What Are the Benefits Of VoIP For Michigan Small Businesses?

VoIP, short for Voice over Internet Protocol, is really just a fancy way of saying calling people over the internet instead of through a cellular or landline. Also known as internet telephony or internet calling, the technology has been rapidly advancing so that individuals and businesses alike can benefit from its use. Internet telephony has major cost-saving advantages making it perfect for a small business. Aside from cost savings, here are the 4 major benefits of internet calling.

#1 Free Long Distance and International Calls

Depending on the nature of your business, you may need to make long-distance phone calls to contact clients or vendors. Traditional landlines or cellular services oftentimes charge extra for long-distance calls. Internet calling is unique in that there are no extra costs associated with long-distance calls, even when calling overseas. These calls are not resource-intensive and can be done over very simple connections making them an even more attractive solution for smaller companies.

Free international calls allow a small business to truly compete with larger resource-heavy companies who can afford huge phone bills. Internet telephony only requires that a user has an internet connection and a capable device in order to make unlimited free calls. Whether you’re calling a factory in China or a vendor across the country, internet calling allows you to make that call for free for as long as you like and whenever you like. The only cost is your regular monthly internet connection fee.

#2 No Need For Multiple Phone Lines

For teams where cold calling or mass calls are required, internet calling is a very effective tool. Companies no longer need to purchase dozens of different phone lines in order to handle multiple incoming and outgoing calls. Internet telephony allows a business to handle potentially hundreds of calls on a single internet connection. Many internet calling programs actually enable users to sort, call, and cycle through different number lists to automatically make calls with just the push of a button.

Multiple landlines can be an expensive ordeal and require numerous contracts with telecom providers. Handling multiple lines requires special attention as the number of incoming, outgoing, and simultaneous calls may change frequently. Companies tend to purchase more lines than they’ll need so as to never be caught unable to make a call, but this practice can increase costs drastically. Internet telephony is a perfect solution in that services can be scaled easily and bandwidth can easily be increased if more capacity is required.

#3 Video Calling and Conferencing

VoIP provides another unique benefit over traditional calling in that video calls and multi-user conferencing are built-in. Modern commercial operations have almost completely switched from old phone-only conferences to more interactive visually based video calls. Video calls allow businesses a more personal connection when dealing with one another and many companies prefer being able to see who they are speaking with.

Internet calling is perfectly compatible with video calls and multi-user conferencing, whereas traditional analog phone lines are not able to provide video call services. Video calls over cellular services are a massive data hog and will add significant costs to companies attempting to make video calls from a cell phone. Internet calls are the most effective solution in that they only need a preexisting internet connection. Even though bandwidth requirements are slightly higher with video calls over pure voice calls, internet service providers can increase bandwidth restrictions easily and quickly.

#4 Portability

Another notable benefit of internet calling is that you can log in and make calls from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. This means that you don’t need to go to your office or any special location to make secure, clear, and free calls. This is particularly useful for those with a small business or individuals who travel often as they can make calls from the convenience of their hotel, a coffee shop, or anywhere where they can connect to the internet.

VoIP has revolutionized long-distance communications as it provides an extremely low-cost, flexible, and portable solution to all users where internet connections are available. Whether you’re an individual looking to call family overseas or a business looking to reduce costs and add video conferencing services, internet telephony could be a great solution.