What is VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)

The internet can be like the tower of Bable sometimes, with everyone throwing acronyms at you like LOL, FTW, WTF, ROFL and many more. It can be hard to keep up with all of the latest lingo. Most of them are easy to decipher, but one that many see online and have trouble with is VoIP.

So we thought that we would help to clear up the mystery and tell you exactly what VoIP is all about. We will also give you some other details so that you have the full picture.

So what is VoIP?

VOIP is an acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It simply means getting phone service using the Internet. In the old days, you had to get phone service from your local phone company, but now if you have a good Internet connection, you can get phone service delivered through your Internet.

You can use VoIP by itself or you can use it in addition to your traditional old phone service.

VoIP takes analog audio signals, like the kind you use when you talk on the phone and converts them into digital data that can be beamed over the Internet.

Companies that provide VoIP services include Ring Central, Nextiva, Vonage, Grasshopper, Ooma, and there are many more. You have many to choose from, so you’ll have to compare them and find out which one is right for you. They all offer many great features.

Why would I use VoIP?

Many people use VoIP service providers because they typically offer lower rates than traditional phone companies, however, in some cases they do not offer things like 911 service, phone directory listings, 411 service, or other phone services. So that is something to keep in mind. However, most VoIP providers will offer these today.

In fact, the cost is the main reason that people are using these services. VoIP can save you and your business a lot of money. It cuts cost while adding a lot more features that help you to communicate and interact with your employees and with customers more effectively.

But it’s not just businesses that use VoIP. Individuals enjoy using it as well since it is an easy way to communicate over the computer. In fact, there is a lot of free software that allows individuals to use VoIP to talk with no cost.

What are some of the advantages of using VoIP?

VoIP is easy to install, setup and maintain. Many operate entirely in the cloud.

You scale it to your needs, either up or down. Need more features? Add them. Or take away features you don’t need.

VoIP supports Faxing and other old technologies. So if you are still using these, you can continue for as long as you like.

Your employees have a number that stays with them on the go. This means that you can always be in touch with them and that employees can always be in touch with customers.

You get so many great features that you can’t get with a landline.

It will save you a lot of money.

It integrates with the things you already use like Dropbox, Desk.com, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce and many more.

Now that you know what VoIP is and what it has to offer, maybe you want to try it for yourself or for your small business. It really benefits your business to give it a try. As we have pointed out, it will save you a lot of money and streamline your communications.

VoIP is a popular choice right now and some research studies suggest steady growth until at least 2024.