Hosted voip how does it work

In essence, by subscribing to a hosted VoIP, you are essentially outsourcing equipment and infrastructure without losing any of the associated benefits. Hosted VoIPs are inexpensive compared to installing an analog phone system or any of the infrastructure needed for an on-site VoIP system.

Hosted VoIP relies on the same infrastructure and methods used to distribute information on the internet. In the simplest scenario, your call connects to the internet via your office router which then transfers the data packet to the remotely hosted VoIP servers. The server processes and manages the call, routing and connecting it to its appropriate digital destination. Receiving a call works similarly, just in reverse. Calls can easily go to and from landlines as well, but this process involves the additional step of using a PSTN public switched telephone network to connect.

Since hosted VoIP requires a stable internet connection in order to function, it is important that your business has a secure and private IP network. You will also need plenty of bandwidth, and potentially a wired not wireless connection, in order for your calls to have the best quality and performance possible. Though the exact selection can depend on the provider and how much you are willing to pay, the most advanced hosted VoIP offers every essential call center feature and more.

This makes it a powerful tool for any business to utilize. Calls through servers go through advanced encryption, offering a high level of security for any of your conversations and messages. Once hosted VoIP has been installed at your business—a process that usually takes two to 13 days depending on the complexity of the install—you can begin using it immediately with no extra waiting time or fuss.

Nor will you need to pay a telephone company to make calls, meaning long-distance and international calls are either significantly cheaper or entirely free. In fact, some basic services like Google Voice offer a free number and unlimited domestic calling. Routine maintenance and included technical support are all services that hosted VoIP providers should and usually will offer to your business as part of their VoIP package.

Instead of having to hire an IT specialist to work on your server or a telephone repair service to fix your analog system, you can let your provider worry about any issues and maintenance needs. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, unified communications—a term referring to a group of applications that facilitate real-time or non-real-time communication on a company-wide scale—is technically a service that builds off of an existing VoIP infrastructure. Hosted VoIPs are a great investment for small businesses with plans for growth.

The suite of features, reduced cost and ability to support a remote or flexible employee base means that your business can keep up with larger companies. When you use an IP phone it performs the conversion from analogue to digital, the call is then sent across your local network as data packets, through your router and internet connection until it reaches your business VoIP provider's systems.

At this point, your VoIP service provider will connect the call to its destination. Using a computer to make a VoIP call is a lot like using an IP phone, albeit a piece of software installed on the computer called a " softphone " doing the leg work.

Similarly to a computer, in order to make a VoIP phone call using a smartphone, you need a piece of software, aka an app, to convert your analogue voice signal and to connect you to your VoIP system. The diagram below shows how a typical call would be made using a smartphone with a VoIP app installed:.

So we've covered what VoIP is and how it works, next let's look at why you might use it instead of traditional phone services. Keeping control of costs in a business is essential, so it should come as no surprise that a significant reason to use VoIP is that it tends to be cheaper than traditional phone services.

It's not just the call costs where you'll save either, by running your phones over your computer network, you completely remove the need for separate cabling to each desk for phones. Using VoIP for your calls instead of a traditional PBX will often open up a whole range of features and options that are new to you. Hosted VoIP providers invest heavily in their technology so that businesses can have a feature-rich telephony service.

Assuming you have a high speed broadband connection, you'll benefit from better call quality and excellent reliability. Internet calls have come on leaps and bounds in recent years as the speed of internet connections has increased. At the time of writing the world is still under threat from Covid and millions of workers around the world are working from home, rather than in an office. For those workers using VoIP services, that migration from office to home was as simple as picking up their phone and plugging it in at the other end.

A business VoIP service needs only a handset and an internet connection to work, giving users maximum flexibility. Better yet, install a softphone on your smartphone or computer and do away with the office phone altogether! The final significant benefit VoIP services provides is that these systems can easily scale and grow as a company expands. When an employee calls a customer, they pick up the handset and dial them just as they normally would.

From there, the VoIP provider establishes the call. If the network path to the called party supports a digital voice signal, then the call quality is upgraded to high definition. Using a hosted VoIP system in your business is that simple. However, for established businesses with a more sophisticated phone system, there are different needs.

If the office uses a PBX, you probably also pay for trunked telephone lines. In some cases, companies are locked into their hybrid phone system due to the costs to replace hardwired phone lines in every office. Since a VoIP uses the Session Initiation Protocol , it can be used to establish multiple lines of calls through the internet. Inbound and outbound calls are funneled in much the same way until it reaches the business location and is hardwired into a PBX.

The most significant benefit for large and small businesses alike is if they have a hardwired telephone system on site. Thanks to the meteoric rise of mobile devices in the workplace, unified communication is a requirement.

Employees are no longer tethered to their desks. For road warriors and remote staff , they can take business calls using nothing more than a VoIP app for their smartphone. In some offices, Ethernet might not be a practical option. The speed of Wi-Fi has improved substantially, which has made way for Wi-Fi calling. While a CAT 5e or CAT 6 connection is optimal, employees can go completely wireless and take calls around the office if you have a strong Wi-Fi signal throughout.

Keep an eye on your network congestion bandwidth utilization. Now, many will argue about which one is better, but it comes down to your needs as a business. Space is another factor to consider. Curious about what Hosted VoIP can do for you? Schedule a free demonstration courtesy of CTS Telecom. We have an array of voice services for all applications and budgets. To get started, contact us today. We're experiencing some issues with our network!

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