Monthly Archives: March 2020

The Four VOIP Features Most Used in the Office

Close up focus on call center headset device at VOIP system on telephone with virtual interface of communication at office desk

How much more efficient would you be if you had all these features?

Internet phones go by many names. Cloud phone, VOIP, and Unified Communications (UC) just to name a few. But no matter how you say it, phones that work over the internet instead of through the old phone system are undeniably useful. Numbers follow you over multiple devices and calls can be managed through advanced software features.

In the business world, VOIP is even more useful because of the flexibility and control over communications that internet calling has to offer. After all, everything else is on the internet. But how does a switch to VOIP influence your every-day office experience? A good way to measure that is in the top four VOIP features most used around the office.

Voicemail to Email

Checking voicemail is a time-honored hassle. This usually involves calling the voicemail service and listening through every single message. Then, if you want information from the voicemail, you have to listen closely and sometimes play the message several times to take notes.

VOIP makes this easy with the message being saved as a file attachment in your email.   In other words, you can finally check your voicemail by skimming your email. You can catch names, numbers, and details without having to be in the office. So it’s no surprise this is the most popular VOIP feature used every day in the office.

Find-Me Call Forwarding

The next most popular feature is based on device flexibility. A VOIP number can call to and be answered on any device with internet access and the right software installed. This means you can answer a work number from your cellphone, your home office, or multiple business locations as you travel.

Find-me, follow-me is the name of the feature that rings all of your devices to “find you” when a call has come through your VOIP number. This feature often prioritizes whichever device you are most likely to be using to ring first. In daily office life, this kind of smart call forwarding gives professionals the ability to leave the office without missing calls and to have one work number instead of multiple location-based numbers.

Availability Scheduling

One of the best features of VOIP for the modern professional is the ability to build a schedule. With availability scheduling, you can indicate which device to ring based on the weekday and hour. You can also block out times where you are not available at your work number so that your cell doesn’t try to “find you” for work calls during the night or on weekends.

This kind of scheduling can also be used for dynamic call management. You can change which voicemail plays based on a schedule and multiple people can even share a work number based on there availability.

Call Routing

While the previous features are useful for individuals, call routing is the most used feature for business infrastructure. Thousands of businesses distribute customer service and inter-office calls using VOIP’s inherent call routing capabilities. Not only can internet phones be used for call pools and cues, but the software nature of VOIP allows businesses to write custom call routing protocols for every communication model.

Call routing provides for everything from cloud-based office switchboards to virtual call-centers of remote technicians.

For a modern business looking to the future of business communication, VOIP is an essential technology. Voice communication should be handled through the cloud. The possibilities are endless when every device and business location keeps you equally connected to your network, both internal and external.

If your business is ready to choose a new communication infrastructure, consider the power and potential of internet phones. Contact us today for an initial consultation.