Voice over IP (VOIP)

We offer a number of complementary services to help further increase the efficiency, agility and profitability of your business. One of these is Hosted VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol or VOIP), which uses the latest technology to bring you all the benefits of IP telephony; unified communications, lower costs, a flexible, scalable infrastructure and much more.

The increasing popularity of VOIP technology has typically been driven by the economic advantages it offers. The fact that it costs a lot less than traditional methods of telephony is a powerful incentive for most businesses. However, alongside lower costs, hosted VOIP also brings you a whole range of other benefits, giving you affordable access to a comprehensive, fully mobile, state-of-the-art business infrastructure on demand.

What is hosted VOIP?

VOIP is simply a means of transmitting phone calls and services across the internet. In terms of basic usage and functionality, a VOIP enabled telephone works exactly like a ‘normal’ one. However, as detailed below, VOIP has a number of other complementary features. With hosted VOIP, we manage and deliver these features, allowing access to a far wider range of services than would typically be available without considerable investment, such as a PBX phone system, handsets and installation charges. In fact, the only things your business needs to access hosted VOIP are a high-speed internet service (such as broadband) and an SIP II compliant phone (which most modern VOIP handsets are).

Key benefits

No expensive infrastructure required

There is no need to invest in expensive infrastructure, or to have the expertise to install, maintain and manage it –all you need is broadband and a VOIP-enabled phone and you’re ready to go.

Low call costs

Calls to all destinations - landlines, mobile and overseas - are charged at highly competitive rates. In addition, phone-to-phone calls between internal VOIP extensions are free, which immediately eliminates internal communication costs.

Flexibility

You can start off small and expand without any financial penalty or hassle. Simply add users to the system as and when you need them, allowing your communications infrastructure to grow organically with your business. VOIP removes the headaches associated with adding users, changing features or moving locations. In addition, we allow you to take your number with you, so your business phone numbers are no longer tied to a specific geographic location.

Feature-rich

Our hosted VOIP gives you access to a cutting-edge phone system without the associated expenditure. Conference calling, call forwarding, automatic redial, caller ID, call barring, hunt groups, emailed voice-messages and other features are all provided for a tiny fraction of the cost charged by traditional telecommunication companies. Moreover, hosted VOIP is ‘future proof’ –we introduce new features as soon as the latest technology makes them possible, keeping you at the cutting edge whilst removing the hassle and capital expenditure burden.

Mobile

Hosted VOIP is about more than just the phone on your desk, and can instead be a unified telephony system for office, home and mobile workers, all of whose specific needs can be catered for.

How does VOIP work?

Instead of using traditional phone lines to route phone calls, we use the internet, employing a system called Voice over IP (VOIP). Voice data is transferred securely across the internet, just like file data. By using this method, a huge number of traditional problems can be overcome, and no specialist equipment is required at your site. Digital voice quality is better than analogue and there is a huge array of associated benefits. Our managed telephony service is a hosted voice service designed specifically for businesses. Unlike the traditional approach of installing a physical PBX system at each office, all telephony switching equipment is hosted at our secure, highly available data centre facilities. The voice service is then delivered securely over the internet to your offices, with IP phones connected to your office LAN.

This network-based design is particularly suited for dynamic and growing organisations, as it can be quickly changed to fit your requirements. In addition, staff based at home or at remote offices can be given standard company phone numbers and get exactly the same functionality as head office users. You can also easily control your settings via a control panel and use the system like a regular phone -connecting you to the world.

Frequently Asked Questions about VOIP

Is the quality of calls impaired using VOIP?

No. In fact, everything about the experience is identical to using a traditional phone system. In its early days, VOIP did have lower audio quality than traditional landlines, but customers were prepared to accept a minor loss of quality in exchange for lower call charges. Today, the lower call charges remain but the audio issues have long since been resolved, and the audio quality is equal to or better than that of a normal landlines.

Can I retain my existing phone numbers?

Yes, it’s possible to retain your existing numbers by porting them on to our platform (as long as your existing provider can facilitate this).

Does the system require complex installation?

No. Both the phones and the system itself easily configured.

Do I need a handset?

No, not necessarily. You can use a Soft phone if you like. A Soft phone allows you to make calls via your laptop or PC by installing a small piece of phone software. There a number of free Soft phones readily available or, for richer-featured devices, purchasable versions of the same.