Small Business UK VoIP Guide

The Small Business VoIP Guide - Business VoIP UK 2020

 

Businesses are switching to VoIP phone services every day because of its potential to be a money saver. But the amount that you can save depends on your calling patterns and destinations. The benefits of VoIP don’t stop there. Advanced VoIP internet phone technology can also help make small businesses appear larger with added features like an auto-attendant. 

How does VoIP work?

Essentially VoIP technology works by changing sound into a stream of bits that transmit over an internet connection. If you call another VoIP user on the same phone service, those stream of bits gets routed to the user where it’s reverted back to sound. Or else, the VoIP service provider uk routes the bits stream to a location (in terms of charging zones) close to the phone number you call and completes the connection with a traditional call to the person you are calling. This way a VoIP provider can offer interstate phone calls at the same rate of local phone calls and very low calling rates for international calls. 

           Some traditional calling plan from telephone carrier companies has flat-rate interstate phone calls which include unlimited phone calls to fixed phone lines or offer cheap phone calls to specific overseas destinations. However, they are usually more costly compared to VoIP calling plan.

 

How reliable VoIP is?

 

Because voice data is time-critical, you can get the better results if the router you have can prioritise Voice over IP data ahead of other traffic on the internet. This facility is known as Quality of Service (QoS); it is significant with connections that offer rather low upload speeds. 

How QoS is actually used depends on the router. Some need a high-priority device like an IP phone to be plugged into a particular port. Others work based on MAC addresses (unique to a specific device), whilst others enable you to give priority to specific IP addresses, meaning either assigning fixed IP addresses to the IP phones or telling a router to always provide a specific device with the same IP address. You don’t need to be concerned about this if you connect a standard handset to the VoIP port on a router. However, QoS is not magic. You require sufficient bandwidth to carry as many phone calls as you will ever make simultaneously, so if you want more than one VoIP line then you might need to upgrade your internet, either by switching plans or changing to a different technology. 

 

What kind of hardware does VoIP require? 

 

In particular, for VoIP, you will need a reliable and fast internet connection. Other than that, VoIP providers offer a lot of options for connecting a handset to a Voice over Internet Protocol phone service. A traditional phone can be plugged into a small box known as ATA (Analogue Telephone Adaptor), which in turn plugs into the network. Alternatively, you can also use an IP phone which directly connects to your network. If you need the convenience of cordless phones then you can either purchase a DECT IP phone or you could connect a traditional DECT handset to an ATA. 

You really don’t need to purchase the equipment from your VoIP service provider, but if you do so it can minimize configuration issues. Also, it is possible to run a VoIP app on a mobile or computer.

 

Keeping the existing business phone number 

 

If you want to keep your existing business number then you can choose a VoIP service provider that supports number porting. If you can’t or don’t want to port your phone number then you will need to buy a new one, which you may lose if you change providers. In such a situation the provider ‘lends’ you phone numbers, so they are never really your phone numbers in the sense you might assume. 

           Keep in mind that before you sign up we recommend checking if the number you port can be ported again. That is how it should be but there can be some exceptions. If there are added services related to your phone number then things can be complicated, so you will have to talk to your potential provider before committing to a VoIP service. 

 

Emergency calls with VoIP 

 

With VoIP, you need to be aware if there is a power failure because you will be unable to make calls unless your phone, router, modem and ATA are all connected to a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). So, if you are planning on replacing landline services completely with VoIP services then you would probably have to ensure that everyone on the premises has access to a cell phone. Even though most VoIP telephony provider supports emergency calls but some don’t.