What is VoIP?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and quite simply entails the transmission of voice information over the internet rather than over the traditional telephone system.
Traditional telephone systems are very simple. On a Public Switch Telephone System (PTSN) two-way telephone conversations travel down a telephone line in a straight line, rather like traffic flowing up and down a motorway in opposite directions.
The advent of the internet gave rise to a different method of carrying information down the line. Instead of sending everything in a constant stream, IP networks (which is what the internet consists of) take the data and break it into segments, called packets. These packets are then sent to their destinations.
Often these packets are sent via different routes, being reassembled in the correct order when they reach their destination. This is fine for data (such as an email) because the order that the data arrives is not normally a concern. With voice, of course, the words you are speaking have to arrive in the correct order, so it has not been until the past few years that the networks have been sophisticated enough to carry voice traffic without deterioration in quality.
Once businesses (and homes) start to make and receive digital calls on the same IP network their data flows in and out on – be that the company LAN or the home broadband connection – a whole new world of opportunities is opened up.
While many people use skype at home to call family and friends at home, businesses need something that will integrate into their existing telephone systems. The era of VoIP in business has well and truly arrived. The technology has reached a level where where the case for migrating business from traditional PTSN is compelling for many companies.
Although the integration of VoIP promises greater cost efficiency and productivity, it’s important to choose a solution which matches the needs of your business.
The cost of VoIP is now within the reach of any company – large, medium or small – so why not talk us to find out more. Click on the icon at the top of this page to request a call at your convenience and take the first step to a new VoIP telephone system.
