VoIP - what is it and how does it work?

VoIP: what is it?

VoIP is a modern technology that has brought telephone communications to a qualitatively new level, expanding its functionality. The abbreviation stands for “voice over internet”, which very accurately reflects the main specifics: the voice is transmitted not via cable lines, but via Internet networks. This increases the speed of signal transmission, improves its clarity, intelligibility, removes geographical restrictions, and eliminates rigid binding to stationary equipment.

What are the basic principles of VoIP? What equipment is needed to implement the technology? How to configure it to ensure maximum connection stability and information transfer speed?

Concept and operating principle

The main function of VoIP is to conduct telephone calls not via standard lines, but via Internet channels. The process is based on double conversion. At the beginning of the transmission, the analog signal is converted into digital form, compressed using a codec, split into packets to eliminate failures and losses, and the reverse conversion occurs on the end device, from digital to voice analog signal.

Comparison of VoIP with a regular telephone line shows the absolute superiority of modern technology. It involves minimal operating costs, helps to improve the signal quality, and ensures good audibility for interlocutors regardless of their actual location or distance between them. The only requirement is a stable Internet connection.

VoIP requirements for access speed are not high, 100 kilobits per second is enough for a stable connection. The main function of the technology is voice transmission, but its real capabilities are much wider. With its help, you can send text messages, make video calls, organize conferences.

Equipment

To connect and use VoIP, you will need the following hardware and software:

• VoIP phones. Technological devices developed specifically for the new format of telephone systems, which assume the possibility of direct connection to the network via a LAN port or a wireless Wi-Fi module.
• VoIP gateways. They expand the functionality of standard telephones, allowing you to connect them to the Internet. Some gateways are equipped with integrated routers, which eliminates the need for an additional connection.
• Softphones. These are not hardware modules, but programs that turn a laptop, computer, tablet or smartphone into a VoIP phone. Available in paid and free editions, they differ in functionality, interface and other characteristics, which simplifies the search and selection of a suitable solution.

Advantages and disadvantages

Commercial organizations, regardless of their size or specific activity, are actively switching to VoIP. This trend is explained by the numerous advantages of the system. First of all, you should pay attention to the following points:

• Minimum implementation costs. As noted above, when launching VoIP, you can do without purchasing hardware; it is enough to install special programs on the computer or mobile equipment already available in the office.
• High voice quality. Speech sounds clear, intelligible, without the interference typical of analog communications. This is achieved by the perfection of processing algorithms, as well as the signal's immunity to EM fields and interference, which is a serious problem for analog networks.
• Ability to connect any number. Practice shows that customers have greater trust in organizations that use federal or beautiful, memorable numbers. An additional advantage is that the number is not tied to a specific stationary device, which simplifies the move. When changing locations, the company retains all the accumulated client bases.
• Support for additional functions useful for business. VoIP allows you to set up call forwarding, call recording, and voice assistants. The set of functions will 100% correspond to the specifics of the business, and will help improve the quality of customer service.
• Optimization of expenses associated with communication services. VoIP does not imply additional tariffs associated with long-distance, interregional and international calls. To use the system, the organization only needs to pay for the Internet on time.
• Ease of scaling. As the client base expands and business needs grow, the system can be improved, modernized, and new phone numbers can be added. Reconfiguring the network, purchasing additional hardware, is not required.

VoIP has much fewer disadvantages. The main point is that the quality of communication depends on the stability of the connection. To avoid problems, you need to take a responsible approach to selecting a provider, choose an organization that cares about its reputation, is ready to guarantee the necessary access speed, not allowing it to fall below certain values. The second potential problem is the possibility of signal interception by intruders. To prevent them from using personal client and commercial data for selfish purposes, VoIP must support encryption algorithms.

Additional functions

VoIP allows organizations to use many useful functions. Their correct configuration and use help to significantly improve the overall level of customer service, strengthen reputation, and improve financial performance. The most useful and popular functions should be considered in more detail.

Call recording

Automation of call recording allows you to solve the following important tasks:

• Improving the skills of personnel. Selective listening helps management to identify the main mistakes of employees, conduct effective retraining. With the development of artificial intelligence systems, developments are emerging to automate analysis that respond to some erroneous phrases, stop words.
• Dismissal of incompetent specialists who communicate incorrectly and rudely with clients.
• Determining the current needs of clients, changing the list of services, goods in the organization's catalogs to most effectively meet requests.

Setting up remote work

As stated above, VoIP does not imply binding to specific stationary equipment, removes geographical restrictions. This is an extremely important moment for transferring employees to remote work; they do not have to be in the office all the time to effectively perform their job duties. If necessary, the company can quickly expand its staff by hiring freelancers, remote operators, consultants, without having to expensively organize new jobs.

Forwarding

VoIP supports the following forwarding scenarios:

• By busy. If the calling client gets through to a busy specialist, the system automatically transfers him to a free one.
• By unavailability. The essence is the same as in the previous case, but the client is not on a busy line, but on an unavailable, disconnected line.
• By time. Relevant for organizations represented in several regions, different in time zones. If the client tries to call a representative office whose working day has already ended, the system will transfer him to an open one.

In addition to standard scenarios, VoIP also supports others, customized in accordance with the actual needs of the organization. For example, a company can create databases in which customers are placed in order of status. Large regular partners will immediately get to the main managers, personal consultants, new clients - to the operators of the general call center.

Competent selection and configuration of scenarios ensures optimization of processing of incoming calls, timely response to them, increase in the level of customer service, strengthening of the market and financial positions of the organization.

Voice menu

One of the key functions of VoIP. The caller first gets not to a “live” operator, but to a computer assistant, with whom you can interact by pressing certain keys on the phone. This simplifies and speeds up the resolution of issues, reduces the workload of the company's managers.

The functionality of the voice menu can be expanded by integrating it into the enterprise CRM, synchronizing with information bases, thanks to which customers are guaranteed to receive correct, up-to-date answers to their questions.

Comparison with SIP

VoIP is a method that allows making voice calls over the Internet, while SIP is a protocol that makes its implementation possible. The use of the SIP protocol expands the original capabilities of telephony, making it suitable for transmitting not only voice messages, but also various files, text messages, graphic images, and video recordings.

Summing Up

The advantages of VoIP are numerous, so the implementation of telephone systems that transmit data over the Internet is a good solution for any enterprise. Specialization, scale of work - all this fades into the background. The benefits of VoIP are expressed not only in financial, but also in technical, social equivalents, they help in optimizing the main processes of the organization, strengthening its status in the market, increasing authority among clients and business partners.

Author of the article:

Editor-in-Chief

Danaev Almaz