You might have heard the words Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) being spoken about over the last few years. But do you know what it is and the benefits of a voip phone system for small business?
What is VoIP?
VoIP is simply new technology. It’s a new phone system which works over the internet.
Traditional phone systems, known as PBX systems, use the copper wires which have been in place since the 1800s. However, a VoIP solution has moved with the times and instead uses the internet to make your calls, making them clearer and more reliable.
To upgrade your phone system to VoIP, you’ll need to check your internet connection can handle your voice calls as well as your data. With ultrafast broadband or a leased line solution, you should have more than enough to keep you online and keep you talking to your customer, suppliers or colleagues.
In 2025, the traditional phone lines are being switched off which will, in turn, make traditional PBX systems defunct. If you’ve not upgraded to VoIP by then, you won’t have a phone line in place in 2025. By upgrading now you’ll not only avoid the panic buying when 2025 looms nearer, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the benefits of VoIP to help you stay ahead and even overtake your competition.
Why choose a voip phone system for small business?
Mobility
With a VoIP system, your options to go mobile will open up. Your employees can choose between using their desk phone or, if they’re out of the office and working in the field, their mobile phones instead. In a small business, missing calls isn’t an option and it doesn’t have to be with a VoIP solution.
The mobility of a VoIP system is also essential in the case of bad weather or an office disaster. If your office is unreachable or gets damaged for whatever reason, you’ll still be able to answer and make calls through your mobile.
Future-Proofing
In 2027, the traditional PBX systems will be defunct. This means traditional phone lines will no longer work and you’ll be unable to make any calls. However, changes will be happening from 2023 as, after that date, businesses won’t be able to buy new lines on the PBX network. Therefore, by upgrading your phone system to a VoIP system, you’ll be futureproofing your business and you’ll be geared up for the switch off.
Less Downtime
As the traditional phone lines run over copper wires, there’s more chance of downtime. Copper wires can be prone to weathering and degradation over time. For a small business, there’s nothing more costly than missing phone calls and potential opportunities. With a VoIP solution, you no longer have to rely on copper wires. Instead, your VoIP system sends your voice calls down the same cables your broadband uses, making your calls even more reliable and crystal clear every time. You’ll be impervious to bad weather or broken and faulty phone lines; the agile VoIP system won’t succumb to a bad gale or be cut off when there are works in the road outside.
No Maintenance Costs
When a PBX system goes down, you could face expensive maintenance costs and a costly charge for an engineer to come out and get you back up and running as quickly as possible. However, you can cut your maintenance costs when you switch to a VoIP solution as you can fix most of the issues yourself using the online portal. What’s more, with a VoIP phone system you’ll also be able to ring your provider and they can remotely diagnose and reconfigure your system and repair where needed. Updates and patch installations can also be done from the online portal remotely, again saving time and money on engineer visits as well as saving costs on avoiding future problems.
There’s plenty of reasons why a voip phone system for small business is worth investing in and, plenty of benefits they’ll gain from upgrading to VoIP.