subject: Tell Tale Signs That It's Time For Your Business To Consider Hosted Voip [print this page] Do your eyes ever boggle at how much you're paying for your current telephone or PBX system? Are you fed up with the inefficiencies and the feature limitations of these same systems? Do you feel your business is being left behind technologically in terms of telecommunications?
Today, lots of businesses are planning of expanding or creating a new branch across the nation, while others may be contemplating opening up an offshore office in a booming city somewhere in another country. One drawback that they can clearly see is the compounded overhead costs that their business may incur were they to stick to these old telecommunications systems in order to have inter-branch communications.
If you find yourself or your business in this situation, it may be a clear sign that it is time to finally migrate from your old PBX or telephone systems and move to something that is changing the face of telecommunications -- VoIP systems. Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP systems can give your business a phone service with enterprise PBX features at the fraction of the cost of standard system. These systems are quickly gaining popularity among small and medium-sized businesses.
What are VoIP Telephone Systems?
As the name itself suggest, VoIP systems operate using Internet Protocol or IP technologies that are used alongside TCP or Transmission Control Protocol. This is basically the infrastructure from which the Internet is based and operates. As such, VoIP systems can handle not only voice transmission but data as well, including video, text and images. This allows for greater flexibility and more added features that traditional telephony systems simply do not offer.
Since VoIP systems rely on an Internet connection for communication, there is no special equipment or wiring required. It can work through any Internet topology available including wireless Wi-Fi networks. Calls are routed through Internet systems like broadband or DSL and not to the traditional telephone line systems, resulting in less costs and less of the charges typical of standard phone lines.
Tell-tale Signs that You Need to Migrate to VoIP PBX Systems
The following are some signs that will tell you that it is time for you to migrate to a business VoIP PBX telephone system:
* High Phone Bills -- your current telephone service plans are very cost prohibitive. This may be compounded by the need to make overseas calls or national long distance calls that are requirements for further business growth. In VoIP systems, a fixed monthly charge allows you to enjoy unlimited local and long distance call without the extra charges that standard phone services demand. Cost savings of up to 90 percent in international calls and more than 50 percent in local calls can be realized. Other VoIP providers offer low usage fees while offering extensions for free. High phone bills could also refer to the large initial cost of setting up and managing your telephone system.
* Slow Realization of "Benefits" -- Phone companies promise you savings if you switch to this or that service plan they are offering. However, the "benefits" from such switch over can only be realized after a long period of time with minimal initial impact. With VoIP systems, the cost benefits can be realized immediately -- and these benefits would increase the longer you make use of the system.
* Costly Equipment -- For businesses to realize certain features in traditional PBX systems, they would need to procure the latest equipment--equipment that would definitely overshoot any budget. With software based hosted business VoIP, all the businesses need are computers, headsets and an Internet connection and they can immediately make use of the system. Upgrades need not be costly in order to make use of new features as most service providers already include software updates as part of their plans.
* Working remotely -- Expanding business would require staff to travel to other locations or operate outside of the main office. This would make it difficult for remote workers to access their office systems while on the road and they would ultimately have to rely on external services that would add even more to the costs of the company. With VoIP systems, the business communication network can be accessed securely from any user agent, allowing access to 'in-the-office' resources from pretty much anywhere in the world.
