Making the Switch from the Legacy Landline to VoIP Technology

Voices packaged as digital data

VoIP works by taking the audio signals from the call and packaging them up as digital data to transmit them via your internet connection. They’re then unpacked at the other end of the call, combined with other relevant packets of data and turned back into audio. Thanks to the increased reliability of internet connections, this has become a widespread method of communication.

While many people won’t see much difference in the everyday functioning of a VoIP handset compared to a traditional one, there are a number of advantages associated with the technology.

Potentially lower costs

Among the costs associated with traditional landlines is line rental and with every line a business uses, this expenditure increases. A large company with many phone lines will find this is a significant outlay every month. Despite varying tariffs, international calls are priced at a premium, so any correspondence with colleagues or business associates abroad will come at a high price on a landline.

Other vital business functions, such as call queueing, are expensive too. That means telephone systems can become very pricey when approached from a traditional standpoint. Transferring all of your voice calls to the internet not only makes them cheaper but makes paying for them more predictable and convenient. Say goodbye to additional charges and international calls priced at a premium and embrace one monthly fee instead.

A unified communications system

VoIP can be accessed as part of a package of communication features, which in itself can be made bespoke to fit your business’ needs. A unified communications system can give users the flexibility to place calls for their laptop or have them redirected to their smartphone when they’re out of the office. It can also include call forwarding, call screening and voicemail.

Work from anywhere with a secure Wi-Fi connection

While a phone line ties an employee to a physical location, VoIP doesn’t. Employees can set up their workstation anywhere as long as they have a softphone, deskphone, laptop or smartphone and a secure Wi-Fi connection. This can help businesses to allow staff the flexibility to work from home if they wish or if circumstances, such as a global pandemic, make it a necessity.

Scale your business

As a business grows it needs new infrastructure. In most cases, this means extra phone lines, but particularly big expansions can even mean new premises. Traditionally, these extra lines of communication, or the transference of old ones to a new office, incur a lot of expense and upheaval.

Adding or removing extra lines is simple with VoIP, as your service exists in the cloud. This makes scaling your business to account for new employees or multiple locations straightforward. There’s also no commitment to lines that may only be needed for a specific amount of time. Once new lines have been established it’s also a quick job to set up call forwarding rules so people can get through to the relevant department, even if there’s been a physical rearranging of the office.

Future-proof your communications

VoIP isn’t going anywhere, and in order to keep up with your competitors, it’s important you’re not left behind. Investing in VoIP now will put your business in a good position going forward, without any of the disruptions that can be associated with landlines. And, if the unexpected should happen, you have futureproof technologies to see you through.

Solutions in the VoIP market are growing and there’s now a diverse selection of products available. There’s no doubt that you can find the one that will best suit your business and all of its needs. While switching away from landlines may feel like an upheaval, the sooner you make the swap, the quicker you’ll be able to reap the benefits.

Further reading

• Empowering Remote Work with One Unified Solution
• Here's Why Good UCC is Far From Good Enough
• Towards the Workplace of the Future