What are the benefits of voip?

Some quick thoughts on the non-financial benefits of VoIP. Paul touched on some of the big ones, but I'll add a few more. First, is simply the richer feature set. Many TDM features are charged a la carte by carriers, and these are often included with VoIP. Aside from feature parity, most VoIP can provide additional features that legacy offerings don't have, especially if you're on a KTS. Also, as noted above, VoIP - and by extension IP networks - give you access to regular updates, so you'll always have the latest features.

Aside from telephony features, VoIP really brings value by providing new capabilities you can't do with TDM. One example would be click-to-call, which is great for contact centers. Being IP-based, VoIP can integrate with Web applications, and this opens up new ways of communicating - not just with voice, but other modes as well.

Another example is HD audio. If your network is optimized for end-to-end IP, you can take advantage of HD features and get voice quality that's superior to TDM. Your contact center will sound great, and your sales team will love it for making presentations.

One more thing that just came to mind. It's mundane, but helpful. With VoIP, all your calls are logged - not just LD, but local calls. This is useful, not just for internal admin and performance monitoring, but also in cases where compliance regulations require you to track all external communications.

Hi Annie,

Pete Green asked “What are the benefits to setting up your own call centres vs offshore?”
VoIP adds another option which combines the benefits of both. The option I gave Pete was scalability, whether long term or short term (great for sales peaks) it is easy to add resources to a business/call centre using Home Based workers. If sales staff have wireless laptops they can be added as an extension.

Other benefits I found when I set up a VoIP especially if it is not proprietary: upgrading the system (hardware or software) is easy and usually very simple. If the system has been set up correctly, the reporting is fantastic and very powerful not only from a financial aspect but also marketing and performance. The service to the customer improved as well, as the system could be set up a multitude of ways by the users to make their tasks simpler, or just to be more informed.

Cheer
Mark

The potential benefits depend on where a company starts from. If it has an older PBX, then the chances are good that it reduce maintenance costs. The company will find update (moves, adds, changes) simpler to do with a VoIP switch than with a traditional PBX. Most of the time, it is a simple point and click process rather a cumbersome series of steps with an older voice switch. Programming is done with data tools (such as Java) than with PBX vendors’ proprietary software. There may also be a richer ecosystem available. If a company has a unique set of needs, there is a good possibility that a third party may have designed an add-on application. With a PBX, the add-ons come mainly from the supplier, whose focus tends to be on delivering higher performance switches. In addition, the VoIP switch has a data design and is simpler to integrate with other modes of communication, such as instant messaging and email. Last, the company can now consolidate its voice and data networks so network management becomes simpler.

Cost is an interesting item. In some cases, moving to VoIP can actually be more expensive than staying with a PBX. A company may need to upgrade its network infrastructure and the VoIP phones often are expensive. Vendors’ software licensing models can be complex and add to the cost. Staff usually has to be trained in the new device and there can be a fair amount of integration work needed to get the system up and running. If the overall costs are close, then a company will make the change because the VoIP switch offer them more flexibility long term. However, there are instances where companies find that staying with the PBX makes more sense economically.

Hi Annie

The true benefits of VOIP do not come from cost savings but rather from massive productivity gains which facilitate collaboration and lead to better decision making and improved customer service or experiences.

Today’s IP Telephony systems allow for the integration of what in most businesses are still siloed applications, such as: messaging, conferencing, mobility, contact center, presence, email, IM and video. Combining them all together allows for a user to have access to all of their “tools” regardless of where they are or the device they are using. In essence, the technology is now left to do much of the work instead of the user being a slave to their outlook client, pc, blackberry, IP phone, IM client, etc...

Users have enough to do and worry about in order to get through their day. The key to successful VOIP projects is to make things simple and easy so users don’t have to spend their time figuring out how to use the technology but rather helping them to get their work done as well and as efficiently as possible.

Hope this helps.

Steven
Stack8.com

1. reducing cost for voice calls
2. single infrastructure (IP) less capex/opex
3. more flexibility delivering voice services
4. the possibility to add Unified Communication and Collaboration services (mobility, fixed/mobile convergence, ..)

Hey Annie,
The main benefits are free international calling (only if the other user is also using the same VOIP application), it also allows cheaper calls to other countries along with video calls in some provider apps. However, the call quality might vary depending on the internet connection. Also the local calls might be little more expensive as compared to local carriers.

Endorsing all of your views on the particular subject, I would like to add one more dimension. Now, VoIP service has become portable owing to smartphone apps and mobile VoIP technology. Moreover, providers are eagerly introducing their mobile app for your smartphones. Recently, Vonage launched its version to beat Skype, while Axvoice also followed the suit. So, portability will be a leading competitive factor that will increase the VoIP popularity furthermore.

VoIP provides built in disaster recovery. By definition, a Hosted VoIP phone system is hosted on a server not at your location. This means that even if your office is completely destroyed, your phone system will continue to operate.

http://www.avadtechnologies.com/2012/02/get-built-in-disaster-recovery-with-h...