A study from In-Stat has revealed that 42 per cent of US businesses are using VoIP. Its use in business has been growing steadily in recent years, and will continue to do so. It has been estimated that by 2013, the use of Business VoIP in the US will be 79 per cent, almost four-fifths of businesses.
There is one main reason why most businesses make the decisions to switch from a telephone provider to a VoIP provider, and that is price. Significant cost savings can be made with VoIP, something that can obviously make a difference to the profits of a business. The more calls a business makes, the more significant these savings can be. This has led to call centres and other businesses that make a large number of calls, to make the switch. But any business can benefit from this technology.
Some would ask, hasn’t it always been the case that VoIP is cheaper than a regular telephone? Well, the answer to that is yes, but there used to many negatives which meant that most businesses would refrain. VoIP used to have the reputation of being of poor quality. This has improved though, and continues to. The quality of broadband is a factor that has led to improved quality. The broadband connection has an important influence on the sound quality of VoIP, so the better the broadband connection is, the better the signal will be. Broadband has generally improved, meaning more reliable VoIP signals.
It is also much easier to use now. The early solutions consisted of software which was downloaded to a PC. This is still sometimes the case, with Skype being the best example, but these are usually not deemed suitable for business use. Business VoIP solutions are now run by reputable businesses who offer support and many of the other advantages that customers get from telephone providers. Complex solutions, such answer phones, the ability to divert calls, and extensions are also available. These are necessary for many businesses. VoIP phones and VoIP adapters are other developments that make it easier to use. The overall impact of these factors means that VoIP is much more trusted by businesses and individuals alike. The service doesn’t have the previous negatives and is usually cheaper than other solutions.
Contrary to previous opinion, there is no real reason for businesses not to use VoIP. If a quality provider is chosen, then the quality of both the signal and the customer service is just as good as with telephone providers. What sets VoIP apart are the massive advantages of cost savings. This is the main reason why VoIP usage is going up in business, and elsewhere, and why 79 per cent of businesses in the US are expected to have made the switch by 2013.
Andrew Marshall ©
