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Top Telecommunications Industry Challenges & Risks in 2021

The telecommunication industry is in a transformational phase to adapt to the new cloud, IP telephony and technological trends. At first, communication technology was the focus that markets the first wave of information era, then came the internet phase that began around 2000. The industry realigned itself during this phase and came the time for portals and e-commerce. The cloud started to take shape in 2006 and that was the third phase of telecommunication industry transformation. The year 2019 was the era of cloud, a lot of new opportunities opened up for the providers. It’s evident that there is no escaping the cloud era and it is unstoppable. Other than new opportunities, the telecommunication businesses around are actually facing challenges in the era of cloud. New technologies such as Voice over IP, Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), microservice, Internet of things (IoT) and more require that telecommunication companies organise their business structure and strategy according to the era of cloud, in terms of architecture, operations and networks. Further, to get a competitive edge, providers have to focus on offering customised solutions to the customers while also developing a long-term relationship with them. However, we discuss the challenges let’s first look at the telecommunication trends to look forward to in 2021. Telecom Industry Future trends 2021 5G Networks: the 5th Generation of networks is the most recent iteration of the internet connection. The 5G network brings 3 huge upgrades to the table. If offers great speed for data, less latency for short load times and increases the ability to connect more devices simultaneously. It can allow more proficient and detailed virtual and augmented realities, totally autonomous vehicles, massive connected IoT networks and higher resolution video. The 5G is anticipated to change the future of telecommunication. Diversified ecosystems: just like the ecosystems function in nature, the industrial ecosystems are a network of cross-industry businesses that work together to produce a strong and advanced industry. The telecommunication industry is going to see a move toward making those lucrative ecosystems. According to research, in the next ten year ecosystems will unlock 100 trillion in value by unlocking the competitive agility. The telecom providers and IT businesses & Startup have the highest potential to come together in alliance. IoT and Smart Cities: the Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of connected devices that communicate with each other and can be monitored and controlled remotely. By the year 2022, there will be almost 30 billion IoT connected devices globally, a lot of which will be industrial connections, an important part of smart cities. The smart cities take IoT further by establishing an interconnected network which can be accessed online by residents, through a mobile app. A network like such can provide communication and data channels which allow subscribers to manage their daily activities efficiently, from corresponding with the government to finding a parking spot instantly. Smart cities main goal is to produce better living quality for their residents by streamlining the urban services such as transportation and energy through smart technology. But, before the promise of 5G networks, experts could not foresee the capacity to support the data a connected city can generate. Now that 5G networks are on the horizon, the major urban cities will be racing to be the first one to introduce their own smart city. Increasing popularity of UCaaS: in 2021 we will see the consolidation of communication technologies into unified communications as service platforms. Such platforms have the underlying Voice over Internet Protocol technology; however they provide more than voice calling capability. Other VoIP Features include conferencing, fax services, team collaboration and instant messaging. One advantage of UCaaS is the ability to centralise all online communication within one platform. Instead of having to buy video conferencing separately, businesses can invest in a single product that has it all. Artificial Intelligence: the Artificial Intelligence in telecom industry consists of a myriad of focus areas. Network optimisation and customer service are at the top of the list. This year some big implementations of AI will be in these spaces. Predictive analytics is a promising capability of AI technology, particularly for the telecommunication community. The AI-based analytics offer telecom provides the ability to use data and machine learning software to predict the trends in future along with the potential infrastructure snags. In addition, AI-based virtual assistants and chatbots will change the way companies handle customer services. They can automate the conversations and mimic human speech automatically, while also drawing data and insights to offer positive and personalised experiences. With the introduction of IoT networks along with 5G capabilities will make this easier and will enable businesses to collaborate effortlessly to advance these technologies across their networks. The telecommunication industry is a significant centre for cutting edge technology adoption. With the integration of AI technologies, the IoT and 5G networks, the telecom providers will continue to be at the forefront of technological development. Challenges in the telecommunication industry With the new technologies becoming available, the quality and variety of services from telecommunication companies and internet providers are increasing, the profit margins decreasing and the line between technology providers and telecom companies are blurring. Telecom companies must decentralise the purchasing and decision power, internally and externally, due to the agile reconfiguration of the cloud. The telecom companies need to take a fresh look at the ICT (information and communications technology) innovation and adapt their organisation to the digital revolution by making strong cross-functional interfaces and by looking at tools for maintaining organisational flexibility. The telecom companies have to upgrade their IT and connectivity structure and focus on offering voice and data services that are high quality, affordable and reliable. The cloudification of telecom networks is a significant trend that can help address some of the challenges faced by the industry, such as the need for high-quality, reliable data services and the management of increasing volumes of data from IoT devices. The network security has become a huge priority for the telecom providers and they are facing new challenges that are powered by new technologies. Hence, some of the technical and operational innovations are required to meet customer expectations of full system security from network-level until the device. Because of millions of users, a wide range of products like VoIP Services, customised and bundled solutions, order fulfilment, operational support like service configuration, billing and customer care have become increasingly complex. Therefore, the cost of managing these operations needs resources and different tools, in turn, increasing the financial overhead. Another challenge coming up for telecom companies and internet providers is the impact of the Internet of Things which is leading to massive growth in the connected devices. The growth is producing billions and trillions of new data sources, hence, it’s expected that such growth can push the data to be managed by networks to zeta bytes per year. Try a free signup with VoIP Business.

How Remote and Home Working with VoIP Can Help Businesses – Covid-19 LockDown

Since the spread of coronavirus or covid-19, more and more people are self-isolating as a precaution, you might be thinking what this means as a business owner. If you do not know which measures you should take for your employees’ safety then on the option to consider is allowing them to work from home. In this article, we are going to give you the best tips for working from home and how VoIP Business can help you achieve this while keeping the team linked up. The challenges of home and remote working There are job roles that can be fulfilled by working from home while others are somewhat difficult. In such unprecedented times, a lot of companies are scrambling to work out how the can minimise the damaging effects of Covid-19 on the productivity and revenue while also making sure that the well-being and health of employees aren’t compromised. Let’s discuss how VoIP Business can enable remote and home working. 1. A hosted VoIP system: Our business phone system is hosted which means you don’t have to worry about maintaining any on-site heavy equipment. Being in the cloud means you have easier access to your remote employees from different locations. We are an experienced and expert service provider which ensures you get great user experience. 2. VoIP Business mobile app: Allowing employees to work from home can generally mean that they depend on their internet connection to log in and receive phone calls. A strong internet connection is a basic for remote working, however, what if the large number of people working from home causes their internet connection to be under strain or what if there is an outage? Everyone just has to install VoIP Business mobile apps and use their mobile data for added resilience. 3. ‘Follow me’ feature: VoIP Business ‘follow me’ feature allows employees to maximise their availability for answering calls. If a customer calls and the agent is not at the table then it can call their softphone or even their mobile phone to make sure they are easily contactable even if you are not in the office. 4. Conference calling and conference chat rooms: With events and meetings being canceled everywhere; you may be worried about missing out on important meetings. Then you need not fear, our collaborative tools have the answer. With VoIP Business Phone services it is easy to conduct a virtual meeting with our conference call facility that enables you to create a virtual conference room quickly for an unlimited number of participants. Our conference rooms allow your employees to keep in contact with each other as easily and quickly as if they were in the office. Voice over IP technology comes with something known as ‘Service as a Software (SaaS)’. This allows you to manage networks and host all the necessary software with the help of the cloud. All these abilities combine to make remote working easier than it has ever been before. The cloud-based system also eliminates the requirement for storage devices and flash drives, which can be a security threat if they have sensitive data. So, with VoIP Business the prospect of your team working from home doesn’t need to be a frightening one. You can be assured that our features are designed to help remote workers meaning you don’t need to compromise on the quality of service of work that you provide to your customers Just Sign Up and Get Free Trial.

Free VoIP Number to Test VoIP Calling Service for Premium Subscribers in UK

What Is A VoIP Number? A VoIP number is just like a regular phone number. However, instead of being assigned to a device such as a mobile phone, this number can be assigned to any person or user. It is just like connecting a traditional landline to the internet and opening a completely new world of possibilities such as free long-distance phone calls or advanced call forwarding. With VoIP phone services power you could be in Manchester and call a person in Birmingham with a completely different area code and to people in London, it would appear as if you made a regular local call. However, summarizing VoIP’s definition of area-code magic does not do justice to the actual service. There are multiple layers to the capabilities of a VoIP/ Virtual phone number that makes it a big asset to companies and individuals with communication needs. To offer you a complete understanding of the Voice over Internet Protocol and its associated services, we will have to break it down a little. For now, let’s see how VoIP numbers work. How VoIP Numbers Work? To sum it up, VoIP numbers work over the internet kind of like a cell phone carrier. In-depth it what happens is, the voice signals get converted into digital data packets which are sent as data bits across a broadband line. In order to understand it better, think of VoIP Number as a complete separate technological category. Thanks to this technology businesses can call any place in the world through their mobile phones, VoIP phones or tablets. Voice over IP internet calling technology turns a data-driven device into a phone. The question is how that happens? How it happens depends on the method you use to call from your virtual phone number. The easiest method is by using a VoIP phone adapter and a landline. You can purchase these devices easily. You just must plug the adapter into the phone socket or a computer router and start calling. If you decide to use VoIP over a Smartphone or a computer, then you will need to have apps like Google Talk, Skype, or Viber. Just remember, it is important that you connect to Wi-Fi which is essential for using VoIP over smartphones or tablets to use your VoIP number. Free UK VoIP Telephone Numbers If as a business owner, you want premium services and aren’t sure which VoIP provider’s telephone numbers to go with. Then there are a few providers who allow you to try out their services. We are going to enlist some of the best VoIP providers in the UK. RingCentral RingCentral is a cloud PBX phone system designed for business of every size and type. The provider offers features like company directory, auto-attendant, and multiple-level IVR, call handling, multiple extensions, Business SMS, audio and video conferencing, fax, screen share, a mobile app for iOS and Android, and call forwarding. Benefits of RingCentral Quick and easy setup of IP PBX 24-hour tech support and reliable customer services A phone system that supports complex business rules Crystal clear audio quality Call routing easy to deploy Stable web meetings, without audio or connectivity issues Internet fax functionality with a chat feature Call forwarding and ring multiple extensions Apps to communicate with mobile devices VoIP Business If you want high quality and premium VoIP Phone System but don’t want it to be too hard on your pocket, then VoIP Business is the right product for you. VoIP Business is a company based in the United Kingdom. The provider offers a remarkable balance of features and pricing which can help remove any guilt that you might have over saving a few pounds. Also, the company’s online user interface makes it simple to handle multiple employees and lines in different locales. The company offers advanced features like IVR, conferencing, Ring groups, SMS, call queues, call forwarding, Teams, Pickup groups, and call routing at an affordable rate. Benefits of VoIP Business Easy setup Easy-to-use interface All area code UK Number Scalable services Affordable pricing Feature parity Inexpensive international calling 24/7 service and Vonage Business tech support 99.999% uptime Simple activation and setup Free Calls Online from VB to VB network If you still can make a decision then worry not. Both these providers allow you to sign up for a free trial. RingCentral allows a 15-day free trial, whereas, VoIP Business allows a 30-day free trial. No hassle of contracts and huge upfront cost.

Guide to Port Virtual Landline Number to Mobile

Every small business owner knows how hard it is to form trust with the customer base and build a reputation. And the Virtual landline number is a vital part of any brand. Customers get accustomed to it and it’s added to all the marketing material. It is the key to getting new customers and sales success. Also, a virtual landline number is a mean to contact prospects and clients. Hence, you always have to be accessible and your phone number, if possible, remains the same. However, being tied to a traditional landline phone is a pain and it appears unprofessional to call customers from personal mobile phones. Also, the amount of phone bills that rack up with traditional carrier-based phone calls is usually huge. Porting your business phone number to a mobile phone through a virtual landline provider can give you great flexibility to return calls on the move and still maintain professionalism. In this article, we are going to guide you on how you can port your virtual number to your mobile phone. What is Virtual Phone Number Porting? Most people port their phone number from one mobile provider to another while switching phone contracts. Porting a phone number allows you to keep the same phone number when you want to switch to a different mobile phone company or handset. It can actually save your time and stress since you don’t have to change your phone number which you have registered with a different account. Porting a business phone number to a mobile phone is a similar concept. All you have to do is transfer a number from your current service provider to a new provider. How long it takes to port a virtual landline number? Generally, the process of number porting is pretty quick. However, it can sometimes take a few days or weeks for the number to be ported. It is usually a smart idea to buy a virtual phone number while you wait for the number to be ported. Guide to Port a Virtual Landline Number to a Mobile Phone? DON’T Cancel Your Current Service before Porting Number: you shouldn’t cancel your existing service till your phone number has been ported or you will risk losing your phone number. Also, you will need a period when none of your prospects or customers can contact you. If there are any technical problems then it can take days or maybe weeks, which would mean lost business. Contact Your Existing Service Provider: if you want to transfer your business landline phone number to a mobile phone then contact your existing landline phone provider to assess the terms of your agreement. Some providers might add extra fees for this porting and you might have to pay charges for early contract termination. Providers legally have to allow number porting; however, you need to honour all the payments you committed to first. If you pay for your telephone line as part of a service package with internet, television or other services then you must change your package or service provider before porting your phone number. Look for the right Virtual Landline Provider: VoIP business has reinvented small business communications. They have an expert team continuously developing offers to ensure they provide the best communication solutions possible at a reasonable cost. The VoIP Business works as your business telephone system across all mobile phone carriers and Wi-Fi. If you want to get a new number then they offer a range of UK area codes like London Area Codes. You can work through the app regardless of where you go and which device you use. Whenever you purchase a plan from them you can choose to get a new number or port your old number. Their sign up process is easy and quick. Your customers wouldn’t feel any difference. If you want to port your existing number to a virtual one then the number will appear same to your customers, meaning no lost business and no need to spend time updating your company security like web copy, business cards or marketing literature. Provide Information Needed for Porting Number: If you decide to port your phone number then a virtual number provider will need some information to authorise the transfer. The information usually includes your existing service provider’s name and some proof that the phone number actually belongs to you. Customise Your Phone Service: Virtual service providers offer a range of advanced business benefits through services like team lines and call queues. You need to explore the choices available to get the most out of our new phone services. It is just as simple as that. Porting a virtual landline phone number to a mobile phone is usually an easy and quick way to do better business. Advantages of porting your number to the Virtual Landline service provider: Saves you Money: By porting your phone number to a cloud connection you no longer depend on a physical address and you do not need to pay for a costly phone line or have a fixed long term contract. With Virtual phone services, you get the flexibility of monthly subscriptions; this means you can leave if you don’t like the service without having to pay a penalty. Flexibility and Mobility: With a cloud-based VoIP Phone System you can easily transfer your current phone number to the cloud, this means that your telephone number stays with you anywhere, anytime. This way you can call from any place in the work and take your phone number with you while relocating or enjoy the advantages of running your company from a single cell phone. Grow your business with Virtual phone system features: Virtual phone systems offer an array of features tailored for your business. You can enjoy features like voicemail to email, free app, Cheap International Calls, UK-based phone support, cheap calling rates, UK Area Codes, IVRs, ring groups, call pickup etc. you get to enjoy enterprise-level features at an affordable rate.

How VoIP can change customer interactions in 2020

How VoIP Can Change Customer Interactions in 2022

Every aspect of life is affected by the digital revolution because this is the era of digitalisation. In today’s business world customer interaction has become the key for every successful business. However, every year new technologies are being introduced, several apps have transformed the way businesses interact with their customers. One such latest technology which we will discuss in this article is Voice Over IP (VoIP), also known as IP telephony. The worldwide market for VoIP phone technology is likely to grow to almost $140 billion by the year 2021. The VoIP phone system will rule 2022, and it’s obvious of the tremendous benefits like flexibility, efficiency and scalability which VoIP has got in its bucket. With time VoIP is evolving, therefore more businesses are implementing this phone system. If you are one of those businesses planning to switch from traditional phone to something better, then the VoIP phone system is your one-stop solution. VoIP Phone System: A leading Solution The traditional phone numbers are attached to a single phone line and a single phone number. But, when you deploy VoIP phone service then the telephone numbers to telephone line ratio is no longer 1:1. For instance, if you have a VoIP PBX system, you have one telephone number with 10 phone lines or can have twenty phone numbers and two phone lines. It is your choice. With VoIP, you can receive and make phone calls from any part of the world. VoIP is also very helpful when it comes to making long-distance phone calls, which otherwise cost quite a huge amount. If you have a start-up or small business, then you wouldn’t want to spend money on expensive phone calls. That’s where cloud-based VoIP phone systems come in, as they are not only beneficial for your business but are cost-effective for your callers also. This way you can ultimately improve your customer services. In short, if you have your company in London but have customers from New York then all you need is to buy local New York VoIP phone numbers to provide ‘local’ customer support. By purchasing a local virtual number, you can remove all the hassles that are related to toll-free phone numbers. You cannot just connect with your customers but also with your business partners easily. Instead of having to travel thousands of miles you can just conduct audio or video meetings over the cloud-based phone system. This way you can save a lot of travelling and long-distance calling. Answer All Your Phone Calls With VoIP, none of your calls will now go unanswered. VoIP PBX phone systems have call forwarding technology that can route the calls to the right department or customer representative. This way, you can provide your customers with instant solutions and their problems are resolved as they occur. All error can be eliminated, and you can have more happy and satisfied customers who would promote your business with word of mouth. With VoIP phone systems you can maximise your productivity and waste less time on voicemails and calling back customers. According to research, businesses with a unified communication solution save almost 49660 hours a year. Save Money on Customer Services Customer service teams can even work remotely and cut extra overheads on office space supplies, staff expenses, utilities, employee benefits program, etc. this way your business can save thousands of dollars every year. Well, known technology brand Dell save more than $39.5 million and cut down energy emissions by permitting their workers to telecommute from home. Transferring voice over data is a lot cheaper than making a phone call from a traditional landline. The monthly cost of a VoIP phone is way less than the traditional phone line. Businesses can save almost 75% by switching to VoIP from the traditional phone. Engage with Customers in a Better Way For any business, its customers are the most important factor and providing them with the best services is the utmost priority. In 2022, customer services will become a number one brand differentiator surpassing product and price. According to research, 86% of customers will pay more to get better customer services. Businesses that struggle with customer services need to choose VoIP Phone Solutions. Nowadays, employees have more information about customers because of which issues are resolved instantly, which can prevent customers from a complaint from escalating to higher authorities and becoming damaging disputes. In order to uphold your business’s position above the competitors, you have to update yourself with recent technological trends and getting a VoIP phone system for your company will be the best decision. One that you wouldn’t regret. So, you need to buck up and enhance your business’s productivity with this flourishing technology.

12 Productivity-boosting Uses for VoIP

With VoIP, businesses have a lot of different means to promote themselves and manage operations. It allows companies to make and pick up calls over the internet and route phone calls at will, freeing businesses from the limitations of fixed lines. By deploying Voice Over IP even the smallest or homed bases companies can establish a virtual office environment that helps them in competing with bigger businesses. Setting up a virtual office: Several entrepreneurs and business base their company operations out of the virtual office. The callers get greeted by a professional phone menu. There is music on hold with recorded messages, flexible voicemail and call back option for when the calls aren’t answered. With VoIP Phone systems your customers can never recognize that you work from home. And for some, it may sound costly, but in reality, the majority of VoIP phone plans include these calling features as standard. 12 ways to Improve productivity using VoIP Phone System: According to research VoIP technology helps businesses increase their productivity radically. We are going to enlist twelve ways VoIP phone can help your business become more productive. Complete control over business telephone system: With VoIP, you can see a list of all your employees and you can call them with just a click. Also, you can easily check the number of dialled calls, missed calls and call lengths. Some VoIP systems might even allow you to listen in to calls giving you complete control. Remote offices: With VoIP you can have remote office function giving you the choice to route all phone calls to another phone. Also, whenever you call someone, your work phone number appears in the recipient’s caller ID. Easy integration with other systems: Every business usually uses different technologies and systems to improve your operational efficiency. VoIP system easily integrates with a variety of other business phone systems. This way you can take benefit of VoIP without changing the existing IT infrastructure or applications. For instance, outbound phone calls can be made through Outlook or other email system or customer record. Call divert: VoIP phone makes it easier to divert phone calls to wherever you are. You can either divert phone calls to a specific phone number or you can have phone calls forwarded to different phone numbers in turn, until you receive the call. L while callers do not even know it is happening. Call forwarding: With VoIP, you can set certain rules so only important phone calls are forwarded to your alternate phone number. This way you can avoid unnecessary phone calls, yet still connect with the important ones. Speed Dial: You can also set up unlimited speed dials to make calls quickly without searching and dialling phone numbers. Conference Calls: VoIP phone allows you to make conference calls with multiple individuals at once and as VoIP utilises internet connection, you shouldn’t need to pay extra for this feature either. Do not disturb: With do not disturb you can avoid interruptions by forwarding calls straight to your voicemail. Voicemail messaging: If you get large call volume then important messages can get buried and few systems might delete messages after a specific time. VoIP allows you to get voicemail messages delivered as audio files in your email so you can listen to them whenever you want. You can save them and share at your will. Priority calls: If you do not want to get disturbed but also don’t want to miss any important calls then you can set up priority alerts that can ring your phone only for the person you are waiting for. This can improve your productivity. Out of office messages: If you are out of office then VoIP phone can send you a message on your mobile allowing you to know if you have received a voicemail. You can also log on to your laptop and check your voicemail messages so you never miss a business opportunity. Scalability: To increase efficiency and effectiveness businesses can scale which is not possible with traditional landline phones. Scalability is one of the biggest advantages of VoIP which supports productivity and efficiency while remaining cost-effective as well. A new way to stay in contact: A VoIP phone system provides an online control panel through which you can change your calling setting from anywhere and anytime. You can generally create and edit your voicemail prompts or you can change your greetings regardless of your physical location. Also, you can conveniently have all calls routed to one phone number. Of course, one of the biggest benefits of deploying VoIP phone system is its cost. Rather than having to pay the capital cost of moving into an office space, paying rent and other overheads, a virtual office can provide a lot of the same services with more freedom and flexibility at a significantly lower cost. If you are looking for a reliable VoIP provider to purchase telephone numbers in the UK then check out VoIP business. They provide a plethora of calling features at most reasonable rates and you can also get a free 30-day trial.

Best Android Apps For VoIP and SIP calls

VoIP apps for android are designed to provide you with an alternative phone service on your mobile for little to no cost. A VoIP app allows you to make phone calls from your mobile. So, you only have to pay for the data usage over 3G/4G. People have become less dependent on mobile networks than they used to be. Now they use Wi-Fi more often. Thanks to all the technological advancements we can now talk to people over the internet just like we would over the phone. Best Android Apps for VoIP and SIP calls 2023 If you are looking for ways to ditch your mobile network, we have compiled a list of apps that are not only cheaper but more efficient. 1. Skype Cost: Free There is no doubt that Skype is one of the most popular Voice Over IP apps available. It is very easy to use and it has direct support from both Microsoft and Facebook. You can use Skype to make audio and video calls and to send text messages as well. You also have the option of masking landline calls for a small fee. Skype has a cross-platform for both mobile and PC devices. The big plus is that it’s free, so you can use it as much as you want without working about the cost. 2. WhatsApp Cost: Free Over the past decade, WhatsApp has become an extremely popular messaging app. Now the app also supports voice and video calls. The app also had extra features such as multimedia support, address book integration, and file attachments. However, if you need an actual phone number then this app is not for you. 3. VoIP Business Cost: Free (with the purchase of extras inside the app) If you an entrepreneur, own a small business or enterprise this is the app for you. With VoIP business, you can purchase phone numbers. It is an all-in-one voice and conferencing solution. With such VoIP services, you can unlock your team’s potential on a unified platform with task management, calendaring, voicemail, file sharing and much more.VoIP business app transforms a phone into an extension on VoIP business PBX to keep employees connected to the customers and office. 4. Facebook Messenger Cost: Free The Facebook app supports messages, voice and video calls. It’s not the best option for text messages. The quality of the app ultimately depends on the speed of the internet. This app heavily relies on resource usage; therefore it doesn’t work on lower or older devices. 5. Viber Cost: Free (with the purchase of extras inside the app) Viber has been quite popular around the work. The app supports complete chat service along with voice and video calls. Also, it has options to include file attachments, stickers, and public chats. However, stickers do cost a little. 6. Google Hangouts Cost: Free Google hangouts work like Facebook messenger. It supports text messages, voice, video and group calls. You can also connect your Google Voice number for phone calls, SMS and voicemail. If you want an app to only make voice and video calls then Google Duo is better. Google Hangouts is for people who want a little bit of everything. 7. Google Duo Cost: Free Google Duo is one of the latest videos calling app. It supports regular voice calling well. Though for the calling to work everyone has to be on Duo. The app has an excellent voice and video quality. It does come pre-installed on some new android phones. 8. Signal Private Messenger Cost: Free If you want an app that has privacy features then try Signal Private Messenger. The app supports texting and voice calls but does not have a prominent feature list. However, it does feature above-average privacy, security capabilities, and encryption and can integrate with your existing phone number and contact list. 9. MizuDroid SIP VoIP Softphone Cost: Free MizuDroid is one of the few VoIP Phones apps that are regularly updated on Google Play. However, you need an existing SIP account to use it, it does support several SIP accounts, call diversion, VoIP systems, and tunnelling, IM, encryption and voicemail functionalities. It is simple to use but the UI featured in this app is a bit older. 10. MagicApp Cost: $9.99 per year, some parts are free. magicApp is one of the more popular VoIP/SIP apps. It uses a person’s existing phone number to make calls. The app supports SMS, cross-platform support and landline support. However, this app is not free. Try a free signup with VoIP Business.

The Ultimate Business VoIP Phone System Buyer’s Guide

What is a Business VoIP Phone System? A business VoIP phone is a communication service that provides data or calls packets across the internet. The VoIP technology utilises a digital signal data packet to convert into voice calls, it allows people to make phone calls from a VoIP phone, desktop or laptop to any other device which has internet. It is important to understand the technical terms which are used to explain VoIP phone technology, and which will be used in this guide. There are two most commonly utilised technical terms that are used to describe the VoIP phone are ‘VoIP PBX’ and ‘IP PBX’. Both these terms are confused often, but they have different meanings. Let’s understand these terminologies. VoIP = VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a phone system that handles your connection to your phone service provider. then it directs your phone call control functionality over internet protocol technology. IP = IP stands for Internet Protocol. It is a technique of transporting phone call or data packets across your Local Area Network or a Wide Area Network. PSTN = The PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network. The regular circuit-switched phone network, which started in the late 1880s, uses copper wires to transmit the analogue voice data. PBX = The PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. It is a communication system that manages your phone and call control functionality, fax machine whilst at the same time maintaining your connection the PSTN. Which VoIP Hosting service is the Best? A VoIP phone system depends mainly on the IP network in order to control the user’s data transmissions. Hence, before you look at the VoIP phone features, you will need to decide how you want your IP network hosted. As we have mentioned earlier, there are three VoIP hosting options: Hosted VoIP When selecting an off-premise hosted option, you will have to pay a regular subscription to the VoIP service provider. in turn, they organise your essential network structure on their global data centres. The scalability of a hosted VoIP system is its major benefit, it allows you to change your subscription kind to match your daily business priorities. The Hosted VoIP phone system for business is remote and user-friendly, and the VoIP service providers provide software that your team can install on their mobile devices. Since the service runs on third-party servers, also you can make and pick phone calls anywhere you are in the world. Your provider will determine which VoIP features to include or eliminate from every subscription tier, depending on your business needs, also which leaves the system enhancements to their will. The tiered subscription model eliminates large upfront charges however remember charges can rise as your business grows. On-Site VoIP The on-site VoIP phone systems are customised mainly for large organisations, businesses, and government agencies. These organisations or government agencies buy in-house VoIP phone infrastructure instead of subscribing to an off-site VoIP phone service. The drawback of an on-site system is the high upfront fees associated with installing the hardware onsite and setting up a secure IP network. Purchasing and setting up the VoIP network servers are costly. Hybrid VoIP A Hybrid VoIP system combines a lot of the ‘benefits’ of on-premise and hosted VoIP. A traditional example of a hybrid communication solution will be connecting a non-VoIP enabled PBX system to a VoIP service provider’s network through gateway servers. One of the greatest pros while utilising a Hybrid PBX solution is that if you experience VoIP services outage then you will still be able to make phone calls through a standard PSTN. What VoIP Features do you require for your business? Following are the most common features you can find in a VoIP system: Call Monitoring and Call Recording Call Park, Call Pick-up Call Reporting Call Queues and Call Routing Call Forwarding, Three-way Calling Caller ID, Call Transfers, Call Waiting Conference Calling Direct Inward Dialling (DID) Auto Attendant Application Integration Integrated Messaging Mobile Applications Remote or Virtual Extensions Web-based Management Analytics and Monitoring Tools Notifications and Screen Pops In-Queue Music and Messaging Voicemail and Voicemail to Email Now you can understand that a VoIP system’s critical features cover almost everything an organisation or business requirements. VoIP Phone Systems for Buyer: Presently, there are six VoIP systems available on the market. We are not going to refer to brands, rather a functionality. You will understand every system and then consider what your business might need now or in the future. On-Site PBX system Hosted PBX system Proprietary VoIP system Hybrid Phone system Open Source VoIP system Open Source-based VoIP Phone system What is an On-Site PBX? An on-site PBX or IP PBX system is like a traditional PBX phone system which is set up at the business’s location and is generally found in a phone closet or computer equipment room. What is a Hosted PBX? The Hosted PBX also called hosted VoIP, is where the VoIP provider is accountable for housing the IP-PBX and control the technology which provides the services to an IP phone system. What is a Proprietary VoIP System? A proprietary VoIP system is the fundamental operating system and a PBX software called closed ‘block box’ technology. You will have no access to the system source code or have no insight into how the underlying operating system works. What is a Hybrid Phone System? A Hybrid system is an upgrade option for organisations or businesses which are switching to a VoIP system but don’t want to invest in re-cabling/re-wiring or replacing their TDM*PBX. What is an Open Source VoIP System? This phone system is the fundamental operating system and a PBX software which is free and available to the public. The users have complete access and control over the source and how it works. What is an Open ‘Source-Based’ System? This type of phone system is the underlying operating system and a PBX software which is: first, open source at the core and second, with the propriety code built on top. Now that you are familiar to all six VoIP phone systems, you can understand all different kinds of operations available on the market. How Much Does a VoIP System Costs? While estimating how much VoIP phone systems cost, you need to notice that there is no set cost which any VoIP service provider can initially display. The reason that every business has unique communication needs. Below we have mentioned seven pricing aspects which you need to ask your service provider before you buy a phone system: Setup and Hosting Fees VoIP Monthly Cost Level of Subscription Number of Users Phone Equipment Additional Equipment Broadband Setup and Hosting Fees When you decide where to host a VoIP system, you need to know the service Provider’s tiered subscription charges. Remember that a hosted VoIP system rarely has any setup cost. VoIP Monthly Cost When you try to find out the overall charges of a VoIP system, you also will notice that charges start around £7.99/ month per user for VoIP phone and rises from there. There are a lot of reasons why cost fluctuates: the total number of devices, the number of users or the hosted plan is chosen. Level of Subscription A VoIP service provider usually provides multiple tiered plans. Using VoIPbusiness as an example, they offer three packages: ‘Basic’, ‘Standard’ and ‘Premium’. Every plan has a fixed monthly charge and there is no setup cost. Number of Users VoIP service providers charge a monthly fee based on the number of users or workers at a company. Phone Equipment The compatible IP phone has dropped in price dramatically and generally, they begin around £60-£70 but depending on the features the cost can go up to hundreds of pounds. Additional Equipment With new VoIP systems, most of the hardware is included with except for extra headsets and adaptors. Usually, you can purchase a new headset for around £30-£40. If you want to add an analogue phone adaptor, they are £50 to £60. Broadband VoIP phone depends on a robust, sturdy and fast broadband connection, hence an internet service which provides a minimum of 10 Mbps need to provide you a continuous VoIP phone experience. But, as your business grows, you might have to increase broadband services. How Can VoIP Phone Systems Help Business of every size? Despite the size of your business, VoIP systems have become a standard for today’s successful company. VoIP phone has made it possible for SMEs to see giant growth in customer satisfaction by using the features provided with the VoIP systems. Start-up and Small businesses Costs VoIP phone allows your broadband connection to transform that connection into a phone line enabling VoIP phone to operate at a decreased rate. Social Reinforcement VoIP providers can make your company appear bigger, but just at a portion of the price with their out-of-the-box calling features. Medium-sized businesses Organisation When your company’s size increases, it is essential that your workers remain organised in their separate specialisations. Productivity When organising, your team remains critical for productivity, being capable to gather and understand data is vital as well. Bigger businesses Mobility Having a Virtual Phone Numbers wherever you go. As VoIP is digital, all that is required is a data-driven device and an internet connection. Management Call Monitoring and call recording is not just a great way to train new workers, but, it helps in protecting a company against scam as well. Regardless of the size of your operation, a VoIP system have solutions which are customised to suit your business requirements. With a wide range of VoIP phone technologies offered, no company is too small or too big. Reliability of VoIP Phone Systems When thinking about switching to a VoIP phone system for the first time, as a business owner you need to understand the reliability of the VoIP technology. Like any other product, the VoIP phone technology does have its benefits and drawbacks. Benefits Low Cost While comparing VoIP phones vs. traditional telephone systems, the VoIP is less costly. Rather than paying constantly fixed telephone carriage charges, the voice signal utilises the IP connection to deliver your phone calls for free over the internet or in rare circumstances at a decreased per call rate. Mobility The VoIP system allows you to take your phone with you. You simply just connect your phone system anyplace with an available internet connection and you will be up and running in just minutes. In addition, you wouldn’t have to get a new number since numbers are transferable. No Additional Charges for Features A VoIP phone system provides a lot of robust features at no additional cost. These features include call waiting, call conferencing, call forwarding and caller ID. With the traditional telephone services, these features are add-ons and an additional cost to the business. Traditional telephone and Fax Support While you make the switch to the VoIP phone system, you wouldn’t have new phone hardware initially. Service providers usually have devices which will convert traditional phone and fax machine signals into digital data packets to transmit over the internet connection. Low Cost No Additional cost for Features Portability High Internet Bandwidth Required Location Hidden from Emergency Calls Traditional telephone and Fax Support Incessant Internet Connection and Power Supply Required How is a VoIP System Set Up? When you are prepared to proceed and switch over to VoIP services. To start the conversion, you need to follow the five-step procedure which you and your service provider will discuss before setting up a new phone system. Network Evaluation With the need assessment documented, you will next move to Local Area Network Assessment. When a VoIP system uses your LAN system, you have to check the current network to decide if a VoIP phone may cause any added stress on the network. The information which is revealed here is an essential step in the procedure. Internet Connectivity Just as carefully as your business needs and LAN network are assessed, your broadband connectivity requires assessing as well. As you will use the VoIP system to make phone calls, you need to ensure your internet has the required bandwidth to support the phone system since VoIP calling brings extra traffic. Installation, Support, and Constant Maintenance Now it is the decision time. However, who will do all the behind the scenes tasks? Your employees or the VoIP Business provider? a lot of business owners are contented in taking care of their phone system, from installing, maintaining and supporting a VoIP system in-house. Those who do not want the responsibility can register the services of a VoIP provider to undertake that role. Selection of System, End Points, and Voice Services With all the assessments made and the decisions about who handles your phone system completed, you will go to the VoIP phone selection. After you chose your phone system, you will have to decide on the VoIP phones you actually wish to use. Majority of service providers have a huge range to pick from. Lastly, you will have to select a service provider and the kind of voice services which you will include in your VoIP plan. Training and Onboarding VoIP phone with Your Employees With your VoIP phone set up and completely functioning, you can start to explore the features incorporated and get your employees familiar with them. Majority of features are user-friendly, and the web interface is easy to navigate. Before you can start using the VoIP phone system, there’s one last part which needs addressing. Is the provider offering training or onboarding for your VoIP phone or are you going to have to deliver these services? You need to ask your VoIP service provider about their training and onboarding process. With a new VoIP phone system in place, your employees will require help to quickly get to know the interface. There are four concerns which you will have to inquire about are: Online Support Training Account and Billing Setup Number Porting Online Support Majority of VoIP service providers provide online support, like a business’s knowledge base or an extended section of Frequently Asked Questions. There you can find how to and video guides which covers everything related to system and features. Training Generally, materials which are supplied include introductory manuals, materials and training guides, and at times virtual training for users and business administrators. Account and Billing Setup Usually, VoIP providers achieve this set up right away and offer online access to account details and billing. Number Porting Whenever a new user needs to transfer their current numbers over to a new phone system, it is known as ‘porting’. This is managed by the service provider. During that time, you will be supplied temporary phone numbers until the porting completes.

Hosted VOIP PBX – Avoiding the Use of Huge Physical Phone Equipment

Selecting a hosted VoIP solution for your business can remove a lot of burdens if you are stuck with the traditional phone system. It can be tough to break old habits, and one such habit is using traditional phones because they have been around for decades and you cannot imagine your business working without them. However, you are missing out on a lot, because the VoIP technology can take away the majority of the telephone equipment problems which you have been enduring for too long. A few of those issues are ones you have merely tolerated. It is also a fact that when you use a piece of equipment for so long the liabilities can start to become invisible. Nonetheless, as the competition in the business world is increasing, you may probably start to notice those problems more evidently. Let’s discuss the burdens which you have faced with massive and huge communications equipment and how VoIP technology can resolve this problem for once and all. The burden of Maintaining an On-premise Hosted VOIP PBX Server If you use the traditional telephones, then you probably also have CRM software where all caller information is stored through an on-premise server. Having to Maintain your own server can be a huge financial risk. If something were to go wrong with your server then you would be responsible for getting it fixed in an appropriate manner. But, if you lag then it could result in excessive downtime. With extra repair time also you will lose hundreds or maybe thousands of pounds. Hosted VOIP PBX that operate through the cloud allows you to drop the responsibility of maintaining your own server. Your VoIP service provider allows you to store all your call data through an offsite cloud server.in case if you travel a lot or work then you can search for any information that you might need anywhere that has internet. During disasters, you can retrieve your telephone system in another location instantly. The burden of Maintaining the telephone Equipment Landline telephones have not transformed a lot in appearance from the way they decades ago. Even though these have touch-tone buttons or different digital touch-ups these phones still take up a lot of room on a desk. Even though the world is becoming more wireless each day, yet these phones are still not wireless. Every physical phone still needs a cord to be attached to the receiver and needs several bundles of wires for plug-ins. This means having to hire technicians to connect the telephones properly, also needing time for training. Then there the big responsibility of maintenance which can happen more often than you know. Recently, you might have had to switch your phone at least once a year and maintain is several times yearly. As a business develops more deterioration is inevitable on those phones. Though cost is a huge aspect in maintaining phone equipment. Constantly substituting those phones can start to eat your profits substantially. VoIP phone systems operate through an existing internet connection, so you can remove the physical phones finally. Going Wireless Finally All the infinite wires and cables can become maddening after some time. Having to spend additional connecting a million devices throughout the business can become almost unbearable to manage. Yet, wireless technology is making this outdated slowly. VoIP phone technology is at the forefront to help eliminate the muddled wire and cable maze. A majority of VoIP service providers offer you wireless headphones which allow your employees to use the phone whilst moving around. It doesn’t bound them to be knotted to a desk and hold a corded phone receiver for hours at a time. The days of stressed employees hunched over a cumbersome phone can become history. Competitive Advantage of Hosted VoIP PBX Given the pace of technological advancements, every small business worry that their investment in the infrastructure and technology will be rendered outdated is just a short amount of time. This worry is reinforced by the past investments which they made in old phone systems since the parts or replacement phones become more and more costly and difficult to find. This makes having a traditional phone system extremely costly. With the hosted PBX, the burden to maintain a phone system has shifted completely to the VoIP service provider. they are always the phone technology and related features on the cutting edge and certifying the newest VoIP phone system on their platform. As time passes, businesses are introduced to new capabilities and features. As their phones age and become damaged then they can be easily replaced with a newer model which will work with any old phone which they continue to use. Many small businesses still are scared of VoIP technology since they lack the proper information. However, the small businesses switching to Hosted VoIP get the enterprise-level features, low cost of purchase, monthly cost savings, avoid obsolescence and flexibility in deployment. They can use these features to enhance their communications both internally and externally. All of this delivers a competitive benefit to their business, which can help them flourish and succeed in today’s market climate. Whether your business is small or large with VoIP you become the competition. You can get the attention of your target audience. You can earn your customers satisfaction and loyalty. Hence, you can get a competitive edge over the competition. Every small business deserves the same competitive advantage as its huge counterparts. If you own a small business, then you do your research for hosted VoIP providers and gain this benefit over your competition.

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