Business Phone System - About Hosted VoIP

Hosted VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system is a veritable boon to business enterprises of all sizes as the VoIP equipment, servers and related services are hosted by the VoIP service provider, who manages all the calls and routes them to and from the subscriber's existing telephony system. Hosted VoIP can not only save businesses from investing in VoIP equipment but also the eternal bother of maintaining the system.

Technology has taken rapid strides in the field of telecommunication. VoIP networks use the Internet to route calls anywhere in the world - at a fraction of the cost of a traditional phone call. Hosted VoIP services use packet-switched telephony to transmit calls over the Internet as opposed to the circuit-switched telephony used by the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) - though in some hosted VoIP cases calls from the subscriber are routed over the PSTN system.

VoIP has been around for more than a decade - though earlier on, VoIP had a reputation for being unreliable and considered unsuitable for business use. Things have changed vastly since then and VoIP is the most sought-after business phone system today.

While it is possible for large corporations to purchase and manage the hardware and software that provide VoIP service, a hosted VoIP service makes more sense for most small and midsize businesses. As a small or midsize business when you subscribe to a hosted VoIP service, the only on-premise equipment you will need is IP phones.

With VoIP facility, you can benefit from low-cost calls, and also avail all the advanced sophisticated features of modern communications system. There are several reasons why a business house should consider a hosted VoIP solution

1. A hosted VoIP solution offer significant savings in cost. Savings are possible with regard to long distance charges, monthly access costs and equipment purchase/maintenance.

2. A hosted VoIP solution comes with a plethora of useful features that can significantly improve employee communications, leading to improved overall productivity.

3. Upgrade is another key factor with a hosted VoIP solution. This is particularly beneficial if a company's existing communications system is at the end of its lifecycle. Not only does it replaces an obsolete system with brand-new technology, but also introduces features absent with the older system.

4. For small and midsize business enterprises with limited growth, a hosted VoIP solution is a good choice since it is affordable as well as scalable.

5. A hosted VoIP solution is ideal for a company with multiple locations, or employees spread out in more than one geographical area. By installing hosted VoIP at each location, all employees have access to standard phone system features.

6. Hosted VoIP system is a big blessing as employees can concentrate on their duties rather than wasting time running the communications system and its attendant maintenance problems.

7. Most hosted PBX services provide some kind of call forwarding - you can forward incoming calls to any other number including your mobile phone. This way, no calls are missed.

8. Hosted VoIP service also provides voicemail as part of the basic service. Many provide e-mail alerts when a message hits the voice mailbox for you to do the follow-up.

Of course, the one critical factor is you should identify a reputed and reliable VoIP service provider as you can not risk your entire business communication with a suspect service provider.