. You do not want to spend too much money on something that you are not going to use frequently. It is therefore a good idea for you to get only the amount of data that you will require for your calls. If your business does end up expanding in the future, then do not fear. Many VoIP systems are quite flexible, so you will only have to add more to the system.

4) Look for Deals.

If you can find any discounts, then make sure to grab them while you can. You will also need to look at the short-term implications of this, but you will be surprised at what you can do if you go scouting for lower prices. This is especially true if you are starting up your own business. Contact Center Phone Systems to choose the apt Voip systems for you!