As technology marches on, the phone systems we once relied upon are rapidly becoming things of the past. There were many issues with traditional phone lines. For one thing, they were lines. Even cordless phones required a specific physical connection system that could easily become damaged. They were remarkably unreliable during bad storms, and frankly couldn’t be completely trusted at any time. The typical American family is switching over the cellular phones — or otherwise, they rely on the Internet to communicate. Often, they don’t have cordless phones or any other landlines. If families who use their phones recreationally are no longer relying on typical phone lines, why should professional businesses? With that being said, it isn’t as if thousands of cell phones can be distributed; a cell phone alone cannot represent a company’s interest. But VoIP technology, perhaps, can. VoIP services are being embraced by the business world for a number of reasons. They’re more convenient, more universal, more reliable, and in many cases simply easier to use. Using VoIP technology is, on a business level, taking a step into the future. By using VoIP technology, you can connect not only to your business phone systems but cameras as well. Let’s learn about how this system works, and how it can benefit you.
What Is VoIP Technology?
VoIP stands for “voice over IP”. Essentially, this technology is a way of delivering voice communications and multimedia sessions over IP networks, including the Internet. As the world becomes more Internet-reliant — with the Internet being one of the few resources that can basically connect any two people with access to it — a switch to this kind of technology only seems practical. Anyone in the world could potentially use VoIP, which in business terms means expanding a potential associate and clientele field by a major degree. Already, it’s estimated that there is an average of 11 million meetings per day in the U.S. that use VoIP, video conferencing, and more. VoIP is also heading towards the mobile space, expected to hit one billion users in 2018. There are many different benefits to VoIP, as you’ll see below. But perhaps the greatest one is its growth potential. By the end of 2015, the industry was set to grow over $76 billion, and the number of small office/home office subscribers was projected to grow by $262 million — a 50% increase since 2011. That’s the thing about wifi phone systems in general — they aren’t just for big businesses, but those who work from home as well.
What Are The Benefits Of VoIP Technology?
While we already mentioned some bigger picture benefits of this technology above, there are some more basic ones as well. A landline can be completely replaced with VoIP. This can save you anywhere from 20% to 50% on your monthly phone bill right off the bat. VoIP isn’t just for talking over the phone, either. Right now, two different encryption protocols are gaining popularity in this arena. These are Session Initiation Protocol and H.323, which are designed to support multimedia over IP for web-based video conferencing. Being able to have video conferences is a major benefit for any business owner. It certainly can make sealing deals much easier, and eliminates in some cases the need for travel. That in itself is yet another saving. This technology can also increase productivity in employees. A Sage Research survey recently revealed that internet telephony added about 3.9 hours of productivity per week for each employee.
VoIP And Video Surveillance
On a final note, VoIP can also make your business safer. This technology can key into surveillance cameras, and make it easier for you to monitor your facilities. It allows for remote access surveillance, which makes you safer and is typically more successful. It can eliminate theft and losses by up to 80%, and if employees know that such surveillance is occurring, they also tend to be more productive.