Since the VoIP phone technology came into existence (in 1995), landline phones started extinguishing. And today, it is very rare you see a landline in any office. The business VoIP solution has taken over all the previous communication systems. The number of VoIP caller are increasing with every passing day. This is because those phones were less reliable, more costly, and offer very few communication features. On the other hand, a proper VoIP phone system offers an abundance of features, is more reliable, and saves your business quite a bit of money too.
Although in the beginning, organizations were resistant to adopting this new technology today every new business starts with VoIP systems. However, to get maximum use from VoIP, you need to know how to set it up properly. No doubt that these phones are relatively simple compared to landline configurations. But you should know what you need from your VoIP setup and choose the best fit for you. If you want to learn how to set up this system, continue reading!
Things You Need to Do for the Setup of a VoIP Phone System:
An effective communication system needs planning and forethought. For a home user, setting up a phone system takes a few minutes. All you need to do is plug in your VoIP phone and/or vendor box and start making calls. It’s a bit more complex for enterprises as different organizations have different needs and so they need different solutions.
Choose the Right Service Provider:
The first thing you face when upgrading your phone system is the decision to make on which service fits your needs. There are hundreds of business VoIP solution providers out there but all those are offering different features. The decision of selecting a VoIP service provider demands some research work. Your decision depends on several factors including:
- Your budget
- The number and type of features you need
- Customer and technical support
- The track record and experience of the vendor
VoIP Setup – Hosted Services or On-Premises Setup?
Although both implementations depend on VoIP technology, yet each has its pros and cons. For a long time, conventional wisdom stated that hosted services are best for small and medium-scale businesses. However, larger organizations (if they want full control over their communication system) can invest in and deploy their SIP implementations.
But the trend shows that even larger corporations are opting for hosted services to minimize maintenance. Although we recommend you to go with the hosted service, yet the most effective way to decide is to consider which option will work well for your business requirements and users.
Prepare Your Network before Setting up VoIP:
Unlike landline phones that work through dedicated phone lines, VoIP phones use the internet to do the job. All your voice calls will be routed through your office network and the internet in the form of data packets. This means Internet speeds and network bandwidth plays a pivotal role in the performance of your VoIP system. Consider the following things before installing the VoIP setup and make changes where required:
- Check whether your Internet speed can support VoIP calls
- Do you have sufficient, additional bandwidth for extra traffic?
- Is your network hardware (like routers, switches, modems, etc.) ready for VoIP?
- Do you have the latest firmware, patches, security updates for your equipment?
- Do you have backup options for data and power?
If any of these things are not up to the mark, then you need to remedy the situation before setting up VoIP.
Decide on the Types of VoIP Phones:
The VoIP communication system is going to need phones to make calls. Fortunately, this technology offers a plethora of options. You can use softphone apps on existing hardware like mobile devices and computers or you can purchase dedicated desk phones for your employees. Many businesses appreciate the convenience of conference phones for group calls and meetings. You may need VoIP accessories like headsets or adapters too.
Wrap up:
A reliable communication system is the backbone of every business and there are plenty of options out there. But you need to choose the one that best fits your needs. If you compare those systems on the basis of cost, features, reliability, and performance; you will find out that the VoIP phone system is the best among all. However, you cannot just go to any service provider and hire the service, you need to do some homework. All service providers won’t fit your requirements. Furthermore, only the best VoIP system can yield the results that you would be looking for. Hence, before becoming a VoIP caller, analyze your needs and then choose the system that you actually want.