VOIP Phone 
      Articles, VOIP Industry News and Information


What can a VoIP Phone System Do for a Small Business?



Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a term used to describe the transmission of telephone calls using a data network, rather than over traditional phone lines. It is a simple concept, but one that is having a very significant impact on the world of business communications.

VoIP is itself enabled by a much broader technological evolution, namely the convergence of multiple forms of communication, including voice, video and data, into a single network. This transformation is creating a revolution in the way communications works, and it has the potential to offer major benefits to your business. VoIP can help your company grow by broadening your communications capabilities, it can save you money on your telecommunications costs, and it can enable more productivity, mobility and flexibility in your workforce.

Many small businesses around the world are already benefiting from the advantages of VoIP systems, many of which are well suited to these kinds of organizations. Here are some examples of why VoIP is making a major impact on business communications for small businesses:

? VoIP provides the ability to use an integrated voice and data network at a lower cost than the separate parts.

? VoIP offers the small business communications capabilities on a par with the largest of companies.

? VoIP can open the door to new services and applications for the small business that can drive additional revenue and help cope with expansions in customer demand.

? VoIP can lead to increased employee productivity by giving employees a more flexible means of communicating and allowing more mobility, while increasing the flow of information.

There are different ways for small businesses to take advantage of the benefits of VoIP. An upgrade to an existing phone system, when available, can allow VoIP communications between different locations, without any major disruption to the infrastructure in each office. Alternatively, a new VoIP system can be purchased to replace an old phone switch and open up new capabilities. Yet another option is to pay monthly for a Service Provider to provide a hosted VoIP system, without buying any capital equipment at all.

Small businesses are often good candidates for VoIP systems, and have represented a majority of the early adopters of technology. While large companies have complex networks, with a multitude of different phone systems that can be difficult to integrate into a single converged network, small companies' networks are more straightforward, allowing an easier transition to VoIP.

However, some small businesses have found that there are complexities or difficulties that get in the way of them maximizing the impact of the new technology. Lack of good advice, a misconceived plan or a deployment by inexperienced personnel can all led to problems.

The keys to a successful transition to a VoIP based network start with a clear understanding of the business case behind it and an implementation plan that best fits the company's overall objectives.

There are certain circumstances, however, where VoIP is likely to have a more significant impact than others. If your company is in one or more of the following situations you will tend to get a faster payback:

? expanding and need or likely to need larger offices.

? have a significant percentage of employees that travel on business or work full-time or part-time from home, using laptops.

? making acquisitions and need to integrate with other business.

? have international offices.

? have a growing volume of incoming calls.

? have not replaced or upgraded their phone infrastructure in the last 5 years.

? have a good penetration of Ethernet cabling and have communications equipment that is less than 3 years old.

? operate in an industry with dynamic competition where strong customer service levels are essential.

Overall, VoIP based phone systems offer great potential for small companies and can help to keep costs under control while growing a successful business.

Nick Pegley is President of smbINFO Inc (http://www.smbinfo.com) a technology information services company specializing in the needs of small businesses. With more than 20 years of experience in the networking, telecommunications and small business markets, Nick has seen first-hand how small companies can use technology to become more competitive, more responsive and more profitable when they know how to use it correctly. Nick is a regular speaker at small business events, including the US Federal Small Business Association Annual Convention, VAR Business Channel events, and numerous vendor and reseller conferences.

For more information visit http://www.smbinfo.com


MORE RESOURCES:

UberGizmo (blog)

USB VOIP Phone and Card Reader
UberGizmo (blog)
If you're a huge fan of convergence devices, then the USB VOIP Phone and Card Reader might just rock your boat as it boasts the functionality of a ...



PC World

Google Phone is actually a VoIP phone?
Computerworld
The Google phone will operate over VoIP -most likely Google's Voice/Gizmo5 service. The data will be provided by Wifi by users at home and work and by GSM ...
Rumor Mill: Google's gPhone is back but it might be VoIP-basedFierceVoIP
Could The Google Phone Be 100% Data-Driven?I4U
Screw the Voice Plan: The Rumored Google Phone May Be Data/Voip OnlyGizmodo.com

all 311 news articles »


Google VoIP phone speculation already?
FierceVoIP
Ok, so my initial reaction to the Google VoIP phone news was rather skeptical. I imagined spending the rest of the day photoshopping and leaking various ...

and more »


FeatureTel Replaces City of Durham Phone System with Unified VoIP Phone ...
Reuters
Working as a team with the City of Durham`s IT Department, FeatureTel upgraded the City`s network infrastructure to support the new VoIP phone service ...

and more »


TMCnet

FreedomIQ: Call Reporting a Key VoIP Phone System Feature
TMCnet
Many business owners today looking to take advantage of the benefits offered by a VoIP phone system are turning to hosted VoIP solutions ...



Ralph and Karen Guastaferro and a fraud: Ralph and Karen Guastaferro admit fraud
Examiner.com
This may become increasingly difficult as VOIP phone services allow you to obtain a US number even when you are overseas. Ralph and Karen Guastaferro are in ...

and more »


MiamiHerald.com

Vonage in $3M settlement with 32 states
Bizjournals.com
... one of the nation's largest providers of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone service, state Attorney General Bill McCollum said Monday. ...
Alabama settles lawsuit with VonageWBRC

all 398 news articles »


What the Google Voice Team Will Do with Gizmo5
eWeek
Google was very cagey when asked what its Google Voice team would do with the Gizmo5 startup it acquired last week. Gizmo5 makes Web-based calling software ...
Google pays $30M for Gizmo5; Did the search giant just blow up the phone biz?Daily Finance (blog)
Google buys Gizmo5Inquirer

all 153 news articles »


Small Biz Expert Steve Strauss Explains 'Why I Vote for VoIP Over Standard ...
CNNMoney.com (press release)
"By doing something as simple as switching to a VoIP phone system, you can get superior phone quality and powerful features at a fraction of the cost of an ...
MBAs Might Prefer VoIPMy MBA Career (blog)

all 12 news articles »


VoIP Phone System - Help Improve Your Business Image
BigNews.biz (press release)
For people who wish to establish their virtual presence in different locations round the globe, VoIP phone system is an ideal solution. ...

and more »

Google News

3GPCLIP.com | Site Map | VOIP Articles
© 2006