Top 10 Benefits of Hosted VoIP for Growing Businesses

Hosted VoIP is a cloud-based telephony solution that uses the internet to facilitate voice, video, and data communications rather than relying on traditional phone networks.

Users access communication features through the provider’s hosted platform, bypassing the complexity of managing in-house telephony systems. Hosted VoIP solutions typically include advanced features like call forwarding, voicemail transcription, virtual receptionist services, and video conferencing capabilities.

Hosted VoIP systems offer significant advantages in flexibility and scalability. By leveraging the internet, users can make and receive calls virtually anywhere using various devices like desktop phones, software-based phones, and mobile applications.

Whether you need a basic business phone VoIP service for your new office or sophisticated call center software that supports agents and locations nationwide, Plow Networks can help determine the most reliable hosted VoIP solutions to meet your needs.

VoIP phones are generally less expensive than a traditional wired telephone service.  The biggest reason it is cheaper than a conventional telephone service is because it uses internet connections and devices you already have instead of needing a separate system and extra hardware. VoIP operates over the internet, which most businesses already have. This means VoIP services won’t require additional wires installed for each line.

In addition, companies that switch to VoIP get an immediate reduction in their long-distance calling fees. Calling someone located down the street is pretty much identical to calling someone on the other side of the country. Because voice calls are placed over the Internet and don’t require the infrastructure of a traditional phone system, the costs to make long-distance phone calls are minimal and sometimes non-existent.

Scaling communication systems is an essential aspect of business growth. Traditional phone systems can be cumbersome and costly to scale, often requiring physical infrastructure changes and additional hardware installations. VoIP services positively impact your business as they help overcome these barriers and scale business communication systems seamlessly.

With VoIP, adding new phone lines or expanding the system to accommodate more users becomes a breeze without traditional systems’ physical limitations.

Since VoIP operates over the Internet, it requires minimal hardware and infrastructure changes. This means businesses can effortlessly adapt their communication systems to accommodate increasing workforces, remote teams, or expanding customer bases.

By using VoIP services, businesses can ensure that their communication systems can grow with their organizational needs.

It’s also important to note that in a hosted VoIP system, the hardware and software that support the service are managed by a third-party provider via the cloud. This means businesses don’t need to invest in or maintain their telecommunications infrastructure.

Not so long ago, people worked in a designated physical location – in an office or at least on-site. Although remote work options existed, they were not widely used. Despite the existence of VoIP for remote workers, most people continued to work in traditional office settings during regular business hours.

However, remote work has become commonplace. And companies are now seeing the benefits of providing VoIP for their remote workers – using managed service providers and cloud computing to ensure continued operation.

This has made VoIP phone services the norm. With Hosted VoIP, you can answer your business phone anywhere you have an Internet connection, so you’re not tethered to the office. It’s ideal for remote work and mobile teams.

Hosted VoIP also offers personalization and great management features. Here are just a handful of some key VoIP features.

1. Call Forwarding

Call forwarding is a lifesaver for mobile and remote workers or anyone who is not always at their desk. When unavailable, you can set calls to automatically redirect to your cell phone, home office, or even a colleague. It ensures you never miss important calls, even on the go.

2. Video Conferencing

Video calls are must-haves for remote and hybrid work environments. Video conferencing adds a visual dimension to your calls, allowing face-to-face interactions, regardless of location.

You can read body language, share screens to review documents and use virtual backgrounds to maintain a professional appearance from anywhere. It’s not just for internal meetings; it can be used for client presentations, job interviews, or virtual events.

3. Auto-attendants

Auto-attendants are virtual receptionists who greet callers with a professional message and help them navigate to the correct department or person.

You get a 24/7 front desk that never takes a coffee break. This feature streamlines your call handling, ensuring callers get to the right place quickly without tying up your staff.

4. Voicemail-to-email

Voicemail to text converts voice messages into text transcriptions. The best business phone systems can deliver completed transcriptions and specific email addresses to your inbox. Then, you can also share completed transcripts with other team members.

5. Instant Messaging

Team chat brings the quick, casual nature of SMS into your work environment. It’s great for those questions or comments that don’t quite warrant an email or a call.

Need a quick answer? Ping a colleague. Want to share a link? Instant message it over.

Most hosted VoIP systems come with instant messaging capabilities. That’s great for customers who want other options besides email and phone calls.

It keeps communication flowing without cluttering inboxes or interrupting calls. Remember your company’s policies on saving or archiving these conversations, mainly if you discuss sensitive information.

When VoIP service first rolled around, one of its most significant disadvantages was its weak call quality. Calls would drop for no reason, the voice quality was bogus, and latency was the order of the day.

As long as you have a fast and stable Internet connection, voice quality should not be an issue. VoIP calls are crisp and clear, with no latency issues, lag, or call dropouts. We’ve all been on a miserable voice and video conference before. The key to VoIP call quality is a robust connection with good bandwidth.

Innovations such as noise-canceling microphones and advanced audio compression enable VoIP phones to achieve superior sound quality.

VoIP integration allows you to use external and third-party tools, platforms, and systems alongside your VoIP solution. VoIP solutions already have many useful tools; however, if you need to add additional tools or have a favorite you want to keep using, VoIP’s integration capability can help.

VoIP can integrate with some of the most popular tech tools. This includes CRM systems that allow you to store and manage customer data. We have already mentioned email clients, but these integrations offer several advantages, with Outlook and Google Workspace being popular for collaborative business use.

Your VoIP system (depending on the model you choose) can integrate with various external tools. However, select integration options are popular because they work to take your communication and customer experience to the next level.

• CRM
• Email clients
• Messaging platforms
• Project management software

VoIP systems offer a variety of cooperation choices beyond simple audio communication. Different VoIP systems provide various collaboration functions, including screen sharing, file sharing, videoconferencing, and instant messaging.

These characteristics make the workplace more alive and engaged, allowing team members to collaborate on projects in real time, share ideas, and boost overall productivity.

VoIP unites multiple communication channels to a single platform by acting as a central communications hub. This specialization makes it easier to manage a variety of systems and makes the administration of communication tools simpler.

The team members can collaborate more effectively because voicemails, messages, and collaboration tools are all integrated into a single platform, which makes it easier for them to do so.

VoIP makes it possible for teams spread across multiple continents to communicate seamlessly and removes geographical obstacles. VoIP enables effective communication even with varying work schedules and time zone variations.

Downtime can be incredibly costly for businesses. Most organizations have a disaster recovery plan for their servers, networks, and computers, and VoIP allows them to implement a plan for their phone communications. VoIP takes control from the telephone carriers and puts it in the hands of your client or business.

VoIP offers inherent benefits to business continuity and can help improve a company’s overall preparedness. Even if the business is located in an area where natural disasters are uncommon, cyberattacks are becoming more common and must be a part of your business continuity plan.

When your organization needs to keep mission-critical communications running around the clock, a reputable VoIP provider with a reliable network will ensure continuous operation. A cloud-based voice application offers high reliability and availability for on-site and remote operations. When you partner with a quality platform, your connection will be secure and redundant to ensure callers can reach your client or business.

VoIP systems are not just a phone anymore but a business intelligence tool. VoIP platforms capture and report a substantial breadth of call data that can provide in-depth metrics on who’s calling when they call and their experience. It’s like Google Analytics for your phone. Recognizing the complex needs of clients, as well as the resources needed to address them, isn’t easy. It takes data and analysis to create evidence. Decision-making becomes easier once you know who is calling, for what resources, and at what times.

VoIP setup is fast and hardware-light — usually requiring just an IP phone or desktop app download to get started. There’s no technician wiring or installation process. Phone number porting from landlines is also quicker, often completed in 1-2 business days.

VoIP systems can be set up quickly. With minimal hardware requirements, users across multiple locations can start making internet-based calls in minutes after downloading a simple smartphone app.

Most organizations can fully migrate from legacy landlines to VoIP phone services quicker than installing new landlines. Careful pre-planning and working with experienced VoIP vendors simplify the transition.

The VoIP provider manages the hardware in the cloud, eliminating the need for on-site equipment and IT expertise. Your phones connect directly to the provider’s servers, offering features like call routing between offices and smooth integration with other cloud-based applications.

As we’ve noted, hosted VoIP can be an excellent choice for businesses thanks to its cost savings, scalability, mobility features, and robust calling capabilities, which are included at no extra cost.

Hosted VoIP supports your business growth by making it easy to expand to fit your needs, unlike a traditional phone system, which requires expensive private branch exchanges and other equipment. Adding new people to the system is as easy as ordering another VoIP Phone. Because a VoIP phone system is entirely customizable, you can adjust your settings to fit your business’s and each employee’s needs.

Is it time to switch to a Hosted VoIP provider who can deliver on your business needs? Plow Networks can help you find and implement the right Hosted VoIP services for your business. Explore our Hosted VoIP services now.