Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phone systems are gaining traction for both personal and business use. What’s so great about online telephony – and why is it grabbing market share from old-line telecom providers? Here are 10 of the biggest reasons:
1. Hosted phone solutions require no on-site equipment. That means you have more space in your office and you never need contractors to pay you a visit (particularly valuable if your office is just a spare bedroom in your home).
2. Because there’s no physical hardware involved, you never need to worry about maintenance, repairs or upgrades. All three are pushed to you invisibly.
3. You have the full functionality of your phone system wherever you can get online. Redirect your 800 numbers, change you message alerts and download call data from home, at a business convention or from the comfort of your favorite coffee shop just as easily as you can in the office.
4. Your business phone system will work across multiple ZIP codes, if need be. Whether your employees are located in a single building or spread across multiple time zones, online telephony means you all share one communication system.
5. Online telephony is always up to date. As new features (like RingCentral’s new Business SMS) become available, a virtual system can add them swiftly and easily.
6. Not only do VoIP setups eliminate the need for telecom specialists, they can even replace receptionists. An online telephony system can greet callers and route customers depending on your needs.
7. Online telephony is flexible. Not only can you set it up in minutes, you can also expand or prune it quickly and easily. You’re never stuck with features or hardware you no longer want (or want to pay for) and adding new offices (or allowing your employees to telecommute) is a snap.
8. This flexibility allows you focus on the lifeblood of your business: your customers. Whether you need to open a new office on the other side of the country, adjust your business hours or prioritize calls from your most important contacts, online telephony makes it possible to adjust how you work.
9. With a low-risk, pay-as-you-go model, VoIP solutions make it easy to control your costs. You only pay for as many minutes of service as you use.
10. VoIP systems are far cheaper than traditional telecom services on a monthly basis – and with no hardware to install or maintain, they have next to no service costs.
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Compared to traditional telecom, online telephony gives you more for less: greater flexibility, greater control and greater oversight at a lower total cost of operation. Plus, VoIP offers even small businesses the sort of communications tools that were once only found in the largest companies. Have you made the switch yet?
Featured photo courtesy of: kozumel via photopin cc.
Originally published Apr 04, 2013, updated Apr 18, 2021