Furthering the concept of a paperless office, a corporate VoIP system takes a step forward in making your office wireless. VoIP is a technology used by many corporations that uses a broadband internet connection to make calls. Since the system does not use the local telephone lines provided by the national telephone carrier, it also reduces costs, as these calls are charged at a much lower rate. Additionally, since the only link needed is that with a broadband connection, it reduced wires and cords needed in a traditional land line telephonic system.
Corporate VoIP solutions are cheap because they use internet service to help you communicate. All outgoing calls are treated as local calls, regardless of their destination. This alternative is also cheaper because internet communication is generally not regulated by most governments, thus almost eliminating the tax burden that forms part of the cost of any other phone. Also, since the VoIP software uses packet switching instead of circuit switching, it allows for more calls to be made simultaneously.
A major advantage of a corporate VoIP is its portability. Senior business executives who need to travel frequently can use this technology and easily communicate anywhere in the world. All they need is a high speed broadband internet connection, which is now usually easily available in even remote areas of the world. The caller needs to dial the same number, and the receiver gets the call, regardless of his actual location. With advancing technology, the technology is adding new features, including audio and video conversation, data exchange, managing address books and information exchange.
However, with the benefits outlined above, you also need to consider a few potential disadvantages of a business VoIP. Most importantly, in case of a power outage, there is service discontinuity. This is because the VoIP technology totally depends on the computer and modem to provide it with the power. Also, without power supply, the system cannot connect to the internet, therefore, communication is disrupted. Even when the traffic is high on the internet, the service can be poor, as it may not be able to get the required signal strength.
Voice quality can also be a problem sometimes. As with cordless phones as well as cell phones, signal strength determines the quality of voice the receiver hears. Therefore, if a business executive is traveling to some remote area, and plans to attend an important meeting at the head office using his VoIP, he must ensure proper facilities and connections are in place.
Security is a major determinant of whether a company chooses the technology or not. The concern is similar to that faced by all internet users, such as spam, viruses, crank calls, misuse of the facility by someone else, hacking etc. However, with appropriate security measures, these problems can be handled easily.
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