Voice over Internet Protocol ("VoIP") is one of the most exciting technologies to emerge in the last couple of years. A number of retail solutions are heavily marketed to consumers like Vonage. While these are perhaps good solutions for the home, they are not particularly good for any but the smallest businesses. For additional insight on how this may be implemented refer to VoIP Server Configuration Guide .
For a small business a properly integrated VoIP system offers a number of advantages like:
- Extremely low purchase price. Today's VoIP servers are a fraction the cost of "old fashioned" telephone systems!
- Simplified wiring. Use the same CAT5 cable to your desk phone as to your computer.
- Low cost dialing plans which can use call routes best suited to the time and location of the called party. For instance you can use one provider for in state calls and another for out of state calls. For businesses with many outbound calls to nationwide destinations this is a powerful feature.
- Voice mail to email. Never miss a message because you are on the road.
- Answer your incoming business call during business hours and after hours with a custom IVR. So when a customer calls at midnight with a service issue the call is routed to one or more after-hours support personnel. The same call coming in during regular business hours goes to the support desk.
- Excellent for call centers. Incoming calls during business hours can be put into a hold queue and given to the first available agent for handling. The caller is periodically notified of their queue position and expected hold time - or they may opt to leave a voice message.
- Call Recording is standard with our solutions. Make sure that the deals the sales department are properly executed, record them! Even archive them for enforcement later should that be required.
- For businesses with more than one office, no cost calling between them. Someone in New York can pick up his phone and dial an extension in Los Angeles and talk for free.
- User programmable call forwarding - from the phone! Expecting an important call but also need to go to lunch? Just forward your calls to your cell phone -- and go. Forget going online to some outside provider just to do this.
- Unavailable call forwarding. Any call to an extension can be forwarded to another extension or outside phone when the called party is busy or does not answer.
- May be integrated with a predictive dialer. Not an extra piece of hardware, just an extension to your VoIP Server. Now sales departments can setup calling lists and the system will place the call and upon answer, hand the call off to a sales person.
- Many more features and advantages. Contact us for more information.