Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP is greatly making its way into various businesses. Many business Chief Information Officers (CIOs) salivate over this technology’s many benefits. VoIP helps meet several business goals. VoIP reduces a lot of the operation cost. This is evident in the reduced amount of expenditure on the employee salaries as well as telecommunication costs. Many businesses are searching for ways of improving efficiency while at the same time cutting costs without the quality of their services getting sacrificed. Phone services are always crucial in a business operation; it allows communication with clients as well as potential customers. Switching to a phone service that is internet based is a good option to the business in improving communication technology. Instead of directing all calls automatically to the host stand, the VoIP system intercepts the calls and automatically provides simple logistic information about the business. VoIP enhances a business’ financial savings to the electric power bills. This is achieved by combining VoIP phone services on the business procedures self-sufficiently. This modernity cuts down the business’ current telecommunication and operation bills.
VoIP ensures efficient and effective collaboration, mainly between the business and its customers as well as suppliers. VoIP allows telecommunication to occur over a bandwidth instead of the normal tradition medium of the telephone services. This makes VoIP more efficient because its use as bandwidth has become more readily available than copper, which is used primarily in the creation of telephone wires, appearing to soar to all-time highs. The lower price of VoIP and its increased efficiency has allowed businesses to realize greater profits as well as easier expansion.
VoIP improves Customer Relation Management (CRM). VoIP allows businesses to receive and make calls over the internet while CRM systems and services allow the customer representatives, sales teams, managers as well as agents to use and access client information. Integration of CRM and VoIP can greatly benefit businesses by streamlining processes. The business improves automation and eliminates steps that enter data into the system. Through this integration, a business stands to collect two valuable pieces of information: call recordings and the call logs. By use of this information, the sales staff can easily identify when calls are made in an effort to manage the business activities effectively. The integration of CRM and VoIP can also lead to better management of the remote sales staff.
VoIP provides a flexible network flexible communication to the business. It always keeps the business connected while at the same time keeping the voice and data secure. It improves the business’ communication effectiveness as well as helping the business get great features for free, without paying hidden charges.
VoIP has freed business from having to be tethered to a physical location. The business can operate from anywhere in the world. The business does not require the setting up of a main office. VoIP provides a virtual platform for a business to have employees and phone numbers anywhere. Employees can work from anywhere in the world but still connect to the business’ VoIP solutions. This provides an opportunity to the business to reach out to new markets. VoIP also ensures effective use of real time calls.
On the other hand, the use of Voice over Internet Protocol faces several challenges. VoIP does not work during power outages. This is a problem because many service providers never provide backup power. The business’ internet router and VoIP modem all rely on a constant source of power in order to operate. Power outages prevent signal transmission. VoIP is susceptible to worm, viruses and hacking. Although this rarely happens, the VoIP developers are developing a VoIP encryption to counter this. VoIP is susceptible to hiccups associated with the broadband services, thus affecting call quality. For instance, jitter, latency, and packet loss. Call conversations get distorted, lost or garbled because of transmission errors.
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