| Increasing efficiency and saving money are key | | | | computer network, so that saves more money and |
| management tasks for small business owners and | | | | increases your flexibility because you can very easily |
| managers. Voice over Internet Protocol or VOIP is a | | | | move phones around the office and add new ones |
| technology which can really help the small business in | | | | with minimal setup. |
| these areas. | | | | The VOIP service provider provides you with your |
| VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It's been | | | | phone numbers and lines, trunks or ports to allow you |
| around for more than ten years, but it's only just now | | | | to make your calls. They're the modern equivalent to |
| becoming a main stream business technology. The | | | | the traditional telecommunications provider. Be careful |
| reason that it's taken so long to catch on is that it's | | | | to choose a provider that has a business leaning so |
| only now really that people are starting to get decent | | | | that you get a business grade service. |
| quality internet connections to support it. | | | | If you have more than one or two people in your |
| VOIP can definitely save you money. In our company | | | | business and you need to be able to transfer calls, use |
| we don't have a single phone line coming into our | | | | voicemail or other such features, then you're probably |
| office. That means no line rental and no waiting for | | | | going to need either a soft PBX or to use an |
| technicians to come to pull in more physical cables/lines | | | | equivalent service with VOIP provider. |
| when we want extra "lines". We have a | | | | A soft PBX is the equivalent to the traditional PBX box |
| good quality internet connection, with a VOIP phone | | | | that you probably currently have bolted to your wall. |
| service that has multiple VOIP lines and includes | | | | The main difference is that it will run on a standard, |
| hundreds of untimed national landline calls a month. | | | | inexpensive PC. This will give you your voicemail, your |
| With this service you can setup new phones in any | | | | interactive voice response system and other PBX |
| location where you can get access to a decent | | | | features. The downside to this is that you have to look |
| internet connection and have free calls between them. | | | | after it yourself. The big benefit is that you control it |
| Think of what that means to a business dealing with | | | | and very importantly, you aren't tied to your VOIP |
| interstate clients and suppliers or setting up a remote | | | | service provider should you decide to change. |
| office, or even putting an extension into your home | | | | The alternative to the soft PBX is to use the |
| office. You could be saving thousands of dollars every | | | | equivalent service with your VOIP service provider, if |
| year. | | | | they offer one. |
| Another benefit of VOIP is that you can use telephone | | | | Lastly, another benefit of VOIP phones is that they're |
| handsets that aren't proprietary and tied to an | | | | more likely to be able to cheaply be integrated to your |
| expensive PBX unit that's bolted onto your office wall. | | | | PC so that you can make calls directly from your |
| There are plenty of makes and models of handsets | | | | software systems and potentially to be able to log |
| available and if you're not happy with the VOIP PBX | | | | those calls automatically as you make them. |
| you use (if you need one), then you can simply sign up | | | | That's pretty much all there is to it. The next step is to |
| to a different service or buy a different software PBX | | | | look at your internet connection to see if it's of good |
| and keep your handsets. | | | | enough quality to do the job. If it is, then you can dip |
| When you need to move office, you won't have to | | | | your toe in by just buying one VOIP handset, or using a |
| get the phone people back in to re-install your phone | | | | VOIP soft phone on good fast PC. You'll need a VOIP |
| system either. | | | | line to test with, which you'll be able to get for minimal |
| VOIP phones use the same cabling as your office | | | | cost without entering into a contract. |