How Does VoIP Work and How Do You Use it?

Though seemingly veiled in confusing jargon and secrecy, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is actually a very simple concept. In fact, once you understand how it works you’ll realise it’s simpler to use than traditional phone lines.

Overview: How VoIP Works

• In VoIP, analogue calls are converted into packets of data to be sent over the internet. Like any other Internet Protocol (IP) packet (emails for example), these packets travel from your local network (from your device to your router) out to a remote network where it is processed and a telephony connection to a traditional phone number (or another VoIP number) is made.
• You can call landlines, mobile phones, or even other VoIP phones. Using VoIP you actually don’t even need a physical phone, calls can be made from computer to computer. In this case, both caller and recipient would be speaking through a computer microphone and listening with some audio device like a headset or even just the computer speakers.
• When weighing up your options, it is worth noting that you can use VoIP with traditional landline phones. You simply need an analogue telephone adapter connected to the network and phone. For the best security, it is also worth noting that using VoIP over private networks that you own would be the best practice (such as a staff WiFi network).

How VoIP Benefits Your Business

In short, VoIP has the following benefits: it reduces costs, improves productivity, and enhances collaboration.

• You save money by only managing and paying for one network rather than two. You can also add, move, or change phone extension and locations with ease, which reduces costs and facilitates flexibility.
• Staff can use your communications network on the road or at home. Additionally, wireless VoIP phones can connect their users to resources such as customer information and more wherever they have access to the VoIP network.
• Unified Communications Solutions can do far more than basic VoIP functionality in facilitating collaboration. With unified communications, staff can communicate both internally and with customers seamlessly via voice, video-chat, instant messaging and web conferencing. Employees can communicate and collaborate either individually or all in unisen from a user friendly dashboard.

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