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VoIP for business isn’t a new concept, but it’s certainly evolved to offer massive benefits for businesses of all sizes. Outside of the well-known cost savings and reliability over traditional landlines, what other advantages does VoIP bring to the table?
4 Benefits of VoIP for Business
Remote office workers? Global clients? Expanding offices? Reducing expenses? If any or all of these apply to your business then you’ll be very interested to know how switching to VoIP will affect you.
1. SIP Trunking
What is SIP trunking?
Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunking is an exciting technology in voice communications and phone services. Unlike traditional telephones, SIP trunks use a packet switch network to send digital packets of audio data across an IP-enabled PBX (Private Branch eXchange) so that users can make and receive calls over the internet with anyone in the world who has their own phone number.
A SIP trunk supports a number of channels that are the equivalent to incoming calls on either side: receiving them or making outgoing ones. Depending on your business requirements, you may only need a single SIP trunk to effectively handle your calls.
SIP, alongside a cloud PBX system, allows you to set up geographical or non-geographic numbers (more on that in a minute), easily connects multiple sites, and can quickly redirect lines in the case of downtime or disaster. The scalability of this system makes it the perfect choice if you’re expanding, downsizing, or going remote.
Therefore, when your business chooses to make the move to VoIP, we can quickly set up your SIP trunks and port your existing numbers over in record time. No wiring or physical carrier termination is needed.
SIP vs VoIP
These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they are quite different.
VoIP calls occur over the internet. SIP trunking facilitates voice calls, as well as multimedia data over the internet, phone lines, cellular and satellite connections.
2. API Access for Programmable Voice
CM.com offers a set of APIs that allow you to build voice applications for your VoIP system. How does this functionality benefit your business?
Shortcut to Personalised Apps
Templates come preloaded with the foundation of commonly used applications such as sending OTPs and notifications or interacting via a DMTF menu. These take the time and headache out of building dedicated apps from the ground up. However, creating your own apps is still possible if you need to, and made easier with our comprehensive documentation.
Super-Fast Setup
Anything a landline can do, VoIP can do better. Call forwarding and IVRs - especially for call centres - can be configured and personalised quickly, and easily managed via your API access. This gives you instant and ongoing access to manage your programmable voice options.
Audio Messaging
Make use of audio messaging or text-to-speech with VoIP to expand the reach of your campaigns and business messaging.
Text-to-speech is an excellent assistive technology that reads digital text aloud. By taking words on mobile screens or other devices and converting them into an audio feed, it allows those with reading disabilities, visual impairments, literacy difficulties or those learning your language to understand and respond. In fact, this can be configured to work with up to 20 different languages, perfect for a business with an international audience.
Set Your Own Rules
Specific rules can be set up and implemented that allow your system to respond to preprogrammed criteria. For example, when placing an outbound sales call your system can be configured to follow a preset protocol if voicemail is detected.
3. Direct Dial-In
Providing the most cost-effective platform to enable your customers to call you makes good business sense. The Direct Dial-In (DDI) feature, or Direct Inward Dialing (DID), is a feature within VoIP for businesses that enables this.
For example, if someone is visiting London and needs a Parisian number for their business they can get it with the use of DID. Customers prefer talking to people on their own side of an international border so this also helps make your company more locally connected and accessible; making them feel like part of your community instead of just one customer among thousands across the world!
Toll-free and Premium numbers are also available in certain locations, which all work together to facilitate worldwide calling at a significant cost saving.
4. Analytics
Having your finger on the pulse of your business has never been easier. We understand that one of the gifts operating in this digital world is that everything is trackable. This data is amazingly useful for financial and operational reasons, but these insights also offer detailed information about each call for security and anti-fraud purposes.
Voice analytics put you in the driving seat by granting you real-time insight into your voice data, which includes volume, destination, cost and call quality. Billing and cost control is easily managed via the cloud using an API that offers instant access to Call Detail Records (CDR).
In Summary
VoIP for business really is a multi-faceted beast with capabilities that continue to impress. Of course, on top of all the above, there is the lingering fact that your calls will cost less, your infrastructure will be more flexible, and you’ll have access to current tech without the price tag.
We’re certain that you will want to know more about this essential system for business growth and we encourage you to contact our team for more information.
