VoIP Changes with your Business Environment

Organizations everywhere are rushing to deploy VoIP. Whether it is hosted services or on-premise SIP trunking solutions, VoIP is fast becoming a must-have for businesses. Although VoIP has been around since the 90s, it is still new to many enterprises. Adoption flagged during the global economic downturn but it is quickly picking up again.

VoIP technology has many advantages over its older counterpart. It is cost-effective for one thing. Businesses don’t have to invest thousands of dollars in new equipment or spend months setting up the new system. Vendors are able to offer much lower rates for calls since VoIP routes voice data over the Internet instead of the traditional PSTN. Many companies are able to cut their monthly phone bills in half by adopting VoIP.

The lower price tag is not the only attractive feature. Perhaps the bigger benefit is that VoIP can change according to your business requirements. The same technology that allows entrepreneurs and small businesses to present a professional image to customers also helps multinational corporations connect thousands of employees. As the company grows, so will the VoIP phone system. It is flexible, scalable, and can adapt to changing business environments.

Starting Small

Let’s take the example of an entrepreneur starting a small business in their home. While some people manage with using their personal phone number, most entrepreneurs want a dedicated business line. With only a single employee, you don’t need a lot of equipment or phone numbers. However, you can still use features like multi-device ring, call routing, visual voicemail, and digital faxing.

You don’t have to rush out and buy an expensive VoIP desk phone. You can download a softphone application on your computer and start making calls with an appropriate headset. Depending on the features you need, you can expect to pay anywhere from $15-$30 a month for VoIP services. With such a small call volume, pay-as-you-go plans will work better than unlimited calling options.

VoIP is inexpensive, quick to get started with, and easy to understand. It is perfect for an entrepreneur or small business owner.

Adding A Few Employees

In a year or two, the business has grown enough to hire a handful of new employees. But you don’t have to rush out and buy an all-new system. The same VoIP service will change to suit your new business needs. You can provision new lines in a few minutes through the online dashboard. You don’t have to wait for hours for a technician or an expert.

VoIP supports a mix of hardware for voice calling. You can purchase a couple of desk phones for the office while the salesperson uses a smartphone VoIP app for business calls. Suppose one of your new employees works remotely from another state. VoIP can handle that situation as well. Location doesn’t matter when you’re using VoIP which means that your employees can be scattered across the country and still stay connected.

You need only pay for the resources you are using at any point in time. If you added new lines or phone numbers in the middle of your billing cycle, you don’t have to pay for the entire month. You can continue to use the same VoIP service and not have to switch providers because your business has grown.

Managing Growth Spurts

Business owners try their best to prepare for the future and manage growth. However, unexpected growth spurts are normal in any industry. Suppose you land a big client who could potentially double your revenue. It opens up a wonderful new world of opportunities. At the same time, you will have to ramp up business operations to fulfill new orders.

VoIP has you covered. Not only can you provision new lines but you can also purchase phone numbers with any area code even if you don’t have an office there. It means you can expand into new markets, manage marketing campaigns, and deliver services in various geographical regions. As a bustling midsize business, you need access to more sophisticated features. If your current plan doesn’t provide everything you need, you can upgrade to a better one.

What happens if your service provider cannot keep up with your demands? Well, switching to a new vendor is easy with VoIP. Most providers build their services on the SIP protocol which is the industry standard. As long as your hardware and equipment are compatible with SIP, you can sign up with a new provider any time.

As you can see, VoIP is responsive and flexible. You no longer have to purchase new equipment every time there is a change in your business environment. You don’t have to switch providers because your company size has changed. The same technology, hardware, and software can help you run your business optimally in any scenario.