Gaining Flexibility with VoIP

VoIP is not just about making and receiving telephone calls; it’s about a whole new way of communicating. Sure, it includes telephone calls, but there is so much more to the VoIP telephony picture. VoIP integrates most if not all other forms of communication. You can even run videoconferencing to your desktop.
With VoIP, your company enjoys increased productivity and customer satisfaction. These improvements are typically realized through the flexibility offered by enhanced calling features. A few calling features, such as voice mail and call transfer, have been around in the POTS world for quite some time. On the other hand, integrating data, voice, and video applications to run over a single network and work with wireless phones are more recent innovations made possible by IP telephony.
Following are some enhanced calling features made possible by IP telephony:
V-email: Before IP telephony and VoIP, you accessed voice mail through a telephone and accessed e-mail through a computer. With VoIP, you can read your voice mail on your computer screen and listen to your e-mail through an IP-enabled telephone. The new term for this converged feature is v-email (pronounced “v-e-mail”).
Web surfing: Because VoIP operates with the same set of IP rules and protocols that support Web-based applications, it is possible to access the Web with an IP-enabled telephone. If you have an IP telephone with a large enough screen, it can display Web pages or a list of your favorite Web links. For instance, you could use your phone to view your stock exchange trading status or the current weather forecast.
In an IP telephony world, these calling features (and many more) are available with no monthly recurring charges. VoIP, with all of its many benefits, is quickly replacing traditional POTS-based technologies. VoIP is even becoming a superior replacement for many former computer-only applications.
One of the big stories with VoIP is the many new and exciting features that increase your ability to be agile and mobile. You no longer have to say “I’ve got to get to a phone!” VoIP can be on your desk, computer, mobile phone, or PDA. It can be hardwired or have no wires at all. This flexibility is astounding to those familiar with traditional telephony.
If you have a mobile user base, be sure to check out IP soft phones. A soft phone is software that works on a laptop computer or pocket PC and provides most of the functionality of a traditional desk phone. If a user can connect to a network, the soft phone provides a way to reap the benefits of IP telephony regardless of location.