Despite the rise in use of mobile devices, most businesses still need a dedicated number for customer service and contact in their premises such as those offered by Office Space Bracknell business officespacebracknell.co.uk. In the past, this was usually a landline. However, landlines are being phased out, and VoIP is the telephony platform of the future. Both of these systems are viable options for any business but it will depend very much on how your business operates, the number of staff and your office opening times as to which one is more beneficial to you. Here is how they differ.
Essential definitions
A landline is a phone connection that uses wire – often copper – to connect phones to a central system. This technology is quite old, as it was introduced in the late 19th century. Landline, or analogue connections, work by using switch boxes to facilitate exchanges and put two phones in contact so a conversation can take place. The features that can be offered with this kind of technology are limited to fairly basic extras such as call waiting, call blocking and voicemail. Landlines depend on hardware installed by engineers. For more background on how landlines came to be phased out, see this report in The Observer.
Telephony that uses the internet
VoIP – or Voice over Internet Protocol – makes conversations happen thanks to connectivity that uses the internet. VoIP telephones connect to each other via broadband, transmitting information digitally. A VoIP system is not connected by copper wires. Installing and maintaining a VoIP system is much easier than a landline system as there is no complicated hardware that needs attention.
VoIP can handle all the extras that landlines can deliver, and give increased functionality as well, in the form of versatile security, dedicated numbers for clients and geographical independence, as a VoIP system can be logged into anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection. Plus VoIP offers significant cost savings for businesses operating globally, with low rates for international calls. A VoIP provider should be able to deliver wholesale voice termination that cuts communication costs.
Even if a business is really attached to its landline system, VoIP will have to be embraced eventually. BT has announced that landlines will be phased out over the next few years, and this is probably a good thing for most businesses as VoIP delivers flexibility and a range of services that are up to date and can help to boost business productivity.
