Internet VoIP Service

Internet VoIP

Traditionally businesses have used a landline telephone service to handle their telecommunications. Internet VoIP service is a superior technology that involves the sending of packet switched protocols over computer networks. When communicating on Internet VoIP, the voice signal is converted to a digital signal and sent over a network.

Technology

VoIP technology is universal; however adoption of VoIP technology by both consumers and service providers has grown substantially in the past years. According to an SBA, Small Business Research Summary, “Approximately 15 percent of the small business respondents use voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP), compared with 3.3 percent in the 2003 study.”

Before switching to a Voice over Internet Protocol service, it is a good idea to make certain that your current Internet bandwidth will support the technology. Each VoIP call requires dedicated bandwidth. As a reference, for perfect voice quality, it will likely require 75kbps, where “tollbooth” quality will require around 8kbps-dedicated bandwidth. As a general rule of thumb, it is recommended that your ISP is offering around 5Mbps total bandwidth for a 10-line phone system.

Tying Everything Together

One of the biggest advantages to being connected online, is the option to have all of your businesses communication channels tied in to one system. Unified communications offer the ability to tie email, fax, voicemail, online chats, and phone systems in to one interface. Unified communications enable a sales force to pull up real time customer data and for management to reduce response time. Managers are also able to track outgoing communication traffic and tie ROI to all of its outbound communication efforts. Many managed VoIP systems offer a unified communications solution for businesses.