VoIP Explained
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP as it is now commonly known, is the technology that lets you make a phone call over the internet instead of going out on traditional.
New Business Phone Systems
Total Solutions IT is your one stop shop for new phone systems. Whether you’re looking for your first small business phone system or a national rollout deploying the latest VoIP technology we have the expertise to make it simple, on time and on budget.
VOIP SIP TRUNK
Enterprise SIP Trunks for IP Enabled Phone Systems
So what happens is a call, just like an email, is broken up into little data packets and fired out over the internet. When it reaches a switch, the data packets are then reassembled and converted in a way that allows us to hear them as someone’s voice. The key difference between a VoIP call and an email is timing. If you don’t get an email for 30 seconds it doesn’t matter, but can you imagine waiting 30 seconds to hear someone’s response. This proven and now very stable VoIP technology does all this in a split second so it sounds just like a normal phone call.
What is VoIP call quality like?
When VoIP is setup by professionals and done properly the quality of service (QOS) is indistinguishable from a normal call. The issues some people have with VoIP is they try and do it on the cheap and with VoIP you really do get what you pay for.
Some customers get home VoIP services that are designed with minimal usage in mind and then try and run a business with it. This can result in call dropouts as well as latency (when a call sounds underwater or delayed). This is disastrous for any business and trying to save money can actually cost you more.
Business grade VoIP service are different. Like you normal internet, a business grade VoIP service has it’s own dedicated internet line. This means the available bandwidth of that service is not compromised by other email traffic in the office. The result is perfect call quality and reliability.
Is VoIP right for my business?
Done properly, VoIP is right for most business. It can potentially deliver huge phone bill savings as well as cheaper line rentals. But it’s more than just cheaper phone calls. VoIP technology on a phone system also allows you to connect multiple offices, work and be connected from home (in fact anywhere you can get a decent internet connection). To learn more about the benefits of VoIP phone systems click here.
If you don’t make a lot of phone calls then going to VoIP may not be necessary at all. In fact, many normal landline phone companies now offer PSTN and ISDN cap plans. We would suggest you do the numbers for yourself because if you can get the same savings without having to change technology, it is always a better outcome.
Do I need a VoIP phone system to get VoIP phone calls?
NO. You do not need a special phone system to make cheap VoIP calls. There are different ways to connect VoIP services to a phone system and although you may not be able to connect new technology like SIP trunking you will be able to connect other types of VoIP to get cheaper calls.
Modern phone systems that are built for IP not only allow you to connect better types of VoIP services but also offer users a whole range of other VoIP related features – link multiple sites, reduce staff, have remote workers and generally improve productivity. Read more about the benefits of VoIP phone systems.
To learn more about particular elements of VoIP please click on the following links.
- Learn more about VoIP phone call rates
- Learn more about a Hosted IP pbx solution and what it can do for your business
- Learn about how a hybrid IP phone system can give you the benefits of VoIP as well as still being able to use normal services like PSTN or ISDN.
Discount VoIP Call Options
Stop paying too much for your phone calls! By taking advantage of the latest VoIP and SIP technology provided by our SpringCom division, you can save on massively discounted call rates as well as cheaper overall service rental costs. Did you know you can get 10 VoIP phone lines for the same cost as only 4 lines?
This is stable, proven and ultra reliable technology that is now available to even the smallest business owner. So what are you waiting for? … Another expensive phone bill?
Call our team today to discuss the options available, and tailor a rate plan to suit your business.
Example CAPPED Plan Option (Call To Tailor The Best Plan For You)
- Call Type
- Monthly Access Fee Per Line
- Local Calls
- National Calls
- Calls to Australian Mobiles
- Calls to 13/1300 Numbers
- Charges
- $50 per line
- All Included
- All Included
- All Included
- All Included
Example PAYG Plan (Call To Tailor The Best Plan For You)
- Call Type
- Monthly Access Fee Per Line
- Local Calls
- National Calls
- Calls to Australian Mobiles
- Calls to 13/1300 Numbers
- Charges
- $10 per line
- 10c per call unlimited
- 10c per call unlimited
- 10c per 30 secs
- 38.5c per call
Will VoIP work with my current system?
Yes…and the good news is it’s very straightforward. Speak to one of our VoIP experts and you can see what type of VoIP connection is best for you (VoDSL, ATA, SIP, etc). From there we coordinate everything and arrange for a tech to connect your new VoIP services to your phone system. There’ll be no change in the way your phone system operates – just the way the phone calls are transmitted to the world outside your office.
Whether your system is 1-, 5- or 10-years old, if you have a current phone system working on traditional analog (PSTN) phone lines you can still slash your phone bill by switching to VoIP technology.
By using a device referred to as an ATA, you can have VoIP lines installed into your office and have that signal ‘converted’ into the analog signal your current phone system understands.
It really is that simple. Unfortunately most providers won’t tell you this because they want to sell you a brand new system and they may lose income on the more expensive phone calls too.
I already have a SIP compatible phone system
If you’re running a phone system that was purchased in the last 2 years there is a high chance that your system should be SIP compliant. SIP is arguably the ultimate form of VoIP and will afford you the greatest call savings.
By running a SIP-enabled system, such as Avaya IP Office 500 PBX , Ericsson LG iPECS-LIK pbx, CISCO or other leading solutions, you simply connect the SIP trunk to your system. You simply need to ensure your IP Pbx system is correctly licensed for the number of SIP trunks (phone lines) you are going to have and away you go.
SIP trunks don’t just offer reduced phone call rates. SIP is a form of VoIP and it allows a potentially unlimited number of concurrent phone calls. This means that you no longer have to rent individual phone lines like you do with . To put the savings in perspective, for the same price you currently pay for 3 phone lines (monthly rental), you can get about 10 SIP phone lines. That’s how impressive the savings are.
This cost saving alone can equate to hundreds of dollars a month, and for businesses with 5 or more lines it can offset the cost of an entirely new SIP-enabled phone system.
If you have a traditional (non-IP enabled) PBX, whether it’s 1-, 5-, or 10-years old, you can still benefit from all the savings of cheap VoIP phone calls by using and ATA gateway (VoIP converter) in your business. This type of VoIP delivery is not as effective as the latest VoIP enabled phone systems that allow licence driven direct SIP trunking however using an ATA gateway will still deliver call quality and savings.
By using an ATA Gateway, you can have VoIP lines installed into your office and have that signal ‘converted’ into the analog signal that your current phone system understands.
It’s simple and works effectively. Not only do you get cheap VoIP call rates, but VoIP can also allow for an unlimited number of concurrent phone calls (depending on the type of plan and service you adopt). This means that you no longer have to rent individual lines like you do with.
Most carriers charge between $30 and $40 rental per month per line for standard (non VoIP) line rentals. This can add up quickly if you are running an office with 4 or more lines ($120 a month or more).
Speak to our friendly VoIP experts about how you can save the most from this game changing technology or check out our VoIP call rate plans for yourself.
In the same way there are many forms of VoIP (VoDSL, SIP trunking, ATA gateways etc) there are many grades or quality of VoIP services. The better the quality of service logically, the greater the cost. This is a very important factor in deciding which VoIP solution is right for your business. If phones are your life, a cheap solution may just not be up to the task!
When most people talk VoIP they often think of the retail or public grade VoIP providers such Skype or Engin.
Retail/Residential VoIP services
Although they are more widely known given their presence in the residential marketplace, their seemingly low VoIP call charges do come at a price. Providers such as Engin, Skpe, PennyTel and others use the ‘public internet’. This is the same internet connection that delivers your email and YouTube videos. By using the public internet it often results in a significantly lower quality call with delays, latency and dormancy. Even with an ADSL2+ internet connection, not only will large emails or high bandwidth videos cause these issues, but you are also reliant on the quality/speed of the path the call takes across the web.
Business Grade VoIP services
On the other hand, what’s referred to as ‘business grade’ VoIP provides a much higher level ‘quality of service’ (also known as ‘QOS’), to the point where the call is as clear as standard phone lines due to the codex available!
Business grade VoIP not only provides you with a private DSL connection to carry your calls (meaning the DSL connection can’t be used for standard internet data transfer) but the entire network is ‘off’ the public internet – resulting in virtually no latency or dormancy due to the direct call path achieved. This means your calls are not being affected by your emails, YouTube bandwidth or the other people using the web in your physical location area, or across the VoIP network.
Although Infiniti offers both levels of VoIP solutions, most successful business prefer to invest the slightly higher monthly costs to ensure quality conversations with their clients and suppliers, and opt for the ‘business grade’ level of VoIP.
Whichever option you choose the savings that can be achieved by implementing a VoIP solution can be amazing. Check out our VoIP plans for yourself and discover how much money your business can save.