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Since the telephone was invented, still in the 19th century, long-distance voice communication has become essential for people and companies.
For more than a century, the telephone has evolved little if we think in terms of the technology used for voice transmission, as opposed to the advancement of used devices, in which cell phones are a reflection of this mismatch.
However, the rapid evolution of the Internet favored the emergence of an alternative that has been gaining more and more followers. We are talking about VoIP.
Knowing more about what VoIP is, how it works and what are the advantages over conventional telephones can be decisive in deciding whether or not to implement it in your business.
What is VoIP?
VoIP is the acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, or Voice over Internet Protocol and which, unlike the so-called conventional telephony, which we have used for more than a century, makes use of some of the Internet protocols and some of our own, such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), for voice transmission.
Technically there are many differences, which for the most part have no practical effect.
Basically for the end user, the layman or someone who has doubts whether or not to deploy a VoIP services platform in their business, converts the voice into a digital signal and, therefore, into data packets similar to those used in a corporate computer network or the Internet and that are exchanged using Internet protocols.
In case the call is to a conventional telephone number, these packets are converted into a normal (analog) telephone signal before reaching the destination.
An important difference arises from this – old telephony is analog and VoIP is digital.
How does VoIP work?
The VoIP system works using packet switching technology which converts analogue voice signals into digital data.
In short, it means that the sound waves (your voice) are subjected to a process that produces digital data that correspond to the sound messages, so that in the form of data, they are routed to the destination, just like any other data that travels on the world wide web. of computers.
In general terms, the process can be described as:
- The system at the speaker’s device (sender), divides the data into packets of information and assigns a destination address to each packet;
- The data packets are then sent over your connection to the service provider’s router;
- The router, upon receiving each packet, finds the shortest path to its destination. The package can pass through several routers, in a routine that aims to optimize the route to the point of contact;
- The packet is then received at the destination.
- The VoIP phone or listener’s device (receiver), based on the addresses of each received packet, puts them in the correct order, so that finally the person on the other end receives the data again converted, now as recognizable speech.
In the case of a company with several collaborators, in which there is a need for each one to have their own telephone number or extension, a resource is used to organize the telephones within the company’s network, known as PBX (Private Brand eXchange system ).
A PBX system is a private telephone network that uses the local network to connect to the telephone network, allowing calls to be made and received, as well as managing/provisioning other eventual features such as voicemail, auto attendant, scheduling, etc.
Through them, calls are made using VoIP technology and for this reason, they can also be called IP PBX.
A system with this purpose can run on an internal server on the company’s network and whose function is precisely to provide the service to customers, who can have software on their desktop or notebook and with a headset, playing a role similar to a telephone device. , but they can also have an IP device with the same function, but connected via cable (RJ-45) to the company’s network.
The IP PBX works by managing calls between local users, but allowing calls to be connected between external VoIP and land line users.
To make all of this possible, there is a service provider in the middle, such as your ISP. Analogously, it is thanks to its service, that you have the software used in the processes, you receive a telephone number – or as many as you need / want – and the converted data is sent and received from other numbers, whether they are other VoIP, conventional landlines or numbers of cellphone.
What kind of devices can be used for VoIP?
A common question for anyone thinking of using VoIP is what kind of devices or devices are needed.
Depending on what the user has available, the investment may be small, or even none, and what you already have may be enough.
1. Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA)
For those who prefer telephone sets and already have the traditional analog ones, the most common way is to resort to the analog telephone adapter (Analogue Telephone Adapter or ATA).
The ATA is nothing more than a device that allows you to connect a conventional telephone to the company’s network, instead of connecting it to the traditional telephone wire.
The ATA is responsible for converting the analog signals produced by the device into digital data for transmission, first over the company’s network and later over the Internet.
2. VoIP device
VoIP devices connect via an Ethernet cable (RJ-45) directly to your router, just like desktops, allowing calls to be made and received using the Internet.
VoIP handsets come pre-configured with all the hardware and software needed to make the phone work, with just a few configurations required.
3. Smartphones
You can use a smartphone for VoIP calls, but for that you need an appropriate app, which is usually provided by the service provider, but there are also several apps that allow you to configure your phone for the VoIP system.
When you prefer something other than that provided by the provider, you need to be aware of the settings to allow you to use VoIP even when you are working remotely or outside the company environment.
4. Desktops and notebooks
Computers (desktops and notebooks) can also be used to make calls using the Internet.
In fact, many users are already used to it. If you’ve ever used Skype on your computer to call someone, you’ve made a VoIP call.
Providers of this type of service also provide applications, with similar and additional functions to Skype, to use the device with the help of a headset, to make and receive calls through your computer.
This option, along with the use of each employee’s smartphone, are the alternatives that require less investment, or even none at all, in the case of smartphones. When opting for the computer, only one headset is needed.
What are the advantages of VoIP?
The list of advantages of VoIP over traditional telephone systems is fairly extensive. Here we will only focus on the main ones that most attract anyone considering an alternative telephony solution.
Many business segments, regardless of size, can benefit from the implementation of voice over IP communication solutions. Naturally, depending on your needs, some may be more advantageous than others and for that reason, the order in which they appear does not necessarily reflect greater or lesser benefit.
1. Cost reduction
Most of the solutions available on the market usually point to a significant reduction in operating costs, compared to the rates charged by traditional telephone companies.
This gain in terms of cost can also be greater when taking into account the hardware (equipment) required and increases in direct proportion to the number of employees.
In addition, traditional telephone services charge per-minute rates for long-distance and international calls, which is very different from VoIP services, depending on the provider and the contracted package. A local or international call may cost very close depending on the contract.
While you might prefer to buy VoIP handsets, headsets, IP desktop phones, all you really need to run a VoIP phone system is a stable Internet connection with speed and good bandwidth, a network cable, or a Wi-Fi connection to the computer, which usually already exists.
2. Portability
Especially for remote work teams (home office), hybrid or that do frequent external work, travel, having a VoIP solution is highly desirable.
Unlike a conventional phone line, which is geographically fixed, users can access their phone systems from literally anywhere they are, all they need is an Internet connection.
Remembering that VoIP also works with any computer or mobile device capable of accessing the World Wide Web, as there are currently applications for the main operating systems and even access to the system interface via a web browser.
3. Quality of connections
Many of those who experienced VoIP in the early years will remember the poor quality, such as delay (voice delay), echoes, voice alteration, interruptions and cuts in sound and other problems, which provoked resistance in its adoption.
However, the quality of VoIP calls has evolved a lot nowadays and, in most cases, it is impossible to distinguish it from the quality of traditional systems, largely due to the technologies adopted over the last few years and the improvement of Internet connections in terms of speed and bandwidth, such as fiber optic services, which should gain even more momentum with the advancement of 5G.
When the voice quality is affected, or other problems in the stability of calls occur, they are usually due to problems with a bad connection to the network, such as increased latency or high bandwidth consumption and which, in the first case, must be resolved by the service provider. access to the Internet and in the second, dimensioning of user demand.
4. Extra features
VoIP services often include features such as caller ID, virtual numbers, contact lists, voicemail, etc. But all these features can be integrated to increase the efficiency of your telephone service team, for example, when knowing the number of an incoming call, a system retrieves data from previous calls from the customer in question.
Voicemails and messages can be forwarded to different company departments with a single click. Or even sent to an email account, to be consulted at another time.
The range of resources varies so much depending on the various packages of service providers and the systems that the company uses, and generally the services work with the most common standards in the market, to make integration possible and easy.
5. Security
The best VoIP service providers today offer remote monitoring tools, real-time security alerts and data for reporting and access control.
The best solutions provide security features such as:
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA);
- SPAM blocking;
- 24/7/265 network monitoring;
- End-to-End Encryption (E2EE);
- Automated data backups;
- Conference host controls;
- Call blocking;
- Logs of outgoing and incoming calls;
- Security notifications and reports.
6. Scalability
Scalability is one of the benefits of VoIP, as adding new lines when hiring a new employee or even removing one when there is a shutdown is a much faster, simpler and less costly process.
It must be remembered that physical installations are not necessary, unlike a conventional landline, depending on the type of device chosen.
The same applies to equipment (hardware) and that in the case of large growth of a business, may even imply new telephone exchanges.
Conclusion
The choice of the companies’ telephony system necessarily involves VoIP solutions, given their characteristics and advantages over fixed telephony.
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