As businesses prepare for the ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) switch off in 2025, choosing the right technology to future-proof and digitally transform your organisation could not be more important.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is not a new technology. In 1995 VocalTec pioneered the first widely available Internet phone. It allowed one Internet user to call another, and connected to the speakers and a microphone. The technology required for VoIP has been available since then but hasn’t attracted much attention until recently.
Nowadays telephony has become much more than a form of communication and many businesses are realising the importance of using VoIP. According to Grand View Research, the worldwide VoIP market is expected to reach £119 billion by 2024, with overall VoIP subscriber numbers growing 14% year on year since 2009.
Are you a VoIP Sceptic?
As with the adoption of many new technologies, VoIP has been met with much scepticism regarding its reliability, effectiveness, security and cost. Rationale for businesses to keep a traditional telephone service is usually because of a lack of understanding, or a bad experience with VoIP in the past.
As a leading independent provider of telecommunications, Aerial Direct wishes to dispel the scepticism and myths surrounding VoIP and to assist understanding in what makes switching to VoIP an excellent choice for business.
Below are some of the real world objections Aerial Direct has experienced from customers when discussing the introduction of VoIP telephony to their business.
VoIP myth 1:
“VoIP Is too technical for me – I need a tech-guru/IT department to set-up and install it”
To install a VoIP device, all you need to do is plug it directly into your computer network via your router. Providing your broadband or Internet connectivity is fast and has sufficient bandwidth for VoIP, you can connect your device to the Internet via the WiFi, enter the relevant user details, and you’re ready to go. It’s as simple as that to get started. If you opt for hosted VoIP services – like Connect – there’s no need to understand more than the basics. Open IP phones, such as Yealink, Avaya and Gigaset work directly with your network, requiring no additional expertise. VoIP systems are also easier to manage than their landline-based counterparts. You manage and maintain the system via the web-based, user-friendly interface and have the ability to move, add or change users with just a few clicks. There’s never a need to bother an administrator or IT department.
VoIP myth 2:
“VoIP is only good for large corporations”
On the contrary, VoIP technology is ideal for SMEs. A VoIP phone system is so versatile, it can be adopted by organisations of any size and offers as many advantages for small businesses as it does for large corporations. A VoIP service will help keep overheads down, while also helping smaller companies appear larger through many professional business tools such as virtual landlines, helping drive productivity and making it easier to compete with larger companies. Small businesses can expand as they grow without the need for expensive upgrades or costly downtime. Mid-sized businesses can implement VoIP at multiple locations and save on inter-company calls, as well as taking advantage of the many features that come free with VoIP packages – such as call management, call recording and video conferencing.
VoIP myth 3:
“VoIP is unsecure and prone to hackers and viruses because of the internet”
As VoIP uses the Internet to communicate, there are many doubts and fears that have to do with eavesdropping or call hijacking. People use the Internet securely and with confidence every day, from banking to other transactions, many of which are far more critical than a telephone call. As long as your internal network is secure and you make use of modern security technologies like firewalls, encryption and proper authentication, then your phone network will be secure too. Providing you are using a recognised and trusted VoIP provider, the risk of falling victim to hacking or cybercrime is minimal. At Aerial Direct, we make security a priority when we look at your system in readiness for VoIP.
VoIP myth 4:
“VoIP sound quality is poor compared to traditional landlines”
VoIP technology, the Internet and 4G connections have developed greatly in speed and reliability. Broadband speeds and quality of Internet are one of the biggest factors affecting VoIP call quality. Therefore, the better your Internet connection is and the higher quality your VoIP devices are, the better the quality of your calls will be. With the right equipment and enough bandwidth (we suggest a minimum bandwidth requirement of 3 Mbps upload and download for your VoIP services), VoIP sound quality is substantially better than analogue phone lines which are prone to faults through interference and noise.
VoIP myth 5:
“VoIP doesn’t offer much in savings and switching is a big investment”
Cost saving is one of the major business benefits of VoIP and making the switch is typically less expensive than any other type of telephony upgrade. VoIP systems are cheaper than conventional telephone systems because they are software-based and generally have two types of cost: a monthly line rental fee, and costs for usage. Handsets may be slightly more expensive than the average traditional phone. By only looking at the cost of implementation, organisations overlook the long term cost savings and neglect to see the workload reduction and the improvement in efficiency and productivity company-wide. For example, investing in a VoIP system can translate into increased worker mobility and flexibility, improved collaboration and increased efficiency through quicker call management.
Connect
Aerial Direct’s VoIP telephony system Connect is a highly intelligent hosted communication service that empowers your business to work smarter and faster. Connect provides excellent value options and features, without the need to worry about compromising on call quality, support or reliability.
Connect is a powerful, end-to-end hosted telephony system providing businesses with fixed and mobile capabilities via a broadband connection. It has been designed to improve collaboration, productivity, and efficiency. With Connect, your calls are high-quality, secure and reliable, keeping your business seamlessly connected.
Delivered with keevio, Connect’s simple but intelligent web application, provides you with everything you need to work from anywhere. You can make calls, hold conferences, share your screen and instant message with colleagues and customers. Simply share a link with any party (even if they do not have keevio) and they will instantly have access to communication with you.
Connect is ideal for businesses of all sizes and works exceptionally well for organisations operating across multiple locations.