Cloud-hosted solutions are definitely the wave of the present and future for both business IT and smart home automation. The Cloud offers flexibility, versatility, and the ability to take your applications with you anywhere on any device.
One technology that pre-dates the Cloud’s popularity, but is an excellent example of its benefits, is voice over internet protocol (VoIP).
Using your computer to make phone calls was first made available back in the mid-1990’s. Initial setbacks were spotty call quality and that “tin can” sound. But all that’s changed!
Today, you can’t tell the difference between the call quality and clarity of VoIP and landline-based phones, and cloud communications offer a host of additional benefits over traditional landlines.
US residential and business VoIP subscribers have grown nearly 250% over the last 8 years. (Statista)
Quantum PC Services provides all types of IT assistance for home and business clients throughout the Sturgeon Bay, WI area. That includes expert network setup, managed IT through our popular Quantum Care program, and multiple cloud-based services, including VoIP phone system setup with RingCentral.
We’ve found that once people switch to a cloud-based VoIP phone system, they never want to go back to landlines again. Read on to find out what benefits you can expect with a change to cloud hosted communications.
What are the Best Benefits of VoIP for Business & Residential?
If you’ve been using a traditional analog phone system, you might not realize the good stuff you’re missing out on by sticking with an older technology. Business and smart home automation has been updating the way we live and work, but phones often get left out, simply because people aren’t aware of the cost savings and other benefits.
So, what advantages can you expect from VoIP? Here are 8 VoIP benefits that we help our home, business, and Quantum Care clients in Sturgeon Bay experience every day.
1. Cost Savings
The biggest reason people switch to a cloud hosted VoIP phone system is to save money. Some estimates are a savings for businesses of 50% to 75% on phone costs. Savings can come in a number of ways, including:
- Less hardware and setup cost
- Significantly lower long-distance rates
- Lower monthly service costs
2. Business Continuity
There’s a power outage on your block, taking your entire office offline. Your business is at a standstill and unable to send or receive calls… if you have a landline-based system that is.
With a VoIP phone system, your team could easily login to your phone system from their homes or any other spot with power and continue taking orders and receiving calls. A cloud-based system means you can take your phone system with you anywhere you go, it’s not tied to a physical location.
3. Easy Scalability
When you have an analog phone system buying new equipment for additional employees can be expensive and when someone leaves, you’re left with the unused desk phone. With VoIP, you can have a new employee up and running with their own line in minutes with very little cost and removing a line for someone that’s left is as easy as a few clicks.
4. It’s More Than Just Voice
Today’s cloud-hosted VoIP systems are more than just way to make and receive voice calls, you get a full video and text communication system at your fingertips.
Quantum PC Services works with RingCentral VoIP when we do network setup for cloud communications. Here’s some of the extras you get beyond just voice:
- Video Conferencing
- Team Collaboration
- Voicemail to Email & Visual Voicemail
- SMS and MMS Messaging
- Internet Fax
5. Get Your Calls Anywhere
Are you on vacation and don’t want to miss an important call? At a trade show, but need to stay in contact with clients? VoIP makes it possible to make and receive calls from your main “home” or “work” line anywhere. You can even use a mobile app to enable VoIP calls through your mobile phone.
6. Integrate with Cloud-Based Apps
Something that only cloud communication platforms can do is integrate with other cloud-based solutions. Imagine being able to use your phone system right from customer centric applications like Salesforce, Zendesk, and ServiceNow.
VoIP app integration brings your phone system to a whole other level of productivity and connectivity
7. The Bells & Whistles of Enterprise Phone Systems for Less
Small businesses can sound like a large corporation by taking advantage of VoIP systems, which offer all the fancy calling features of large analog phone systems but for much less cost.
VoIP offers features like:
- Call forwarding
- Call screening
- Call logs
- Intercom
- Auto-receptionist
- Hold music
- Dial-by-name directory
- Call monitoring
8. Calling Equipment Flexibility
No longer is a phone number tied to any particular desk or handset. VoIP offers the flexibility of making and receiving calls however you prefer. Use a computer headset with a desktop app, use a VoIP enabled desk phone, use a cordless phone, or set up a conference phone in your meeting room. The system is flexible to fit any calling preference.
Would You Like a Free VoIP Demonstration?
If you’ve been considering switching to a cloud-based VoIP phone system either at home or for your business, we can show you exactly what the technology can do for you with a free demo.
Find out why the number of VoIP users keeps increasing every year and get all your cloud communication questions answered. Give Quantum PC Services a call today at 920-256-1214.
