Traditional phone lines are connected by copper cables that run through almost every part of our modern cities. As this is phased out in favour of faster and more flexible communication options, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has become the primary solution for the modern digital age. VoIP uses data packets to transfer the information much like how we exchange data when browsing the internet.
How is VoIP different from normal phone lines?
The main difference between the copper lines and VoIP is how we send and receive data:
- Old copper lines work on a dedicated circuit between two points. These circuits carry analog voice data through copper wires and are fixed.
- VoIP works using packet-switched telephony, where data is sent and received in many individual network packets through the Internet.
VoIP is the broadband connection to the 56k modem of old, copper PSTN lines. VoIP still relies on this old network in a similar capacity: access to the internet is – until we all move to fibre connections – provided through traditional copper phone lines.
Benefits of VoIP for New Zealand businesses
The simplest benefit is the lower cost of a VoIP system over adapting your current communications. This is for two reasons: the first is that we are moving away from copper lines and toward fibre-optic lines, and the second is a greater emphasis placed on remote working. Ultimately, the choice in the future will be to adapt, or choose a full VoIP system.
The cost-effective nature of VoIP is reflected in its second major benefit: scalability. A simple VoIP system won’t break the bank, and incorporating additional features or changes as required is just as simple. For a small to medium-sized business, VoIP provides greater communication ability on a smaller budget.
An example of VoIP benefits: real estate agents
The overall benefits of VoIP are well-documented, but how does VoIP relate to real-world situations and business? Today, we’ll look at real estate agents.
Working in real estate, either yourself or your colleagues will spend an incredible amount of time working remotely, or out on the road. VoIP stabilises communications, allowing anyone in the business to transfer calls to a mobile. Mobile towers and vast amounts of cellular data now allow anyone to access their VoIP network easily.
Say you’re working in real estate, and your manager wants to run reports on how each salesperson is performing. They can monitor calls to their call centre, develop better training techniques and guides, record calls and share these files instantly. Video conferencing can be conducted across the country or across multiple countries – VoIP eliminates the gaps, delays, and inefficiencies presented by long-distance and multi-site communications.
If you’d like to learn more about our VoIP services for New Zealand businesses, call Cloud Edge today to see how we can help. We’ll be happy to recommend a VoIP package to suit your business needs.
