Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has come a long way since it was first introduced around 1995. Despite this, it still seems like a big mystery to many small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This shouldn't come as a surprise since a lot of SMB owners focus more on their customers and clients, rather than how VoIP technology can help push their businesses forward.
What these business owners fail to consider are the practical advantages of using a VoIP phone system over a traditional landline network. In this article, we'll show you some reasons why VoIP is the best solution for your small business.
What is VoIP?
Before we talk about the advantages of VoIP over a landline, you first have to know what VoIP is. Simply put, VoIP allows you to make calls using a broadband or internet connection instead of telephone lines. However, unlike landline phones, VoIP also comes with certain advantages. They include:
#1 Easy to set up
Setting up a landline telephone system can be very difficult and time-consuming because installing the cables and other required hardware takes a lot of time and effort. In addition, the cables used by traditional landline phones produce unwanted clutter in your workspace.
A VoIP network is easier to set up because it uses your company's internet connection instead of traditional phone lines. This eliminates the need for additional hardware such as phone cables, which also helps lower installation costs.
#2 Added features
When it comes to features, VoIP phones win over landlines. Landline phones are designed mainly for voice calls but have optional paid features like call forwarding and voicemail. VoIP phones come with a wide range of features not found on traditional landline phones. These features include:
- Call forwarding
- Call recording
- Voicemail to text
- Voicemail to email
- Auto-attendants
- Anonymous call rejections
#3 Convenient
Landline phones can only be used in the location where they were installed. Since VoIP is a wireless system, it's not tied down to the physical boundaries of your home or office. You can install softphones on your devices that will allow you to make voice calls from anywhere with a stable internet connection. VoIP also lets you program a specific telephone extension to connect to various devices, allowing clients and customers to reach your business anytime and anywhere.
#4 Scalable
In terms of scalability, VoIP is a step above a landline system. A VoIP system lets you easily add or remove phones to your existing system depending on the needs of your business. Landlines, on the other hand, only have a limited number of lines depending on your current subscription. Adding more lines means installing additional hardware, which can be very expensive.
#5 Cost-effective
You must have heard thousands of times just how cost-effective a VoIP system is compared to a landline. If you want proof, just look at your company's latest phone bill. If you're looking to cut down on your company's monthly expenses, remaining on a landline system won't help. Here's a breakdown of setting up, maintaining, and upgrading a basic landline home phone system.
- $60 to $110 – Cost of a basic two-line phone system including one docking station and two cordless phones
- $3 to $10 – The price of a four-conductor phone jack for housing up to two phone lines
- $6 to $30 – The price of two to three jacks needed for a two-line system
- $0.10 to $0.20 – Average price of a telephone wire per linear feet
- $65 to $85 – Average cost of labor per hour
Now imagine adding enhancement and upgrades to this basic phone system.
- $20 to $30 – Caller ID device for phones without this feature
- $100 to $150 – If you want to add an intercom over your basic phone system
- $50 to $75 – Cost of adding programmable lines
- $100 – Average cost of an additional line
The above prices are for a two-line basic home phone system. Now imagine what the cost would be in a business setting. Expensive, isn't it? The breakdown above doesn't even include monthly service fees and maintenance costs. This is one of the biggest reasons why you must replace your landline phone system with a VoIP one.
Complete Document Solutions will provide your business with a capable and affordable VoIP system to improve employee collaboration, communication, and productivity. To learn more about VoIP, get your free network and IT assessment today.
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