Virtual phone service refers to telephony solutions that are hosted in the cloud and delivered via the internet, which lets you make calls from any laptop or mobile device. The modern virtual phone service combines the best of landline technology with the flexibility of web-based services. As a result, you don’t just get a solution for making voice calls—you get a complete virtual phone service that manages your incoming calls and lets you send internet fax and SMS as well as host and join conferences from anywhere.
The modern virtual phone service combines advanced features that used to be only possible with expensive on-premise office phone systems with the flexibility and mobility of web-based tools. What your business will be getting is an enterprise-level communications solution that can be accessed from anywhere and on any device, as long as there is internet connection. And because it is delivered via the world wide web, businesses can subscribe to the service instead of having to install their own hardware on office premise. It greatly reduces the up-front cost needed, making it accessible even for small and medium-scale businesses.
Find out how traditional office phone services compare to the accessibility, flexibility, and mobility of a modern virtual phone service.
Conventional office phone service
Virtual phone service
Built to support businesses
The basic capabilities include unlimited VoIP and conference calling, virtual toll-free numbers, and caller IDs you can personalize. You can access more features like texting, faxing, and even HD video online meetings without switching to other systems.
Communications with mobility and flexibility
Use your business phone number to make calls, send text messages, and fax from any mobile device. You can receive business calls through the same automatic call routing flow you've set up for work.
Simple and easy setup
Start using your business phone numbers in 24 hours or less. Customize the system to align with changes to your organization - scale up, scale back, and update processes and preferences.
No need for hardware
Sign up and start making calls over the internet. You can configure the virtual phone service to work with your office's network through your account dashboard--you don't need cables or any other hardware to add extensions. You can remove lines with just a few clicks.
Reliable customer support
Our award-winning support resources are available 24/7, and include staff that can set up your phone system for you. Reach out to us for recommendations, consultations, and technical support.
Robust phone service plans
You get just one itemized bill each month covering everything you can ever need for your business communications--voice, chat, text, fax, meetings, and more.
Whether you want to build a national presence or establish your business in a local community, RingCentral has the right business numbers for you.
Your business phone numbers are not tied to a specific phone or location. You can bring and use them wherever you go. As a result, you can keep personal and business calls separate by using your RingCentral phone number to not only make voice calls, but also send internet fax, SMS, or MMS when you’re out of the office. So instead of using cellular minutes, you are using your RingCentral phone service instead. Just download the RingCentral unified app for your PC or Mac® or for your Android™ or iOS® device to turn your computer or smartphone into a business line.
RingCentral leverages VoIP as its main inbound and outbound calling component, but takes it to a whole new level by supporting HD VoIP across all plans and pricing. It provides subscribers a best-in-class call experience that is at least twice the sound quality of typical voice calls made on an analog landline.
The best part is that it is not limited to just the HD-enabled IP desk phones. HD voice is enabled by default on RingCentral unified apps for both desktops/laptops and mobile devices.
RingCentral also expertly forwards all incoming calls to your virtual business phone numbers. The auto attendant feature answers all calls with a customizable greeting before routing it to the right department or individual extension. You can further customize the way your company handles calls by configuring your company’s answering rules using conditions based on time of day, date range, incoming caller ID, and more.
RingCentral has integrations with top business applications such as Salesforce®, Box, Google for Work, and Microsoft Office 365™. While each integration is different, the main idea is to add communication components from the RingCentral virtual phone service to the applications used by companies. It improves efficiency and productivity by removing the need to switch from one app (or device) to another.
If you have custom applications and the existing integrations do not fit your workflows, you can use RingCentral open APIs to integrate communication options to your own custom apps instead. Aside from voice, you can also add SMS, messaging, and conferencing functions into your business applications. You can even add data and analytics components to gain insights on how you can better use your app together with your virtual phone service.
The whole concept of virtual phone service is to be able to do what traditional landlines and office phone systems do, but adding mobility to the mix by delivering the service via the internet.
What you get is a communications solution that can be accessed from anywhere and on any web-connected computer or mobile device.
But how is it able to imitate the functions of a traditional landline and phone system?
To better understand the technology, let’s check out the components of a virtual phone service versus the components of its traditional counterpart.
Traditional phone numbers are directly connected to a specific place through telephone cables. Virtual phone numbers are the exact opposite. The physical limitations that apply to traditional phone numbers do not apply. They are not tethered to a single line or device and can be accessed from anywhere.
In addition, businesses can get phone numbers for different area codes without having to have a physical presence there precisely because they are virtual. It gives companies another level of flexibility that they can’t get with traditional telephone numbers.
A public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the traditional method of connecting phone calls. It uses circuit-switched phone technology to transmit voice. PSTN uses the telephone carrier’s infrastructure, so every call made is charged based on the use of this resource.
VoIP, on the other hand, harnesses the flexibility of the internet to connect phone calls from any web-connected device. VoIP works through packet switching, where the voice data is broken up into multiple small packets that are transmitted over the internet, which are then reassembled and played on the receiver’s end in real-time. This is possible through a set of protocols working together to mimic the telephony function of PSTN. But because it does not use the regular carrier’s networks for transmitting voice calls, it greatly reduces your call costs, especially on long-distance calls, while getting more flexibility by being accessible from anywhere there is internet connection.
On-premise PBX, as the name implies, is the on-premise call routing component of traditional office phone systems. The main infrastructure consists of a number of servers housed within the building it serves. What it does is that it receives all incoming calls and routes them to the right extensions.
Cloud-hosted PBX, on the other hand, performs the same function, except it is housed remotely on the provider’s data center and is delivered and accessed via the internet. In this scenario, the business subscribes to the service instead of making a large investment for their own on-premise PBX infrastructure. This allows the business to access the service from anywhere that has internet, allowing them to connect all their employees and all their locations under one phone system.
If you can see a pattern, each component of a virtual phone service leverages the reach of the internet to give businesses and their users a more flexible and mobile communications solution compared to its traditional counterparts.
So you have learned that the basic virtual phone service leverages virtual phone numbers, VoIP, and cloud PBX as its main components.
RingCentral, however, is more than just your basic virtual phone service. It is a complete, industry-leading communications solution that solves most, if not all, business communications needs.
Aside from the basic functions, RingCentral also provides:
A business SMS and internet faxing service
Aside from voice calls, RingCentral also provides other communication avenues for business and their users. The internet faxing feature lets you and your team send and receive faxes without the need for a fax machine. You can access your faxes through your online account or through the RingCentral app.
The same goes for business SMS. Instead of using your personal phone number to send SMS or MMS to clients and customers, you can instead use your business phone number. This adds credibility to your text message, as it uses a telephone number associated with your company.
An online meetings solution
RingCentral Office® subscribers will also get an online meetings solution that should solve your business’s need for face-to-face meetings without increasing your travel expenses. Impress your customers and your team with HD-quality video and voice.
The online meetings feature also lets you share your screen with all participants, ensuring that you are all on the same page. If people have no access to their computers, you can also host a teleconference or audio conference that people can join using any phone available to them.
A team collaboration suite
Get more done by improving collaboration within your team. The RingCentral app provides businesses a real-time team messaging app that also allows for quick file sharing and task management. Your team can also instantly set up a video meeting from the app if there is a need for face-to-face conversation.
The best part is that all these features can be accessed from a unified platform. RingCentral removes the need to shuffle from one app to another to access all their features. This allows you to seamlessly transition from calls to video meetings and to team messaging without losing track of what you are working on.
Sign up for a RingCentral account now and equip your business with the best virtual phone service and unified communications solution.