If you’re looking to learn all about VoIP services, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to cover what VoIP telephony is, which advantages of VoIP can benefit you, what the difference between VoIP systems and traditional telephone systems are, and much more.

Below is a quick overview of the topics we’ll cover:

Voice over internet protocol, also known as voice over IP, or VoIP for short, is a way to facilitate audio calls over an internet connection.

Essentially, the thing that separates VoIP calls from analog phone calls is the routing they implement. Where an analog telephone uses traditional phone lines to connect callers, VoIP calling links two or more endpoints by using the internet.

As for how voice over internet protocol can be used, it’s highly versatile. Anytime you use internet-based voice communications, you’re using VoIP. That includes making voice calls, hosting or joining video meetings, and messaging using voice recordings.

In short, if you’re sending voice signals to one or more people via the internet, you’re using VoIP.

What is IP telephony?

VoIP and IP telephony are very similar, to the point at which they can often be used interchangeably.

We’ve established what VoIP is, so let’s take a look at IP telephony in more detail.

If VoIP is the technology (or protocol) that lets people make calls via the internet, IP telephony is the larger communications system that uses that mechanism. In other words, IP telephony depends on VoIP.

An IP phone system is one that connects to a global IP network or internet service to make calls. It’s a telecommunications system that places calls using VoIP.

That’s why IP telephony and VoIP refer to the same thing: internet telephony.

How do VoIP calls work?

We already know that VoIP calls are made using the internet. But what does that mean in practical terms?

Let’s start by considering how traditional telephones work.

When you use a traditional phone system to make phone calls, your phone connects to the public switched telephone network or PSTN. That network then transfers your audio input to the person (or people) you’re calling using physical wires so they can hear what you’re saying in real-time.

VoIP phone services work similarly. The major difference is that devices in a VoIP phone system don’t send your data via physical phone lines, but via the internet using VoIP protocol (IP telephony).

In order for audio data to be transmitted in this way, it has to be converted into digital signals first. So, what happens is that you speak into your device the same way you normally would. Your input is then automatically converted into a digital format using VoIP technologies. That data then gets sent to the people on the other end of the line.

To users, VoIP phones work virtually the same as traditional phones.

The biggest difference on the user end is the fact that you can make VoIP calls from many more devices than just your analog phone - but we’ll get into that later.

What is a VoIP phone?

Essentially, the term “VoIP phone” simply describes any device that can use VoIP to place calls. This includes mobile devices like smartphones, as well as tech-based softphones.

Some phones, particularly softphones, are designed specifically to be used with mobile VoIP. These tend to work best as VoIP phones - and sometimes don’t work as traditional phones at all.

Top 4 uses for a VoIP phone system

1. Enterprise-level businesses. Connecting lots of employees to the company network is both fast and easy with VoIP phone systems.
2. Small business phone solutions. The smaller a company is, the fewer resources they typically have access to. That’s why small businesses stand to gain the most from using VoIP systems: they can scale up, place any number of phone calls, and connect with people all over the world for a fixed price.
3. Unified communications. If you’re looking to bring all your business communications together into one single communications platform, a UCaaS solution is something to consider. UCaaS providers usually offer VoIP as part of their communications solution package, allowing users to text, call, and video chat all in one app.
4. Contact centers. Few departments or sectors deal with quite as many incoming calls as contact centers. That’s why they can always benefit from a phone system as flexible and versatile as VoIP telephony.

• Voicemail. If customers or business partners aren’t able to reach you, they should at least be able to leave you a message. That way, you’ll be able to call them back when you’re available - plus, you’ll already know what the call’s regarding.
• Conference calling capabilities. It’s important for customers to be able to contact sales or customer support, just as it’s important for your company’s employees to have the option of hosting meetings. Conference calling is a great way to do this.
• An auto attendant. Sometimes called a “virtual receptionist”, auto attendants act as operators that direct your callers to the right place. Having one for your VoIP-based business phone system ensures that everyone who calls your company’s phone number gets put through to the appropriate department or agent right away.
• Caller ID. This makes it easier to know how to respond when you receive calls since you’ll always know who’s calling before you pick up.
• Video conferencing capabilities. Being able to start a video call with business partners, teammates, and/or customers helps employees have meaningful discussions. It’s also hugely helpful in making sure every member of the team feels connected to each other, particularly when they’re located in different places. This is more typically a UCaaS feature, so not all VoIP phone systems support it. It is, though, highly useful for supercharging teamwork and boosting communications.
• Call recording. When you’re able to access recordings of any given call you’ve received on your VoIP phone system, you’ll always have proof of what was said in those calls. You’ll also be able to use real-life examples of past calls to train new contact center agents or other employees who will be dealing with a lot of incoming calls.

Broadly speaking, VoIP systems have great hardware compatibility.

If your device can connect to the internet, as well as send and receive audio data, you can use it to place VoIP calls. That means pretty much any cell phone, laptop, and tablet, as well as many kinds of desk phones are good choices for VoIP-compatible hardware.

The same goes for handsets and accessories. If you’ve got a favorite headset to wear while you make calls, you can use it with your VoIP telephone.

• High levels of VoIP security. Any VoIP service provider worth their salt should be able to give you a security guarantee. In other words, they need to have strong control protocols in place that protect you and your data when you use their VoIP service. Their data breach policies should be transparent and readily accessible.
• Supports HD call quality. Nobody likes struggling to hear what the people they’re talking to are saying, or having to interrupt meetings to get people to repeat things they’ve said. That’s why your VoIP provider should support high-quality calls most, if not all, of the time.
• Can support large numbers of users per month. Whether you’re a small, medium, or large business, you’ll want two things: for your current employees to have access to your VoIP solution, and for your business to be able to expand. That’s easier to do the more users per month your VoIP provider can support.
• Unlimited voice traffic processing. In line with the previous point, a business phone system that can’t handle your daily business voice traffic isn’t the right one for you. Providers should be able to confidently state that their phone system can process as much voice traffic as your business requires.
• Getting you the communication tools you need. Placing calls is well and good, but sometimes what you need is video calling capabilities. Or an integrated email client. Or perhaps in-app messaging functions. A UCaaS platform gives you all of these and more. UCaaS providers usually offer VoIP as part of their unified communications solutions.

If you’ve still got any questions about VoIP telephony after checking this article, we’ll do our best to answer them here.

What do I need to start using VoIP telephony?

The list of physical items you need to get started with a VoIP phone system isn’t extensive. All you really need is at least one device to place calls with, an internet (either broadband or data) connection, and a provider.

If you’ve already got a lot of analog devices, it might be a good idea to pick a provider that can give you analog telephone adapters. These allow you to keep using your existing tech while still enjoying all the VoIP benefits possible.

Is a VoIP phone system difficult to install?

Not at all. VoIP phone systems are very easy to set up and can be installed within minutes. Since VoIP solutions rely on software, as opposed to hardware, there’s no need for a physical installation to take place.

That means that once you’ve chosen your provider and your pricing plan, you can simply install your VoIP system via a download.

How flexible are VoIP solutions?

The short answer is extremely flexible.

The one thing to keep in mind about VoIP is that there are many different types of business communications systems that rely on it. In other words, you can choose exactly which type of VoIP telephony solution works best for your company, offering a lot of flexibility.

In particular, UCaaS-based VoIP systems tend to come in the form of platforms that can be accessed from all kinds of devices. You’d just need to download an app, and then you could use the service from whichever device has access to that app.

The exact functionalities that come with VoIP solutions also vary hugely depending on the specific provider you’ve chosen. Some are fully-built UCaaS systems with all kinds of bells and whistles attached, while others come as a bare-bones phone system that you can configure yourself if you require further options.

Can I keep my phone number if I switch to a VoIP system?

This depends entirely on your provider. Many will offer options to let you keep using the same number you’re used to, though some only offer it as a premium option you’ll have to pay for.

If this is very important to your business, it’s a good idea to double-check the policies each provider has in regards to retaining existing phone numbers.

Does VoIP telephony work with a PBX?

Yes. But first, let’s define what a PBX is.

A PBX, or private branch exchange, is an internal phone network that connects office phones to each other. It facilitates easy transferring of calls between phones within its network. There are two types of PBX systems.

• On-premises PBX - All the hardware and infrastructure for the PBX system is hosted within the company’s premises. Office phones are connected directly to the PBX system using physical wire.
• Cloud PBX - This is a VoIP-powered solution that uses the internet, rather than physical wires, to facilitate the call routing process. The infrastructure is hosted off-site by a third-party provider.

VoIP works with cloud PBX systems by default as VoIP is a critical component of the technology. On the other hand, on-premise PBX systems might still be working with analog phones and would need adapters before they can be used with VoIP telephony.

How do I know if VoIP is right for me?

Broadly speaking, anyone who’s got access to the internet and needs a phone solution can use VoIP.

VoIP is often the right choice for any company that’s hoping to scale up or expand in the near future. It’s also a good option for anyone looking to move away from a hardware-based solution.

Of course, if you’re not sure whether VoIP telephony would be a good fit for you, the best way to find out is to actually give it a try. Many providers will offer a free demo or trial version of their VoIP telephony solutions, so you can see for yourself whether they suit your business’s needs.