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Utilizing VoIP

Depending on what you're trying to accomplish, you can employ VoIP technology in a number of ways in your organization:

• Your business organization can use VoIP for all calls within the company network, and then once calls go outside the company, they can be routed over standard phone lines.
• The second option is plugging your phone into a sort of gateway that then plugs into your broadband modem. This allows you to talk on an ordinary phone and to call people who don't have a VoIP set up at large discounts.
• PC to PC software based applications allow you to speak someone anywhere in the world as long as your caller also has the same software application on his PC.

Pros

The most obvious benefit to employing VoIP technology is cost savings. VoIP allows you to make extremely cheap, if not free, phone calls and have unlimited calling plans at half the cost of a standard phone service.

More advantages of VoIP over circuit-switched technology include the ability to:

• create your own private interoffice network for communication between main and branch offices;
• use the same lines to transport voice and data transmission;
• eliminate or reduce intra-office toll charges.
• avoid service and support contracts on existing PBX hardware;
• eliminate the need for on-going Centrex services -- and charges;
• reduce expansion costs due to lower costs for moves, changes and adds;
• reduce the on-going costs for separate voice messaging systems;
• improve productivity for remote and traveling workers by offering the same integrated capabilities as their office workers;
• allow more flexibility in a call center architecture since it can now be virtual; and
• reduce customer turnover via improved call center services.