With technology changing the shape of the whole world economy, the need for communication has been increased. That indicates that now people have to find a proper channel of communication that can benefit them or their organization.
Till now, telephones are being used for that purpose, but it costs the users huge bucks. The internet has provided us with a cost-effective and efficient alternative known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to reduce this cost.
Now, you must be wondering What Is VoIP and how it works? Don’t get stressed too much over this because, in this article, we will discuss everything that you need to know about VoIP. So, without further wasting your time, let’s get on with our guide about VoIP.
What Is VoIP?
VoIP (stands for Voice over Internet Protocol) is a phone service that allows users to make a low-budget phone call over the internet. Most people often prefer this phone service to Internet telephony and broadband phones, but in the tech world, VoIP is the term that IT professionals use as they are the ones who use it the most.
Once you are done setting up the VoIP service, it allows you to call anyone anywhere in the world but not only this; other people can contact you as well. The technology used by the service is so slick that it made the calling procedure between the people simple, like sending a direct message over social media sites.
The idea might seem like a new one to most people, but in reality, it relies on the same digital lines that were used to carry calls in the 90s. The thing that makes VoIP unique is that it provides the users with a cost-effective way to make unlimited phone calls worldwide.
Now that you have got an idea of What Is VoIP service, it is time that you know about how VoIP works.
How Does VoIP Technology Work?
As we figured this far, VoIP does not use the conventional phone network system; instead, it uses broadband through a DSL router or the particular VoIP cable modem made for that purpose. The process of VoIP works in four steps, and they are explained below:
In the first step, your phone connects with the DSL router or the particular VoIP cable modem in the LAN (Local Area Network). After you have dialed a phone number, the IP of your mobile informs the VoIP service to establish the call to the other party.
Now, the VoIP service comes in and makes the phone call, exchanges data packets from the IP of your mobile phone. In the last step, these digital signals coming from the other side of the call are converted by the VoIP services into sound bites that you hear.
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How Much the Services of VoIP Cost
VoIP services are very cost-effective when we take all of their capabilities into consideration. To give you a short answer about the price, VoIP can cost you around $35 per month. Here is the break down of the price of VoIP:
- The initial cost to set up the VoIP service is between $0 to $50 per line
- The monthly services can cost you $19 to $45 per line
- The price of the device is between 80 dollars to 6 hundred dollars per IP
- If you want to make international calls, then 0.01 per minute will be added to the bill.
- There are other taxes and bills that vary according to your place, city, country, and the state you are living in.
If we compare these costs to the traditional phone system, the services could cost you double or triple and, in some cases, ten times what you are paying for VoIP. For instance, if you are making an international call to your family abroad, you will approximately have to pay around $1 per minute, which is ten times more expensive than VoIP.
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Benefits of Using VoIP
Cost-effective
One of the main reasons to shift to VoIP service is the lower price packages it provides to the consumer. With low cost, you might be wondering, the sound quality will not be up to standards, but it is nothing like that; it offers the users an excellent voice quality with the help of HD voice technology.
Voicemail To Email Feature
VoIP also offers its users a modern feature that transcribes voicemails before sending them through an email to their desired recipient. This feature can be beneficial to business people who are constantly traveling and do not have the time to read emails.
VoIP allows them to listen to Voicemails, but VoIP also ensures that the critical information of the message is recorded in an easy-to-view, save, and share format.
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Allows to Host Conference Calls
One other benefit of using VoIP service is that it allows the service consumer to host conference calls. That can make the consumer host video conference meetings, manage a vast amount of callers, share their computer screens, record the calls, or share documents with other people.
VoIP technology can make any traditional conference call into something special, which is very beneficial for business owners.
Can Call Anyone at Anytime
Besides the low cost, this feature might be the thing that can manipulate people into using VoIP technology. VoIP allows the consumers to make a phone call to anyone worldwide; all they need is a good internet connection.
Modern Technology Features
VoIP provides its consumers with more than 150 telephone functions. More modern up to standard features are being added every day.
Flexible
The service offers flexibility to its users; for instance, they will only have to pay only one month. After that time frame, if they do not want their VoIP services, they can cancel them.
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Risk of Using VoIP
With all the benefits VoIP service provides to its users, there are some security risks that you should know about so you could take the necessary precautions to stay protected.
Open to Malware and Viruses
Like any other software or application on the internet, VoIP is open to malware and viruses risk. The main reason for this is that the application runs on the PDA and PC, which makes VoIP vulnerable to malicious attacks from hackers.
These viruses can also damage critical information, steal access to the protected data, or sometimes even take complete control of the systems you are using.
Vishing
Vishing is when you receive calls from other people that pretend to be legit organizations or companies that want sensitive data related to you. These tricks can be prevalent if you use VoIP services for your business because imposters could trick your company’s employees into sharing sensitive information or passwords that hold important data.
DoS Attacks (Denial Of Service)
DoS attacks can make the VoIP network overloaded, and it can even drain all of the available bandwidth. Moreover, DoS attacks can also take control of the system administration tools and steal the critical data of the users or a company.
DoS attacks are so common these days that many new companies have lost millions of dollars to this. Even the Department of Homeland security has issued several warnings for the consumers to take necessary precautions to avoid these DoS attacks.
Eavesdropping to Calls
Another risk that users can face is hackers can hack a VoIP service and steal access to the whole interface. After stealing the access, hackers can eavesdrop on the users’ calls and acquire important data of the company such as passwords, names of the employees, contact information, and other critical business information.
How You Can Build a VoIP Infrastructure
Here is the step-by-step guide if you want to build a VoIP infrastructure for yourself.
Step 1
The first thing you need to do is check whether you have a good and reliable internet connection because all VoIP services require a well-established connection. After establishing the internet connection, you need to understand your business requirements.
The best way to do that is to access the fundamental question of how many users will be using the service. For instance, if one hundred people will be using the service, you need to have resources for those people and some extra if the number of employees increases in the future.
Step 2
Once you have decided on the basics, it is time to find the proper hardware to get going with the VoIP system. Following are the things that you may need:
- Internet
- Router and server
- SIP trunk (Allows Voice data to travel from other lines)
- Wireless Routers
- IP phones
Step 3
In the last step, you need to determine the features you may want to have in your VoIP service. Here are the top four most crucial factors for your business that you need to have at all costs.
In the last step, you need to determine the features you may want to have in your VoIP service. Here are the top four most crucial factors for your business that you need to have at all costs.
Voice-Mail Feature
There will be a time when your company’s employees might not be able to answer your calls, and for that purpose, voicemail is a must-have feature to have by your side because it allows the users to leave a message for the suppliers and customers.
Call Recording Option
If you have opened a new business, you might need this option to work on the strategies to improve your customer journey and train your sales employees to perform better next time.
Do Not Disturb Feature
When you are already on a call with someone, this feature allows you to block the incoming calls. This option can be beneficial when working with a client who wants your undivided attention.
Conferencing
This feature allows you to make video calls and share other files with a massive amount of people at once. This feature is best for a business that works on a larger scale and has too many employees.
When you are done setting up the proper hardware and deciding features you will have in your VoIP service, you can use the application.
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Tips for Selecting the Best VoIP Service
- Here are some of the tips that you need to take into consideration when you are looking for the best VoIP phone service provider:
- It would help if you made sure that the VoIP service provides reliable and minimal downtime to its users
- The provider must be compatible with your network
- Look for a 24/7 live support provider
- Make sure that the VoIP provider offers multiple, redundant data centers
- Read customers reviews before making the purchase
- Ask about any special offer the provider is offering to its customers
Should You Switch to VoIP Service
For most people, VoIP service is a straight winner compared to traditional landlines, but if you are not sure whether you should switch over to VoIP, then you need to understand a few things.
For starters, you need to make sure that you have evaluated all the needs of your business and your current technology is capable of running the service.
If your network can handle the increase in data with no stress at all and has a tremendous amount of bandwidth, you should choose the VoIP provider for calling. If your company requires you to make international calls, you should switch to a VoIP service provider because it will not cost that much to your company.
Final Verdict
VoIP will change the shape of communication channels to a whole new level, which will probably offer private clients and other businesses so many advantages. We are hopeful that by now, you have gotten complete knowledge about VoIP, and you are ready to benefit from this service. If not, you should, because it is all set to become the new trend by 2022.