If you’re looking into upgrading your business phone system then you’ve surely come across hosted VoIP. While the name might sound a little confusing, hosted VoIP at its core is merely a system that allows you to make phone calls over the internet.
Now that you have a general understanding of hosted VoIP, you may be wondering what types of benefits you can expect from this system versus your current phone system.
Traditionally, to make calls over the internet you would need to purchase, build, and maintain a series of servers, however, with a hosted VoIP solution everything is taken care of for you with their hosted data centers. As a result, you need much less on-site hardware and you gain many more calling capabilities with zero maintenance.
Those are not the only benefits! Our handy guide walks you through how hosted VoIP works, its most important features, and what it can do for your business.
Let’s get started by discussing the following:
- How Does Hosted Telephony Work?
- Top Features
- Is VoIP Right For You?
- Hosted VoIP Benefits
- Who Is The Best Hosted VoIP Provider for Business?
How Does Hosted Telephony Work?
Hosted VoIP phone systems transfer voice data over the internet which differs from traditional analog phone systems which connect one phone to another using electrical signals to generate audio in a speaker at the receiving end.
Hosted VoIP begins with an IP phone that turns your live voice communication into data packets. Unlike an on-site VoIP solution, the data packet first travels to one of many data centers. If the recipient’s phone is on the telephone network, the VoIP service provider handles the conversion and transfer of data.
Because of this constant transfer of data, VoIP relies on a fast, wired internet connection. As a rule of thumb, your typical wireless router isn’t ideal for your phone system. You would need a modern business router to connect each phone to your LAN.
Next, you need either a VoIP conference phone or a standard VoIP phone to make calls. For a more modern solution, you can also use VoIP headsets and handsets which is usually the preference in most call centers. If you want to keep your existing desk phones, use a VoIP adapter.
And there you have it, now you’re ready to make and receive calls using a hosted VoIP system!
Hosted VoIP Features
Hosted VoIP offers all the essential call center features. From call queues to auto attendants, it provides everything your team needs:
- Auto attendant
- Conference calls
- Mobile app
- CRM integration
- Advanced call analytics
- HD call quality
- Toll-free phone numbers
- Local phone numbers
- Find me, follow me
- Voicemail-to-email
- Unlimited scalability
Is Hosted VoIP Right For Your Business?
Not convinced that hosted VoIP is the right choice for your business?
If you’re looking for a long-term solution, hosted VoIP is a wise choice.
- Hosted VoIP offers features of an enterprise business phone system at an affordable rate.
- VoIP costs much less than traditional landlines. The added flexibility can be a competitive advantage to onboard new employees (including remote staff).
- Hosted VoIP platforms are secure, HIPAA-compliant, and have a resilient 99.999% uptime.
Benefits of Hosted VoIP
- Significant Cost Savings
Businesses save $1,727 per month on average by using VoIP softphones. If you are currently using a landline business phone solution, you can save big by making the switch. Hosted VoIP gives you all the features of a business phone plan for less. - International Calls Start at $0.01
Compared to traditional phone lines, Hosted VoIP calls are often of higher quality than traditional calls. While analog calls travel across local phone lines, VoIP phone calls go most of the distance through the internet. This results in higher quality phone calls with more bandwidth.
Domestic long-distance calls are free and included in your monthly plan. - Unified Communications
Unified Communications is a concept where you integrate all communication channels into a single dashboard. It can be game-changing for customer service, marketing, and sales.
Your staff typically splits their workday between inboxes. They have to check email, social media, voicemails, online portals, helpdesks, and more. All separately. Imagine how much more productive they could be if everything were in one feed. That’s the reality with a unified approach. Because it is so useful for businesses, the market is in rapid growth. The UC market is forecasted to reach $167 billion by 2025. - Third-Party Integrations
Chances are, your business already uses software to get things done. Most companies have CRM, email marketing tools, analytics software, and more.
With hosted VoIP systems, you can easily integrate calls with existing business tools. It’s much more difficult with traditional phone systems. You would need extra hardware and specialized software to bridge the gap.
Since voice-over IP is digital, integration is much simpler. For example, you can automatically sync call data with your existing CRM software like Salesforce, Infusionsoft by Keap, and dozens of other CRM applications. - Advanced Contact Center Tools
The internet has ushered in a new era of customer service.
Customers expect companies to operate around the clock. Sending customers to a voicemail no longer cuts it. This is why businesses, even small businesses, use contact centers where agents respond to questions via email, phone, or text.
Previously, businesses had to establish an office, run dozens of telephone lines, and hire an IT person to stay on top of it. Now, a hosted VoIP platform can provide end-to-end functionality without any massive costs. You can ramp up agents in record time with nothing more than a VoIP softphone. - One VoIP Phone Number, More Mobility
A cloud VoIP phone system makes it easier to maintain VIP customer relationships. With the “find me follow me” feature, incoming calls will reach the right person, no matter where they are.
First, it automatically rings the office desk phone. If unanswered, it tries the business cell phone. Finally, it might ring the home number. All your customers have to remember is your office phone number. You can also use a business phone service app to make calls on the go. It works on any device and integrates with the same analytics and CRM as VoIP. The best part is that you make the calls with your office phone number.
Who Is The Best Hosted VoIP Provider for Business?
This question doesn’t have an easy answer and that’s where we come in. We help you evaluate your current tools and business needs to determine the best solution and provider for you, all while helping you negotiate the best rates available.
We work with over 250 providers and our skilled Technology Advisors are ready to take the stress out of selecting your next technology solution.