subject: Small Business VoIP Guide [print this page] Keeping costs down is another fundamental factor in maintaining a healthy business so it is vital to cut costs where possible. Thus, finding an effective means of communication combined with low costs is essential to success.
As the business grows, so it's need for change increases. It now has a more robust business structure and can withstand shocks that would annihilate smaller enterprises. High volumes of call traffic will need to be dealt with as returning customers come back for more and even more new customers start appearing. Traditionally, the solution has been to install a private branch exchange or PBX, which provides a private telephone exchange that can organize and route internal and external calls quickly and easily.
Now, there is a new method for arranging business communications that will make it easier for small businesses to prosper in the long term. Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP transmits voice data by digitizing the signal and sending it over an Internet connection. With VoIP, the existing phone services and internet services can be combined to reduces the overheads of the business. A small business can now utilize VoIP to reduce or even eliminate communications costs, which helps the business to use additional capital to fund growth or marketing efforts.
With VoIP software for example, users can talk to each other for free. If the business can use this program to let users contact them directly, they automatically eliminate phone charges. This will immediately help a business grow as cutting costs in telecommunications gives an additional capital which can be allocated to new projects or other resources. This helps the business expand operations and become larger with the ability to reach customers for free.
As the company expands, they need only integrate a private branch exchange (PBX) into their existing VoIP system. They can even host their PBX services completely with a VoIP provider, which eliminates the expenses associated with installing a physical network. This allows the business to focus on providing better customer service and not spend any money in doing so. Eliminating the costs of doing business without lowering the quality or standard of services or goods provided means that the business can leap ahead of competitors.
Despite any standardization or regulation that occurs with VoIP, the upside for small businesses will always remain. The business world can expect to see advancements in communications methods becoming adopted very quickly over the next several years as VoIP starts to eventually replace cell phones and maybe even traditional phones. There may come a time when we will see the internet and mobile telecommunications merged into single system thanks to VoIP.
