smallbusiness.co.uk: Helping your business think big

Produced in association with Onetel


By its very nature, the telecoms industry is driven by engineering and innovation, but to the uninitiated it can seem full of baffling techno-jargon. This problem is exacerbated when companies fail to demonstrate how their technology is relevant to users and equally, what the benefits of the technology are for them. So, here Onetel will attempt to shed some light on one of the most topical communications buzzwords of the moment:
VoIP.

The V-o stands for Voice-over and I-P, or Internet Protocol, is the method by which electronic devices speak to each other - it’s like a language and is the backbone of the internet. So Voice-over-Internet-Protocol means using your internet connection and PC to make and receive telephone calls.

There are clear cost benefits to using VoIP technology for your telephone calls. Firstly, you can save on your line rental as you no longer need separate lines for telephone and internet. Most companies charge an inclusive monthly fee for their VoIP services, covering both your call and internet services, so depending on your usage and provider, this could provide you with cost savings by not having to pay call charges and monthly broadband fees separately. A third potential cost-saving is that VoIP comes with features normally only available to those using an expensive telephone system - voicemail, call forwarding and conferencing to list but a few.

But it’s not all about saving money. VoIP can deliver added value, by consolidating voice and internet networks. For users of VoIP there is no need for an analogue (telephone) line as this is physically integrated onto their broadband line, so they no longer need to use a handset or plug telephone equipment into the wall. When separate, your voice and internet networks essentially speak different languages, so physical integration allows them to communicate with one another. This means that you can combine traditional voice features such as voicemail, with your internet tools. For example, with VoIP you can use an internet-based tool such as Outlook to make and receive telephone calls using just your computer screen rather than a telephone.

You can also send and receive emails and voicemails which can be transferred from one form to the other â“ for example, you can leave a voicemail which is converted to an email and sent to someone’s inbox. In summary, this allows you to integrate your email, voicemail and even company websites into one, offering your users and customers multiple ways of communicating quickly.

Whilst this all sounds great, the number of providers offering VoIP services remains relatively low, and the product is yet to be considered as ‘mainstream’. One reason may hark back to technology â“ not all users feel comfortable relying on their PC and internet connection as their main mode of communication.

It’s going to take a change in the way we communicate to enable us to reap the full benefits of this technology. And perhaps by that time it will have adopted a more user-friendly name. ‘Broadband telephony’ anyone?

Produced in association with Onetel

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