What is a VOIP Integration?
VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, is essentially phone service delivered via the Internet. A VoIP has the same functionality as a regular telephone, but with more advanced features such as conferencing, routing, advanced caller ID and the seamless ability to add as many phones as your business requires. VoIP can be integrated with a multitude of business applications to promote collaboration and enhance productivity. This rings a bell for most organizations nowadays who have employees, customers, partners and other parties working remotely. They all need to be constantly connected and accessible.What is a Cloud Phone System?
A cloud phone system–also called hosted PBX–is often used interchangeably with VoIP. They are both fundamentally similar in how they enable communication via the Internet, but with a cloud phone system, you enjoy additional sophisticated collaborative tools. A cloud phone system hosts the VoIP server, and adds several features that boost productivity and save costs for businesses. A key feature that is especially relevant to current times is routing calls to multiple devices so they get answered no matter where the call recipient is located. With the majority of professionals currently working from home, this is crucial for organizations that need to manage dispersed team members, clients, partners and stakeholders. VoIP is also pretty straightforward to install and significantly saves costs for businesses. Because you only require Internet connectivity to make and receive calls, you save up on hardware and maintenance costs and only pay a service fee that encompasses a bundle of VoIP features.
Benefits of VOIP
There are several benefits to VoIP, namely the striking cost savings it affords. Businesses can save up to 50%-70% by foregoing their landline and switching to VoIP. It is also highly scalable–you can add as many phones as you need without the burden of hardware, installation and maintenance costs. You’ll just need a new handset for each team member who needs a new phone. The appeal of VoIP specifically relates to the growing advent of working from home and hybrid models. It maintains continuous access, provides a single point of contact and offers unique features that foster collaboration and teamwork.Mobility
A currently pressing requirement for companies is maintaining access for all parties as they work remotely from different locations. VoIP gives you the flexibility to work from anywhere and from any device. With 25% of jobs expected to become fully remote by the end of 2022, organizations need their team members to be connected to each other and to their clients at all times. VoIP allows its users to work from anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection, ensuring workforce output does not diminish as the distance among employees, clients and partners grows.Hosted PBX
A hosted PBX service gives companies access to an array of collaborative tools alongside the basics of voice calling. Setting up a conference call with multiple parties is as straightforward as making any other call. Moreover, the setup time and costs are minimal. It is typically a plug-and-play system that is very intuitive and requires minimal training. Users can set up their own custom phone features and personalize it the way they like without the assistance of technical personnel.Unified communications with consistency
VoIP provides a single gateway to communication and collaboration through seamless integration with other communication and conferencing platforms. This is convenient when dealing with clients and stakeholders who use alternative tools such as Skype, Zoom, Dialer, etc. CRM tools such as Salesforce can also be integrated to VoIP, allowing for a single repository of customer data for optimum customer service.
Additionally, users do not need a different number for each of the devices they are working from. They can be contacted through a single number that is tied to their laptop, computer, tablet and phone. They can always be reached by dialing the same number.
VoIP advanced features and services
VoIP boasts a range of advanced features that are all virtually enabled. Some of them include:
- Virtual auto attendant Team members may all be working from different locations, but a virtual attendant will answer calls and direct callers to the requested recipient accordingly. Other features include a dial by name directory and email delivery of voice messages to the intended recipients.
- Advanced call routing Calls can be routed to you or other locations set by you when you’re not in the office. They can also be routed based on the time of day or day of the week.
- Calls dashboard Have access to a web portal that shows you the call logs, caller details, messages and all details on your VoIP server from one location.
- Simple customizations and add-ons In comparison to analog telephoning, a lot of tasks with VoIP become remarkably easier. You can quickly make a new extension by easily adding a code to the office phone. You can also reach another person in the company by simply dialing their extension.
