VoIP is exactly what it says – voice over Internet Protocol. It’s voice communication that is transmitted via the internet. Using this technology, you can make and take calls using the Internet. Analogue voice signals are converted to digital data packs and transmitted across the internet. 
 
We’ve regularly asked about VoIP so we’ve put a list of questions together. 
1. What do you need for a VoIP system? 
 
High quality broadband 
 
Naturally, you will need high quality broadband. The more users you have, the more bandwidth you’ll need especially if you have simultaneous users. 
We recommend that you do an audit of your bandwidth. Don’t just think of today, think about your needs in the future. What is your projected network traffic, how many new staff will you hire and do they need their own voip phone? Will some of your services go to the cloud which will demand a portion of your bandwidth? Now is the time to think about such resources. 
 
IP Phone System 
 
You will need a phone system that is IP enabled. After much research of the market, we now offer Ericsson LG IPECS range of systems. This range of phone systems suit all needs and budgets, with high end models with multiple option functionality for the larger office. 
 
You could also consider a softphone as an alternative to a desktop phone. Perhaps employees who work from home or on-site with customers could use these. They can go anywhere and have their extension with them. 
 
Computers 
 
Some companies may choose to simply use their computer and a headset as a phone. It suits some companies and some employees. 
 
2. How can Phonelink help? 
 
We’ve been in the phone game for over 28 years so regardless of the technology, we can help you make the right decision about your telephone system. 
We can do a broadband audit for you. 
We’ll assess your internal network – your routers, switches – to see if it can handle the load as well. 
We can advise you on using a hosted service or maintaining a self-hosted VoIP system. If you go self-hosted, you will need a VoIP friendly version of your PBX phone system and a PSTN gateway. 
We can advise on all that. 
We can recommend the best softphones or IP phones to use, to match your existing phone. Traditionally many of the VoIP phones weren’t as feature rich as your existing phone – no answering, callback, call transfer etc 
 
3. What Really are the Pros and Cons of VoIP 
 
Here are two main pros and cons of VoIP. 
 
Pros 
 
Scalability – One of the biggest benefits of VoIP is scalability. With VoIP, you can connect your IP-enabled phone or softphone to the network rather than buying additional hardware. 
 
Cost – We have examined VoIP for a while now. As you know, we don’t jump on the latest and greatest bandwagon for the sake of hype. VoIP can certainly be more cost efficient for small businesses or home based businesses. 
 
Cons 
 
Electricity outage – When the broadband or electricity goes down, your telephones go down. Some of the larger companies who host VoIP may have back up but this may not be the case if you are self-hosted. 
 
Voice quality – This relates to having a good broadband connection. If your VoIP is slow, audio quality can suffer greatly. 
 
For all business owners, before embarking on VoIP, give us a call and we can advise you on the best way to move forward. 
 
To find out more about VoIP and how it can benefit your company call us on 01 620 5677 or Contact Us here 
Tagged as: VoIP
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