| The nation's small businesses are always looking for | | | | advantage of the new found freedom and flexibility |
| cost-effective ways to manage their operations. Many | | | | the business voip phone system offers. The One |
| of these organizations are abandoning traditional office | | | | Number Follow Me feature that you can specify who |
| phone systems in favor of small business VoIP | | | | and when people could reach you at which phone |
| networks. | | | | number; The Voice Mail that sent to your cell phone so |
| What Is VoIP? | | | | you can see it and listen to it at the right time; The |
| Most people have heard of small business VoIP but | | | | Auto Attendant that directs the calls to the right |
| may not know exactly what it is. They know it's some | | | | person at different hour of the day; Employees |
| kind of digital phone system but don't understand the | | | | working from home, even at different state, etc... |
| mechanics. | | | | What Are The Downsides to VoIP? |
| A small business VoIP uses an organization's existing | | | | There are few limitations to small business VoIP over |
| internet connection to transmit voice the same way | | | | traditional phone systems. The biggest concern is if |
| the network transmits data. The call is routed through | | | | your internet connection goes down you lose your |
| VoIP service providers to get to the destination just like | | | | phone service as well. And the internet connection |
| traditional telephone calls are routed through the phone | | | | may have lag that isn't noticeable in normal web |
| company central offices. | | | | surfing or downloading but makes back-and-forth |
| VoIP is often less expensive than standard office | | | | conversations slow and frustrating. |
| phone systems, especially for long distance calls, and | | | | To overcome the limitation, many business VoIP phone |
| has a lot more flexibility. The VoIP handset carries the | | | | systems provide legacy phone ports so you can still |
| same telephone number regardless of location, so | | | | connect a few traditional phone lines to the system. |
| users can plug into the system from any location to | | | | The system will automatically route the calls to the |
| make or receive phone calls. This portability is not just | | | | best available one according to the pre-configured |
| limited to the office building. An employee on travel can | | | | rules. So when the internet connection is down, the |
| plug the handset into the hotel's internet connection and | | | | phone service can still be available. |
| automatically have calls routed to that phone. | | | | For businesses that can not afford to have a |
| How Hard Is It To Convert to VoIP? | | | | dedicated IT personnel to keep their network always |
| To the average small business, VoIP may seem like an | | | | at its best shape, many business VoIP phone systems |
| esoteric technology that will be difficult to adopt. In fact, | | | | again provide an alternative by using traditional phone |
| nothing could be further from the truth. | | | | network in house, and only using the Internet/network |
| Company telephone equipment doesn't become | | | | to provide VoIP service when it is necessary. - Like |
| obsolete. Although there are dedicated VoIP | | | | connecting VoIP service providers or employees work |
| telephones, the system can be used with traditional | | | | at home using IP extensions. So even the in house |
| telephones. The operation of the phone system is the | | | | network connection is somehow affected by virus or |
| same as a traditional system. Customers, vendors and | | | | malfunctioned equipment, the phone system can still |
| other incoming callers dial the number just like they did | | | | function well. |
| before. They won't even realize the telephone system | | | | Overall, small business VoIP has far more advantages |
| is changed. Outgoing calls also operate the same way | | | | than disadvantages and some experts predict it is only |
| and your staff won't need to learn new technology | | | | a matter of time until analog phone systems go the |
| just to make a phone call. | | | | way of the rotary dial. |
| The only thing you need to learn is how to take | | | | |