The top 5 benefits of moving to a VoIP telephone system and how it can improve remote working

If you’ve ever had frustrations about your telephone system at work, it is likely that someone has mentioned VoIP to you. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and provides the user with the ability to make and receive phone calls over an internet connection (“the cloud”). With the ever-evolving world of technology, it is projected that traditional phone systems will become obsolete by 2025, being replaced by a cloud telephony solution.

As communication plays a lead role in the vast majority of businesses, deciding to switch the way your employees communicate is a daunting process. To make your decision easier, we’ve listed below the top 5 benefits of transferring to a VoIP solution, whilst discussing why we believe VoIP will become ever more present within the workplace now most of the UK is working remotely.

1) Low Costs

Let’s be honest, most businesses like saving money. Well, migrating to a VoIP system offers just that. It can be expensive having to install new phone lines whenever your business expands. Couple that with the fact that most traditional lines charge for each minute of the phone call (which increases when the call is international), communications can start to become very expensive! Thankfully, VoIP offers a solution. Most VoIP systems are licensed monthly with no hidden charges, and as the calls are through the internet, the cost per call is a lot cheaper regardless of whether it is international or not.

2) Scalability

As we just mentioned, it can become frustrating when scaling up or down using a traditional phone system. The beauty of a VoIP system is that it can easily scale up or down as required, causing minimal disruption to the workplace whilst also staying cost-effective.

In most scenarios, adding or removing user accounts can be completed on the same day by simply contacting your VoIP provider.

3) More reliable and effective communications

The one question we get asked a lot is; “what happens if my internet goes down?”. Thankfully, VoIP systems are well prepared for this scenario. In the case where there is no internet available (such as power cuts), calls can be forwarded to other devices that have their own data connection, therefore not relying on the office network. This also allows for more effective communication, as you can connect multiple devices to your VoIP system. The chances of missing a call are greatly minimised. Calls will connect to all devices so even if you are not at your desk, you can still answer the call providing you have a connected device with you.

4) Highly versatile features

With most traditional phones, you’re limited to simply answering, transferring and making calls. The great thing about VoIP is that it offers so much more. Firstly, it has the capability of translating voicemails to text, which then get sent directly to your email inbox. So even if you are stuck on hold, you can still be checking your voicemails whilst waiting on the line. In relation to this, voicemails can also easily be forwarded to multiple contacts at once, just with the click of a few buttons.

VoIP systems also offer the ability to hold conference calls as an added feature to the service you already pay for, even allowing the possibility of video conferences if a webcam/camera is available.

5) Less responsibility

With more and more responsibilities being piled on IT teams, it would be nice to take a few jobs away from them. The great thing about using a VoIP service is that it is managed by a specialised team (often 24/7), so any troubleshooting, maintenance or upgrades is their responsibility. Therefore, allowing your IT staff to spend more time on their core responsibilities.

What does all this have to do with remote working?

With businesses having to adapt to the current climate of the world, it is no surprise that there has been an increase in the use of VoIP systems. People are now having to work from home. This has made the use of traditional business phones a lot harder due to the logistics of transferring and connecting hardware… enter VoIP. As we’ve mentioned previously, VoIP offers great mobility, with services moving with you wherever you go. So regardless of if you are working remotely, you will still be able to connect to calls with ease.

Also mentioned is the ability to hold conference calls. With face-to-face contact greatly minimised throughout the UK, meetings are having to be held digitally. Being able to complete this through a VoIP system makes meetings simple and easy to schedule and complete.