In case you are planning to overhaul your business phone system, whether you are running a small business or large enterprise, hosted VoIP is what you need. What are some of the advantages of hosted VoIP solutions, how do they work, and what are some of the things that can benefit your business?
Hosted VoIP services are gaining popularity in the business world. It’s easy to see why: they provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional phone systems, while also offering an array of additional benefits. Hosted VoIP solutions are a secure, easy-to-use communication service for your business that includes all the features a business needs and is an excellent choice for those who want to grow their business.
Hosted VoIP is a way to have your business phone system hosted by a third-party provider. This means you get top-notch phone system support and maintenance, and the ability to easily change providers or expand your current system if you need more services and features in contrast to other on-premises VoIP services. Let’s deep dive further into understanding hosted VoIP telephony and how your business makes use of its benefits.
What is VoIP Telephony? And what is a hosted VoIP?
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology is a form of telephony that allows users to connect to the Internet and use their computers to make and receive calls. This method of communication is often referred to as “Internet-based telephony,” or IP Telephony because it communicates over the internet by transmitting voice and data over IP networks rather than through traditional circuit-switched telephone lines. VoIP technology is used by businesses and individuals who want to make and receive telephone calls from anywhere in the world, at any time. VoIP also enables users to make free international calls between any two countries.
Meanwhile, hosted VoIP, or simply hosted PBX, is a service that allows you to connect your business phone system to a third-party server. This is typically cheaper than buying a stand-alone phone system and it can be more flexible about features and functionality. Hosted PBX offers many of the same features as traditional PBX systems but often at lower costs. The most common example of this type of service is inbound calls coming from phones located outside of the local area code being routed through a third-party server instead of directly through the PSTN (public switched telephone network). Hosted VoIP allows users to have their private extensions or direct lines without having to pay for long-distance calls themselves or use their dedicated lines if they already have them available on their network.
What are the components of hosted VoIP?
Hosted VoIP is a cloud-based phone system that provides businesses with access to a wide range of features and services. It allows businesses to communicate with customers and potential customers, as well as manage their customer relationships through email and chat. Hosted VoIP technology is a combination of several components that work together to provide a high-quality hosted phone system.
- The first component is the hosted PBX solution, which includes hardware and software that allows businesses to add a phone system to their existing data center or office space.
- The second component is the SIP trunking system, which connects multiple lines into one network.
- The third component is IP communications channels that allow you to send and receive calls on your landline or mobile device.
Some gateways connect all these components and enable users to communicate over the Internet without having to rely on traditional telephone networks such as analog or digital cable lines.
What are the feature highlights of a hosted VoIP Solution?
Hosted VoIP Solutions offer several features that are helpful when planning to use your private phone system. Here are some of the most notable.
- Voicemail and Call Logs – The first feature is voicemail and call logs. These allow you to make sure that all calls get recorded, and then you can access them easily later on when needed. You will also have access to call logs for your employees as well, which can be useful for keeping track of who’s been working on what project and when.
- Caller ID and Intercom – These features allow you to see who’s calling before you answer the phone, which is helpful if there are multiple people in the office or if you’re expecting important calls from clients or customers. You can also choose whether or not to answer calls by pressing a button on your phone without leaving the office!
- Conference Calls and Video Conferencing– Hosted VoIP Solutions also include conference calls so that you can conduct business with other people at once without worrying about how many different phones would need to be connected (which could lead to confusion).
- Speed Dailies – Speed Dailies provides a higher amount of bandwidth for your business and is ideal for businesses in larger cities where data rates are high.
How will the business benefit from Hosted VoIP technology?
Hosted VoIP telephony can be an excellent tool for businesses that are looking to reduce costs, improve their productivity and increase the quality of service they provide to their customers.
- Cost Efficient – compared to traditional telephone systems, the most common benefit is that they don’t require a landline or cable connection. This means that you don’t need to spend to maintain these lines and cables. Moreover, the internet connection costs are much cheaper than paying monthly phone bills. In case you are already using a VoIP but on-prem server, hosted PBX can take away costs surrounding maintenance.
- Flexibility and Portability – This means that you can use them anywhere you have an internet connection. This allows your employees to have more flexibility when it comes to their preferred work location – anywhere in the world at any time without worrying about long-distance charges or expensive international calling plans. Implementing a hybrid work set-up nowadays is also becoming a popular way of adapting to the new trends in business operations.
- Increased Call Quality – When you use a hosted VoIP system, you get high-quality calls by eliminating the need for leased lines and router setups. The quality of VoIP calls has also been improved significantly, and vendors have eliminated call drops, so you can no longer distinguish between a VoIP call and a traditional call.
- Manageable Maintenance – In contrast to traditional phone systems, hosted VoIP phone installations are simple and don’t require a technician. Depending on the contract, your third party can take care of all the maintenance from their end and ensures support is available 24/7.
- Less Equipment is Needed – With hosted VoIP solutions, there is no equipment to worry about, which is one of their biggest benefits. Essentially, this means that businesses do not have to invest in expensive equipment; they can use a cloud-based voice communication system. Additionally, hosted voice communications eliminate the need for servers, regular maintenance, physical space, and telephone equipment upgrades. All you need is a headset and say goodbye to the traditional cables and wiring telephony system!
- Advanced Data Integration – The internet and your headset are all you need to use VoIP technology instead of traditional telephony, which requires a “brain box” inside your office. VoIP technology can easily integrate with other software applications since it stores data securely in the cloud. By combining a cloud-based phone system with other tools such as CRM tools, sales trackers, helpdesk platforms, and chat features, you get a comprehensive software network that has everything you need to run an efficient call center. A traditional telephony system cannot provide this feature because it is very expensive and difficult to implement.
Overall, Hosted VoIP telephony is a flexible and configurable telephony solution for businesses of all sizes. Businesses are increasingly using hosted VoIP telephone service because of the many advantages that it has. Aside from being able to save on phone bills, they can also be assured that their communication system is always up and running. Moreover, with VoIP, they can even transfer calls easily to work remotely. Companies can outsource their calls abroad to keep in touch with clients abroad. The world is becoming a global village, and businesses need tools that can support this type of communication.
If you’re deciding on whether to go with a hosted VoIP service or to stick with your current setup it is best to consult the experts in this field. Beyontel is a vendor-agnostic and experienced IT consulting company which specializes in VoIP and Unified Communications (cloud-based) and could direct you to the best available option. Book your appointment today.
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