The Rise in VOIP for SMEs

Over the last few years, technology has developed substantially, benefitting many SMEs with greater connectivity that enables them to carry out their daily business on the move. Nowhere has the technology boom been more useful for SMEs than with advance in Voice Over IP that provides a cost effective and flexible way to cater for your telephony needs. What is VOIP? Most of us are used to having a phone on our desk with a cable attached to the telephone socket, and, until recently, we were at the mercy of our Public Switched Telephone Networks or PSTNs. The latest and more cost effective way of running your phone system, however, is to use a high speed broadband connection with VOIP or voice over internet. Calls can be accessed via handsets or by onscreen virtual phones and the system can also be integrated with devices such as smartphones. The Benefits over PBX Systems The primary reason why many SMEs are moving to VOIP is that it provides a more flexible way to do business allowing employees to work from more than one location whilst dramatically reducing the overall running costs. Businesses also don’t have to invest in expensive hardware as the system is accessed via the cloud which means it can be set up on any wi-fi enabled device and can also develop more intelligently as your needs change in the future. Saving Money with VOIP In today’s economic climate, SMEs need to work hard to cut down any unnecessary expenses and find more efficient ways of working if they are going to succeed. We are also changing the way that we work with many offices operating a more flexible approach that relies on good connectivity and an IT provider that understands our needs. •A VOIP system can help reduce your telephony expenses by at least 30% and in many cases much more than that. •If your business makes frequent long distance calls then the cost can be dramatically cut compared to using a standard telephone network with high per minute rates. •VOIP also saves on future moves and changes and it can be tailored to meet your exact needs compared to more archaic land line systems. In short, you get all the benefits of a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) without the high costs and hardware restrictions, whilst also helping to improve the productivity of your employees because the system is far more flexible. There are two main options for putting in a VOIP system. The first is to install it yourself and run it as you would any internal server. The second, and by far the most economical because there are no up front costs, is to have it hosted for you remotely. A reputable IT consultancy will be able to talk you through all the pros and cons of setting up VOIP for your SME, including how it helps maintain business continuity and can be tailored to your individual needs.