What is VOIP?

Simplistically, VoIP (Voice over IP) is a technology that allows telephone calls to be made using the Internet as a transmission medium rather than a landline, which in effect can reduce traditional telephone charges significantly.

With the advent of more affordable and available bandwidth, VoIP is now a realisable proposition that many businesses are using. It is important to realise however that the benefits of utilising VoIP technology are much more widereaching than just free telephone calls between your offices. IP telephony can also offer:

• Greater security and control - given that you probably already manage your data network.
• Increased mobility - employees are no longer restricted by physical location to a telephone number e.g. home workers can be contacted on their office extension.
• Significant savings can be made on mobile calls from your field and sales staff.
• Geographic independence - number independence means that your office can appear wherever you want it to.
• On-line collaboration is suddenly possible whereby employees can bring up documents on their screen and discuss them at the same time.
• New call features become available as part of a VoIP package.
• Business continuity - you can benefit from increased contingency by not being wholly dependent upon traditional telephone lines.
• Increased flexibility - you can re-route your calls as required.
• By opting for a hosted solution you can reduce capital expenditure on new telephone equipment.