What is VoIP and how could it help my business?


by Keith McGregor - Date: 2008-11-19 - Word Count: 422 Share This!

Introduction

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. To break this downmore, it is simply a set of rules that allows voice to be sent acrossdata networks such as your office network or the internet.

How does it work?

Your voice is broken down and converted in to IP packets by a VoIP device such as a VoIP telephone or phone system.Those packets contain an address and your voice. However unlike normalIP packets voice packet must arrive in the correct order for your voiceto sound audible. Imagine sending someone a jigsaw piece by piece inthe mail. You have to send the pieces in the correct order so theperson receiving the pieces can lay them in the right order.

What are the benefits?

Homeworkers

If you have staff that currently work from home or that could workform home then VoIP could be just the thing for you. Home Working is aproven way to increase productivity. By using a VoIP phone at home yourstaff will be connected to the office phone system as an extension just as if they were sat in the next room. They will be able to benefit from all the features of your phone system including visibility of other extensions, call recording, call logging, screen popping and much more.

Branch offices

For a company with more than 1 office, VoIP is essential. Not onlyare all inter-site calls free (saving you money), but productivity isalso increased as calls can be taken at any site. So if one site isbusy calls can be routed to another site.

If you have branches outside the UK then by using VoIP andintelligent call routing you could save a fortune. Inter-site calls arefree which is a great saving when making international calls butintelligent routing of calls is also a great way to save money. Callsare routed out of the office most local to the number you are dialling.Eg. I have a London office and a New York office. When I call asupplier in New York, instead of paying international charges, I routethe call through my New York office automatically. Now that call is afree call as local calls in the States are free.

Flexibility

Not enough Cat 5 points? No problem with IP Phones. Just add a smalldata switch to add more points. Or daisy chain your PC's off the backof an IP phone. If you have an Avaya system you will also get Qualityof Service as standard on the phones. This means your IP Phone willautomatically prioritise voice traffic over any data from you PC, suchas email.

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Keith McGregor is a partner of Strawberrysoup, a web design agency with offices in Chichester and Bournemouth. Strawberrysoup specialise in creative web design, content managed websites, search engine optimisation, search engine marketing and graphic design. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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