Voice over IP (VoIP) is a methodology and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet. Other terms commonly associated with VoIP are IP telephony, Internet telephony, broadband telephony, and broadband phone service.
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The earliest implementations of voice over IP suffered from poor quality audio, frequent disconnections and general unreliability. The latest versions suffer no such problems. Most hosted VoIP vendors offer HD quality audio with rock solid reliability in the form of reliable failovers and multiple data centers.
Some of the key benefits for businesses offered by voice over IP include: The earliest implementations of voice over IP suffered from poor quality audio, frequent disconnections and general unreliability. The latest versions suffer no such problems.
There are a few weaknesses at present (most of which will be solved sooner or later) that organizations should be aware of before jumping in with both feet. Although quite a few VoIP vendors offer E911 which provides emergency dialing services ( provided users have specify the location), it is by no means universal.
VoIP offers many advantages not the least of which is a hassle free migration path from analog systems. Hosted VoIP – the preferred VoIP deployment for the majority of organizations – enables clients to benefit from the latest and best features without paying through the roof for them.
Difficulties with VoIP Common issues that can happen during calls are delays, noise and echo. Bandwidth dependency - VoIP depends on your internet connection. If your connection goes down, so does your phone line. Similarly, insufficient bandwidth will likely cause quality issues with the service.
VoIP: AdvantagesLower costs.Increased accessibility.Complete portability.Higher scalability.Advanced features for small and large teams.Clearer voice quality.Supports multitasking.More flexibility with softphones.
VoIP IS reliable. As long as you have a high-speed internet connection, you'll experience high-quality voice calls with 99.9% connection uptime. And you can boost this uptime to 99.99% by making sure you have a backup power source in case of power outages.
Voice over IP converts your voice into a digital signal, compresses it, and sends it over the internet. A VoIP service provider sets up the call between all participants. On the receiving end, the digital data is then uncompressed into the sound that you hear through your handset or speakerphone.
VoIP has disrupted technology by offering a better alternative that is cheaper and more efficient and can support the high bandwidth of calls businesses are accustomed to.
VoIP telephone calls need 5-25 Mbps of download speed. File downloading takes 10 Mbps of download speed.
For instance, when you use Skype or Facebook Messenger, these are VoIP applications. Let's learn a bit more about VoIP examples and how you're able to make those VoIP phone calls....Here are the most common examples of VoIP apps:Nextiva.Aircall.Zoiper.Skype.WhatsApp.Google Hangouts.Viber.Facebook Messenger.More items...•
VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) can be particularly useful for making international calls because this technology utilizes the Internet instead of the regular Public Switched Telephone Network. The mechanism behind an international VoIP line requires the same dialing format as you'd find on a landline phone.
VoIP call quality depends considerably on the type of codec deployed as higher the compression of data, lesser will be the data size transmitted over the other end. The type of codec also affects the VoIP call quality.
If a customer has more than one question and he or she answers that question as soon as possible, the system can transfer the call to one of the representatives for handling. When one hangs up, the system can automatically place a call back to that same person. It does not take much time and the customer can talk as many times as needed.
A lot of money is saved on other phone expenses. Since IVR systems have the features of auto attendant, call forwarding, and call waiting, each phone number is charged differently. If you use a regular phone line, your expenses go way up, since the cost of long-distance calls is included in your bill.
If one line is used for regular business calls, the other line is reserved for personal calls. If someone in the family needs help with a particular problem, he or she may use the personal line, while keeping the same contact number with the business person.
But they come with disadvantages as well. For instance, it is more expensive to set up than a conventional phone system, but it offers more flexibility. A phone system may not contain all features that you want to have, but a phone system with Voice Overs will include them.
Voice Overs and IVR’s have greatly improved over the years, with amazing improvements in hardware, software, and techniques coming into the market each year. The advancement of broadband connections and the advent of VoIP have also changed the way businesses communicate with their customers.
Large organizations generally make use of this system as it is easy to communicate internally without disturbing others who are using the same system. The use of the PC to the Phone system is becoming more common amongst individuals, especially students and working professionals who need to make a lot of long-distance calls.
With the traditional PSTN, the organization would have had to maintain two separate networks that both so communication needs – one for voice and one for all other forms of data. Because VoIP operates on IP protocols and standards, all it needs is the same data network as the enterprise uses for other functions such as email or transmitting files. This reduces the hassle of maintaining two networks, the need to hire experts with the requisite knowledge as well as the probability of things going wrong.
Some organizations with unique needs and circumstances may find that VoIP is not the best solution for them, specifically companies operating in highly regulated industries or those for whom data privacy and security concerns span the globe.
Technically speaking VoIP offers high-quality calls and reliability but getting them to work smoothly – especially in a custom/on premise deployment – can take some tinkering and configuration. Even with hosted VoIP services, the organization is at the mercy of the vendor when it comes to upgrading to the latest technology and offering innovative services.
Nevertheless VoIP is not perfect. There are a few weaknesses at present (most of which will be solved sooner or later) that organizations should be aware of before jumping in with both feet.
Unlike traditional landlines which draw power through the outlet, VoIP devices need power to function. Generally speaking this is not really a major obstacles since organizations prefer to connect their phones to the existing power backup system anyway. However this is something to keep in mind when deploying VoIP.
When VoIP service first rolled around, one of its most significant disadvantages was its weak call quality. Calls would drop for no reason, the voice quality itself was bogus, and latency was the order of the day.
VoIP doesn't use as much bandwidth as you might expect. It's essential that VoIP devices receive low latency on your network. Each device should have at least 100 kbps upload speed available. A good connection has less than 70ms ping and jitter, which measures the latency and stability of your internet connection.
Reduced costs. Since VoIP allows both voice and data to run over the same network and because it works with your existing hardware, it’s an attractive alternative for businesses.
Statistics reveal that small businesses using VoIP can reduce their company's phone bill by up to 60%. They can also save up to 90% on international calls.
Broadband connections also do away with the extra wiring because VoIP networks allow both voice and data on the same channel. In IT and telecom circles, the correct word for this is full-duplex. It's the ability to send and receive voice and data concurrently.
One distinct advantage cloud-based VoIP service offers is the ability to make calls from anywhere. If you have a decent data connection, you can make and receive calls for your business. And when you're unable to answer the call, you can direct calls to another person or get voicemails emailed to you.
Going by these figures means, VoIP can lower your phone bill by more than half of what it is right now. It's important to note that a shift to VoIP is not a guarantee that your phone expenses will plummet. Businesses differ, and so do their needs.