What is VoIP and Its Costs: Is it available in the UK?
VoIP:
VoIP stands for the Voice over Internet Protocol. This protocol allows you to make and receive video and phone calls over the internet, rather than use a landline. With VoIP, you are able to make any call, even without a physical phone at hand. This is because you can use what are called “soft phones” with the VoIP protocol, meaning you can use any internet connected device, with the capability to install the required phone app to make and receive calls.
VoIP service provider:
VoIP service providers enables the businesses to use VoIP systems. These providers will help you understand what type of VoIP systems you may need, along with all of their requirements, such as bandwidth, or international calling if required.
Pros of using a VoIP system:
The use of VoIP is usually cheaper to run yet provides more functionality. The main benefits of VoIP can include:
Improved communication and collaboration:
VoIP assists in improving communication and collaboration by being extremely easy to access from a desktop, mobile, or any compatible device. This means that staff can remain connected, and available to converse, even while on the move. This is also extremely beneficial when working from home.
Ease of management:
With VoIP, it is much simpler to manage users remotely. Groups are created for the users, make in extremely simple to add and remove users, along with managing users’ licenses.
Lower in cost:
VoIP provides a lower cost of call as compared to traditional phone system providers. Management means to contact the consultant, but now the system can be managed by a web portal. VoIP costs around £10/per user/month for the business. For hardware, you need to pay £100. The cost of 15 user VOIP system is about £1500 to set up and around £150/per month. The phone system includes 5000 minutes per user per month to UK landlines, phones, and three numbers.
VoIP phones tend to provide a much lower cost of call as compared to traditional phone system providers. On average, a VoIP plan usually costs between £10/£15/per user/month for a fully-fledged VoIP system. Hardware costs can essentially be eliminated, due to the use of soft phones being utilized, in contrast to a traditional phone system.
The four main components that define the cost of VoIP are given below:
- Number of users
- Physical handsets
- Features of phones
- Frequency of calls
