How VoIP can be beneficial in a recession

How VoIP can be beneficial in a recession

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is an alternative to the telephone that has the potential to save businesses and individual's money in the current recession. With times difficult for many, it is a way that significant savings can be made. Many people have already made the switch, and the recession is another incentive to change to this cheaper service. Research has shown that VoIP can save a business up to 45% per month when compared to traditional telephones.
VoIP works through a broadband internet connection, as opposed to a telephone line. This is less expensive as far as the providers are concerned, so therefore cheaper for its customers. Most businesses these days already use the internet so a VoIP service can be run through the existing technology, although extra software will be required. It is usually unproblematic to switch from a landline service to VoIP, although this does depends on the current set-up and the service provider. Using VoIP is likely to be easier for a new business, as they won't even need a telephone connection. If they are having a broadband connection installed anyway, the extra difficulty with adding the necessary extra's for VoIP will be minimal, especially when compared to a landline.

Businesses that make a lot of calls are likely to make a particular large saving if they switch. The more calls they make, the bigger the savings. Call Centres, for example, could be particularly better off with VoIP. There are huge savings to be made with long distance calls. It doesn't cost providers much extra for long distance calls compared with local calls. Therefore businesses that make regular long distance calls could also benefit significantly.

When people think of VoIP, many think of someone talking into a microphone plugged into their computer, barely able to make sense of the person on the other end through their computer speakers. This is no longer the way VoIP has to work though. It is still possible to use the service through a computer in this way, but there are now other, often better, alternatives. Special telephone like devices, or VoIP phones, have been developed. These are used just like a telephone with the only difference being the technology that is used to run it. From a users point of view it is exactly the same. It is also possible to convert an existing phone. There are adaptors that can convert it so it can be used to make VoIP calls. With this the existing telephone won't even have to be changed.

Quality wise VoIP has significantly improved in recent years, something that is particularly important with business VoIP. If those on the other end can't hear you properly, and you can't hear them, then business communication will be difficult. It also won't look professional to clients and business partners. This used to be the reality of VoIP, but with a good provider this is no longer the case. The quality depends on the broadband service. If the broadband service is of a high quality, so is the VoIP service.

More and more individuals and businesses are switching to VoIP. It is a technology that is likely to continue to expand over the coming years. The potential cost savings is the main incentive to switch, and with the overall service getting better it is a viable option for many.