Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a communication technology becoming more common in today’s workplaces. There are many reasons for this, from both a technical and financial standpoint. The big difference between a traditional phone system and a VoIP system is that VoIP uses internet bandwidth to transmit data, as opposed to the copper lines in a traditional system. Internet bandwidth keeps increasing and becoming cheaper and cheaper, providing High Definition (HD) quality that cannot be matched by old copper lines for very competitive prices. In addition, much higher quality phones are available, including full-color touchscreen displays. Furthermore, with the addition of a cloud-based PBX there is no longer a need for a huge phone system onsite at your business. It is all managed and maintained in the Cloud by your service provider!
Managed Voice services, using a cloud-based PBX (Private Branch Exchange), allow for configuring many different features that until recently were seen only in large, corporate environments, such as:
Auto Attendant: an automated system to greet callers, list available options, and direct calls to their correct destination.
Call Management: allows for direct internal dialing, Caller ID, ring groups, call forwarding, call blocking, Do-Not-Disturb, call queueing, hold and transfer, and office intercom. Find-Me functionality is possible as well, ringing subsequent phone numbers, including cell phones. This way, if someone calls your office phone and you’re not there, you can have the call automatically start ringing your cell phone without the caller being aware.
Enhanced Voicemail: personal voicemail on each extension with customizable greetings, plus the option to have voicemails forwarded to email as audio files.
Call Conferencing: 3-way conference calling, Conference Bridging to allow larger groups to communicate.
Hold Music: set royalty-free music to play when customers are on hold, or upload custom audio files to further inform and create interest in your customers about your products and services.
Reporting: Call Detail records, Call Volume graphs, and detailed accounting to track and manage calls, handle time, and overall volume.
In addition to all the features in a VoIP system, there’s also a greater level of portability and disaster resilience. VoIP phones, once configured, can be plugged into any internet connection and work as though they were in the office. This allows users to bring their desk phones home or soft phones along during travel, while maintaining a constant presence, including direct extension dialing. In the event of a local disaster, this can allow your workforce to maintain the connectivity of being in the office while actual recovery takes place on-site. Finally, by moving your phone system to a locally managed VoIP system, you avoid long wait times and service times for issues, as support can be provided by your local VoIP provider, rather than the big phone company.
Layered Systems offers Managed Voice services with VoIP at competitive rates, with unlimited phone and email support and emergency response times of 4 hours or less. Consider moving your phone system to VoIP to enjoy the plethora of features available and to give your small or medium business the professional feel of a large corporation. Contact us today to learn more!
