VOIP what is it?

Will it help my company?

Every office has a phone. Right?

Some office are still using analog lines and may only have one phone line, other offices have phone systems while many small business are operating using cell phones.

Many small to medium size companies are looking for phone systems that offer the same functionality that more expensive phone systems, such as individualized voice mail. With VOIP it is possible for a small business phones system to sound like a fortune 500 companies phone system.

First lets explain what VOIP is:

VOIP is an abbreviation for Voice Over Internet Protocol, which in English means phone service through the Internet. Having a reliable internet provider is essential for VOIP to work and will enable you to receive phone service through your Internet connection.

Redundancy is important especially when dealing with phone systems, for that reason some companies have multiple internet providers while others still have a single line through their local phone company.

The most common question asked about VOIP is how does it work. A traditional phone uses an analog signal while VOIP uses a digital signal. The signal can be converted with special phones or with a device called an Analogue Terminal Adapter / ATA which turns analog phone signals into digital signals that can be sent over the Internet.

Companies are transitioning to VOIP for the following reasons:

  • VOIP allows companies to lower their costs
  • VOIP allows companies to increase their functionality
  • VOIP delivers higher audio quality
  • VOIP allows for multi location offices within the US and abroad