Debunking VoIP Myths

 

VoIP, like many other new technologies, has garnered a large amount of distrust. Though VoIP services have come on leaps and bounds, it is still not perceived as a mainstream system and with that, it is hard to explain to people what benefits it can provide when they have heard untruthful hearsay about it. Here we debunk the myths around VoIP that have been around since it’s inception and continue to pervade today.

 

Myth # 1: Quality is poor

 

Is VoIP any good?

 

Sound issues can occur with any phone line and VoIP services did use to have poor voice quality but this is no longer the case. The key is ensuring you have enough Internet bandwidth to cover your usage and have enough so your VoIP connection is not interrupted and the quality remains high. Technical advancements have been made both in VoIP and Internet technologies resulting in the best quality calls since VoIP’s creation in the 1990s.

 

Myth # 2: VoIP is unreliable

 

Is VoIP reliable?

 

As with the quality of VoIP calls, advancements in the telecoms and internet industries has made these services more and more reliable year on year. Even on a traditional landline and mobile phone services a phone can experience call drop out which can be incredibly frustrating, but with VoIP, these occurrences are less since it relies on the Internet which can be accessed from almost everywhere. VoIP is also spread over several levels and areas of a network which ensures that if there is a problem in one area then a second area can be used instead. Modern VoIP technology has been specifically designed to ensure reliability.

 

Myth # 3: Installation is hard

 

If you have an internet connection, a computer and a telephone you can pretty much set up a VoIP phone service in around an hour with a maximum of 24 hours till all configuration is made. If you use a hosted VoIP system then your provider will handle the setup and installation, and as they are the experts they should do it quickly and efficiently. Once it’s up and running you and your staff can use the system as a regular phone service. Though with lots of extra benefits the sky’s the limit with what you can do with VoIP.

 

Myth # 4: Upgrades Are Expensive & Complicated

 

We sometimes despair that people think this of our industry because this is simply not the case. One of the amazing benefits of VoIP is that it is completely scalable with minimal fuss. For example, working with a trusted supplier, they add or subtract phone lines as and when you require them, so you never pay for lines you don’t need and services you don’t use. All the equipment, technological upgrades are down to the supplier and the only upgrades you may possibly need are new phones, but only when you truly need them. Not only are these upgrades easy to implement, normally using an online portal, but they are also incredibly affordable.

 

Myth # 5: VoIP is not secure

 

With privacy issues and security at the forefront of news in the online world, you can understand the reservations some people have with VoIP systems and whether they are safe. Yet this pattern seems to mainly concern VoIP when people use their internet connections to do so many more important things than a phone call. People bank online, share files, photos and email every day sensitive info and shop on the move, so why is VoIP any different? As with all internet services, security is paramount for a reputable company and there is a whole industry of developers and technicians who develop more and more sophisticated measures to provide a defence to your internet usage and the same developments are happening in the telecoms industry.

 

Myth # 6: No emergency services

 

This strange myth is down to the idea that a VoIP phone does not have a set physical address so when calling an emergency number you would not be directed to the right response team. The simple facts are that this is false. If you are within the UK your phone will reach the correct regional services because there is always a location attached to a phone call even if you are using a mobile with a VoIP call or calling from an office. It is now a legal requirement to be able to access emergency services on a VoIP phone.

 

As part of the Consultation Regulation of VoIP Services: Access to the Emergency Services by Ofcom it ‘ require all VoIP services that allow users to make calls out to traditionally fixed phones or mobile phones (called type 2 VoIP services), or to and from traditionally fixed phones or mobile phones (called type 4 VoIP services), to allow users to call 999 / 112. ‘

 

Myth # 7: Only cheap to call other VoIP systems

 

It is incredibly cheap to make calls to over VoIP systems, especially if you are on the same system because it’s normally free, but that doesn’t mean that calls to ‘regular’ phones are expensive. It is actually significantly cheaper calling landlines and mobiles from a VoIP system than a traditional landline network and even cheaper than using a standard mobile. Cost saving is one of the main benefits we see businesses moving to VoIP for, it can reduce your communication bill drastically. You can bulk buy or cap the amount you spend so you never go over and the calls themselves are cheaper. Although this myth still persists it is cost saving and it’s other amazing benefits have seen more and more of our customers switch to VoIP.