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Posted on 03.21.06 by Admin @ 1:59 am
Making the Switch to Voice Over IP
Copyright 2006 Dave Markel
VoIP is very cost effective as the monthly fee is lower than regular telephone networks. More than that, VoIP also integrate call forwarding and call display, options that are extra charged by the phone companies. Thus more and more people are attracted by this idea and tend to replace their phone lines with VoIP. Before taking such a decision it would be a good idea to keep some things in mind.
You might lose your old number once you switch to VoIP. This is not necessarily to happen, especially if the VoIP provider offers local phone numbers but it would be wiser to check this aspect with both your future VoIP provider and current phone company.
Due to its characteristics, a 911 call from a VoIP connection can’t be tracked down and thus the operator won’t be able to determine your location if you are unable to speak. Actually in order to make emergency calls you will have to register your address with your VoIP provider. Therefore it would be best to keep a standard connection in case you ever need to make an emergency call. This drawback could be solved in the future as the protocol undergoes constant development.
Apparently, these drawbacks are no reasons not to switch to VoIP as thousands of people decide to try the Internet miracle. The first step to making your first VoIP call is choosing the right provider for your needs. Most offer by default call display or call waiting and forwarding but the thing you really have to be careful is the fees providers charge for overseas and long-distance calls. Consider the people you use to call when choosing your provider.
VoIP providers also offer additional phone numbers most of the times. Therefore, you can choose to have numbers in different cities. The advantage of this option is that people living in those cities can call you for the cost of local calls.
Analogue Telephone Adapters or ATA are special devices that allow you to use your standard phone with the VoIP service. Although they can be acquired separately, most of the times ATAs are supplied by your VoIP providers. The basic equipment needed for VoIP calls is an IP phone, a broadband modem and a router. Computers can be bypassed although they make accessing the VoIP account easier while modems and routers can be incorporated into stand-alone units.
Connecting to a VoIP account is an easy thing. You just have to plug the IP phone into the router and the router into the modem. Also, service calls don’t require any preinstalled equipment.
About the Author Dave Markel is the owner of a Voip Services Blog. Visit it at http://voip–services.blogspot.com Filed under: VOIP Advice Comments: None |
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Posted on 03.21.06 by Admin @ 1:59 am
5 Reasons Your Business Should Switch to VoIP Today, many businesses are choosing to unplug and go with VoIP technology. There are many advantages for using VoIP including cost effectiveness, greater productivity, and the incorporation of data, audio, and video all intertwined in one program. Here is an overview of five reasons that your business should make the switch to VoIP. VoIP Reduces Cost Businesses today depend upon telecommunications. Whether it is Internet, E-mail, Customer Service through telephone, online web applications, and E-mail, or whatever your IT business needs may be, VoIP offers to handle all of your needs with one application. Additionally, this reduces cost and increases productivity. VoIP also has combined with software applications that are perfect for many business needs. Software such as accounting programs, Email, and PC based applications help to save money by combining services. The reduction in long distance charges is another great advantage for switching to VoIP for business needs. By combining data, video, and audio needs, companies save on bandwidth usage, which ultimately leads to financial savings. VoIP is perfect for Call Centers VoIP is slowly becoming the standard choice for Call Centers. VoIP offers some major benefits for Call Centers such as flexibility, cost efficiency, and enhanced customer service applications. For instance, in the past, a Call Center needed to be a stabilized facility equipped with many phone lines used by people who would physically be located in the Call Center. By using VoIP for your Call Center, not only is your main location easily relocated as your business expands, but you can hire employees virtually world wide. Larger companies take advantage of VoIP Call Centers by outsourcing work overseas where they can hire employees for less. The Integration of data, audio, and web based features is another reason why businesses are opting for VoIP. Customer service calls are handled more efficiently with the integration of these three components. Not only are calls transferred more proficiently, but also greater care can be given to customers when Call Centers use integrated software platforms. More Call Centers are taking advantage of the opportunity to hire employees world wide through VoIP services. Employees may work in different time zones, giving greater customer service benefits year round, and hiring home based employees is another way businesses are choosing to save money. VoIP is better for Mobile Employees Many companies employ mobile workers. Mobile Employees have typically used cell phones at the company’s expense to stay in touch during the day. By utilizing VoIP Mobile Employees can remain virtually connected with the company, and the company saves money on fees. When mobile employees rely on cell phones, many times a customer will call the main office, only to hear a message or be told the worker’s cell phone number. This requires the customer to hang up and call the employee on their cell phone- increasing the chance that the employee will lose the sale. By using VoIP, a call is instantly routed to the mobile employee and productivity increases. Since VoIP integrates many other technologies, including E-mail, mobile employees are able to conduct many more transactions with one application. VoIP allows Real Time Global Conferencing Global conferencing and training can put a burden on a business. Attempts to reach employees worldwide are not only expensive but time consuming as well. With VoIP technology businesses can avoid conferencing costs, and enable secure audio and videoconferences to offices worldwide. By reducing long distance costs, employees are also taking advantage of calling each other and corporate headquarters more frequently. VoIP offers Flexibility that Ultimately Increases Productivity VoIP allows greater flexibility. By using a standard VoIP Phone Adapter, you are able to take your telephone number with you. This allows greater productivity by allowing employees to conduct business overseas, while traveling, staying in hotels, etc. Your customers will be able to call you on your regular business phone number, and you won’t have to use your cell phone. Many VoIP services are fully integrated with PC applications such as fax and email. There is greater productivity when employees can integrate their email and phone services with one application. Conduct business with VoIP on your laptop, any time day or night. With the option to get VoIP phone numbers with area codes throughout the country, and some world wide, businesses can expand by choosing local area codes for the city, state, or country they are targeting. About the Author Filed under: VOIP News Comments: None |
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Posted on 03.21.06 by Admin @ 1:58 am
Call Center Operators Begin to Work at Home If you ask any answering service owner what the biggest challenge that they face today almost all would answer employees. For a number of years employers have tried a number of methods to find a desirable employees to work in what is sometimes less than desirable circumstances. Today technology has delivered these answering service owners a new alternative; the stay at home operator. Thanks to VoIP services it is very easy for an answering service operator to log on and work off premise with the same advantages as an operator has in the war room of the call center. There are several advantages to such technology and call centers who have implemented these advances are seeing major changes. Some of these answering services virtually had to beg for employees and the pickings were slim. Now these same businesses actually have a waiting list for employees, with highly qualified candidates.. Another advantage to the stay at home operator is that it allows the answering service to be able to fill peak time periods and cover absenteeism more efficiently. The answering service now has alternatives when there are weather related emergencies as well as filling those difficult to handle shifts. There are offices that will staff overnight shifts with work at home operators.. Still other offices have been slow to embrace this type of technology while other offices reluctantly use this technology only for emergencies or supervisory tasks. There is a general misconception that these operators are more difficult to supervise and that the only way to run a call center is from a centralized location. With the advanced statistical reporting capabilities that most answering services possess, coupled with voice recording technology these employees are as easy to supervise as they would be in your office.. As the answering services that utilize at home operators continue to flourish, others are following their lead. At home operators now make up the fastest growing segment of employees in the answering service industry. In addition this new trend seems to be an alternative to overseas outsourcing. With the advantages offered to work at home operators, answering service owners and the industry as a whole, stay at home agents seem to be the trend of the future.. About the Author Filed under: VOIP News Comments: None |
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