Is VOIP right for your business?

VOIP – or ‘Voice Over Internet Protocol’, is becoming a standard feature in many homes and offices around the globe. While its popularity is rising however, this technology is not for everyone. When compared to a fixed line or mobile phone, VOIP brings with it an arguably equal number of benefits and disadvantages, the most significant of which are outlined below.  

Advantages of VOIP

Cost

Arguably the biggest advantage of using VOIP is the potential for cost savings. Essentially, the technology allows you to make calls from one computer to another, anywhere in the world, for free.

Calls may also be made to landlines and mobiles using VOIP. These calls will usually incur a charge, but even this will generally be much cheaper than calls made via your regular phone service. Long distance calls from VOIP systems to phones are usually charged at flat rates, and some VOIP providers will allow you to select your own area code. This does not have to be the area you are actually calling from, but could instead be the location that you are making a lot of international calls to.

VOIP systems can be used pay as you go, or you can sign up with a VOIP service provider and pay a monthly fee. A monthly package will usually include unlimited calls from to and from your VOIP system, no matter what country you are making the call to or from. For people who make a lot of calls, particularly abroad, this can mean huge savings every month.

Portability

Another great attraction of VOIP is that it is portable. So long as you have an internet connection you will be able to use your VOIP service wherever you are, making it as convenient as email.

A VOIP phone can be plugged into an internet connection, and can then be used to make calls as though you were at home or in the office. VOIP phones have a built in address which is unique to that phone, and not a particular location, and so international calling rates will not apply.

If you don’t have a VOIP phone, another option is to use an analogue terminal adaptor (ATA) to connect a regular phone to the internet. These are now inexpensive, small, and portable.

A third option for using VOIP abroad is your laptop. Many computer based VOIP services offer a Web interface, which allows customers to log in to their account and place calls from anywhere in the world. All that is required is a computer, headset, and internet connection.

All of these options would be particularly useful for those who travel often for business, as it would allow them to call their colleagues and family cheaply and easily. While portable VOIP may not quite be as convenient as a cell-phone, the difference in price is significant enough to make up for this.

Features

There are a number of features which usually come standard with a VOIP package, including, 3 way calling, automatic call forwarding, auto redial and caller ID. Whereas ordinary phone providers will charge for these, there usually will be no monthly cost for these services with VOIP.

Computer based VOIP systems can usually be used to transmit video content, allowing you to see as well as hear the person that you are talking to. Data such as pictures, video, and documents can be shared between the two parties, as well as applications which makes it easier for two parties to collaborate on a project.

Another advantage of VOIP is that it can be synchronized with your email inbox. You can receive email notifications when you receive new voice mail messages, and recordings of your voice mail can be sent to your email and then forwarded to others. This feature would be especially useful to anyone using a VOIP phone away from their desk.

Disadvantages of VOIP

Reliability

Because VOIP systems rely on internet connectivity, if this slows or disconnects, so will your VOIP call. A bad connection could occur because of congestion, limitations of your PC, or because you are using you computer for other bandwidth draining activities. These situations could render your VOIP system more or less useless, which could be highly problematic if this were your only way of making calls.

During a blackout a VOIP system will not function. Unlike regular phones which rely on the current supplied through the phone lines, IP lines rely on electricity to power the device it is running from. A possible solution to this problem is to back up batteries or generators, or to use a regular phone as a back-up, but the monthly cost of this would reduce your overall VOIP savings.

Quality

When using VOIP over a fast, reliable broadband connection, sound quality is often comparable to that of a regular phone call, though will never be quite as smooth or natural. The quality of a VOIP call will always be as vulnerable as your internet connection however, so is prone to difficulties.

If you or the party you are speaking to is using a slow or temperamental internet connection, then you are likely to experience distorted voice quality, clipping, voice delay, or even a dropped call.

Even if you are using a very fast Internet connection, factors such as physical distance, the number of router hops, encryption, and voice/data conversion rate could effect the quality of the conversation. This could be extremely frustrating, especially if it were to occur during an important business call.

Emergency 911 calls

One of the major concerns with VOIP relates to emergency calls, though this is less of an issue since recent government intervention in the UK. Until September this year, many VOIP systems could not connect to emergency numbers; however an Ofcom ruling has stated that all VOIP systems must now connect to UK emergency number 999, and112; the predominant emergency number in the EU.