Are you finding that communication costs are eating into a huge chunk of your budget? If so, it may be time for you to consider VoIP for business. If your business has been avoiding VoIP because of the early reports of lag and poor call quality, then the time has come to re-think your decision. Modern innovations, such as MPLS network technology, mean that today’s VoIP for business providers can offer high quality, lag-free calls with carrier-grade reliability.
What is MPLS network Technology?
MPLS stands for Multi Protocol Layer Switching. MPLS network technology is still evolving, and as new standards are agreed upon it is getting even more efficient. MPLS allows bandwidth providers to prioritise packets based on what they are for. So, VoIP packets, which are time-sensitive, are given priority over email or file downloads – which use up more bandwidth, but do not need to be delivered as quickly. This means that VoIP for business services can ensure that their call traffic is transmitted as efficiently as possible, avoiding the call dropping, lag, and poor call quality that blighted VoIP calling’s reputation in the early days of the technology.
What can VoIP do for my Business?
It’s important to remember that VoIP for business is not just about telephone calls. Most of the bigger VoIP services also offer video calling features, conference calling, text chat, and file sharing. Some of the business specialists even provide screen sharing tools, whiteboards, and other remote collaboration features, all routed through their same MPLS network providers. This means that for the cost of one subscription, you get a fully featured telephony setup and a groupware solution.
For a small business that does not have a lot invested in telephony already, the features provided by VoIP services can be a huge boon to productivity and efficiency. If your workers already have fairly modern netbooks or laptops then they have everything they need to make use of a VoIP solution, and your office workers probably don’t need any new hardware, except perhaps for a headset. Compared to the initial set up cost of a more traditional PABX system, the start-up costs for VoIP are miniscule, and the long term cost savings will quickly add up.
Even if you have already invested in a more traditional telephony solution, the cost-benefit analysis for VoIP (along with extra groupware tools) can be a positive one. It depends on the size of your company, and how many remote workers you have, as well as how much you rely on telephony. A UK based company that works with many US And Indian companies may decide that for the low cost calls alone, updating their telephony systems would be worth it.
Choose the Right Provider
Choosing a VoIP for business provider can be bewildering at first. There are a number of household names in the VoIP sphere, but there are also many lesser known companies that may provide better value if you have specific needs. One thing to remember to confirm is that they use MPLS network technology. For personal calling, price and ease of use may be more important considerations, but for a business, call quality and service uptime should come first.
This article was written by James Harper on behalf of Maintel.