business VoIP phone system – Communication Solutions Australia

A Quick Guide on How to Choose the Best VoIP Service Provider

Business phones are transforming and advancing every single day. The latest technology used in business phone solutions is VoIP or voice-over-Internet protocol, and businesses are swiftly shifting from traditional phone systems to advanced VoIP phone solutions. The problem that most businesses face is related to choosing the right service provider. This blog post discusses the concept of VoIP and its benefits, and lastly, we will also go through some essential tips on selecting the best service provider.

What Is Voip?

VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a term that describes Internet phone services. This is an advanced version and completely different from the traditional phones and landline phones that we have been using till now. VoIP-based office phone systems use high-speed Internet connections or Wi-Fi to take and make calls. This concept comes with a massive list of benefits, and some are listed below.

Lower Costs
Increased Accessibility
Complete Portability
Higher Scalability
Advanced Features For Small And Large Teams
Clearer Voice Quality
Supports Multitasking
More Flexibility With Softphones

VoIP-based office phone systems use high-speed Internet – Ariatech

Businesses can enjoy a lot of flexibility and freedom by opting for VoIP-based telephone systems. It has made it easy for every business of any size to save money from business phone solutions. Perhaps the most impressive feature of VoIP-based telephone systems is that it is ideal for small companies as well and scaled as per the company’s growth. Amidst this, it is essential to choose the right service provider because not doing this can become a severe challenge for any company. This service provider is responsible for providing the much-needed Internet connection or bandwidth to power all VoIP-based office phone systems. Any power outage or Internet disconnection will influence the telephone systems, and this is another essential factor to determine while choosing the VoIP service provider.

How To Choose The Best Service Provider For Voip Telephone Systems?

A huge list of service providers is available to select the best VoIP service provider. This makes selection more complicated and complex as every company claims to be the best. It is recommended not to rely upon the least expensive service provider as there will surely be compromise on the quality. A quick checklist is presented here to help you choose the best service provider.

Select the best VoIP service provider – Ariatech

Cost Of Local And International Calls

Experts recommend considering the cost of local and international calls while shortlisting service providers for VoIP telephone systems. You must understand that service providers have different plans for outward international calls, and while selecting, you must consider the geographic location of your customers and choose a service provider based on this.

Features Offered In Voip Plans

It is equally important to consider the features of the VoIP plan while selecting a service provider. Ideally, you should focus only on service providers offering features that your business needs the most. But at the same time, there is nothing bad in choosing a service provider that provides the most features at the lowest prices.

Cloud–Based Phone Systems – Changing Office Communication Culture

Businesses are still very confused about using cloud-based business phone solutions. They have many questions in mind regarding what they are and how they are better than traditional business phone systems. We dedicate this post to understanding cloud-based phone solutions and some top benefits businesses can avail. Let us start with the definition.

What Is A Cloud-Based Business Phone Solution?

Cloud-based phone systems are a service that allows you to make calls over the Internet and store data in the cloud. This arrangement is highly cost-effective and reliable, but you will need a strong Internet connection to use them. Cloud-based telephone systems are getting increasingly popular among all phone systems available for small businesses. The reason is that they offer reliable, low cost and efficient services with a vast range of business-friendly features.

Cloud-based telephone systems – Aria Technologies

They work entirely differently from traditional analogue phones, and a very impressive feature is that they can be implemented via many devices, such as conventional phones with adaptors, smartphones with apps, computers with calling software or VoIP-enabled phones.

What Are The Pros Of Cloud-Based Office Phone Systems?

Cost–Saving

Studies say that businesses that switch to cloud-based telephone systems can save more than 50% of their expenditure on these business phone solutions. Cloud-business phone solutions and service providers charge less per minute for international calls than traditional PSTN phone connections.

Because the Internet powers cloud-based phones, you do not incur long-distance charges for international calls. In fact, long-distance and international calls are included as a ‘free’ feature in most cloud office phone systems packages.

Unified Communication

Another feature of cloud-based telephone systems is that you get a unified communication solution to consolidate your business phone system and several other services needed at your office. You can enjoy benefits like –

• Voicemail

• Instant Messaging

• Chat

• Video Conferencing

• Fax

• Email

• Social Media

• Several CRM Tools

Video Conferencing Becomes Very Smooth

With cloud-based telephone systems, video conferencing has become the most used communication method. Remote working culture has gained more power in the last couple of years, and in this situation, cloud-based business phone solutions allow teams working remotely to collaborate and communicate efficiently.

Video conferencing phone solutions – Aria Technologies

Features, Features and Features

Cloud-based phone systems have many features for businesses to use in their day-to-day operations.

The most used are –

• Call Forwarding

• Call Routing

• Auto Attendant

• IVR

• Call Analytics

• CRM Integration

• Voicemail To Email

• Video Conferencing

• Number Porting

• Click To Call And Many More

What Office Telephone Systems Are Available For Aussie Businesses?

Smarter gadgets and cool software are insufficient to run a business successfully and communicate with clients, contractors and service providers. You will require business phone services, and in their absence, you will surely struggle to compete with your competitors. Business phones are of different types, and a major challenge is of picking the best one for your business. Here is a guide with information on phone system types, their features, pros, cons, etc.

Business phones are of different types – Ariatech

What Types Of Phone Systems Are Available For Business Owners?

Businesses can rely upon six different types of office phone systems for day-to-day usage.

• Landline Phone Systems

• Mobile Networks

• Virtual Phone Services

• Self-Hosted VoIP

• Cloud-Based VoIP

• Hybrid Phone Systems

Let us get a brief overview below.

What Are Landline Telephone Systems?

This is a tried and tested option and has been in use for decades. This version of telephone systems is ideal if this is just the early stage of your business. The top features are quality and reliability, but the problem is that there are no such features like document sharing, image sharing, large data file sharing and so on.

Business Phone top features and quality – Ariatech

How Are Mobile Networks Used In Business Phone Services?

This is one level above traditional cable-based landline telephone systems and uses smartphones and similar mobile devices. According to the vendors of business phone services, this system is also ideal for smaller enterprises where the number of employees is not too high. It involves getting a cellular service provider subscription, and the charges are applicable for international calls, long-distance calls, data plans, international roaming and so on.

What Are Virtual Phone Services?

This version of office phone systems is hugely popular among small and micro-sized enterprises. With the concept of virtual business phone services, the existing landlines can be diverted to designated phone numbers, and this extends business phones available to remote and mobile workers as well. They can be connected to the designated office site, and based on your requirements, some service providers can also provide virtual receptionist services.

Concept of virtual business phone services – Ariatech

What Is Self-Hosted Voip?

VOIP stands for voice over Internet protocol, and it is a telecommunication technology based on digital data transfer. It allows for easier integration of desk-based and mobile phone equipment. These software-based telephone systems are considerably more cost-effective than those discussed above. The concept of self-hosted VOIP involves having an IP-PBX system installed at the office. An experienced IT department will be needed to handle installation, maintenance, upgrading, etc.

What Is Cloud-Based Voip?

According to the vendors of business phone services, this is the most advanced and popular version of office phone systems. This VOIP system is hosted and managed by third-party service providers, and the biggest benefit is the reduction in expenses. You will not have to install hardware or all other services, and maintenance-related costs will also get eliminated. Depending on the business’s requirements, systems can be scaled up and down easily and just like the VOIP system, this one is also a very cost-effective deal.

What Benefits Do I Receive By Switching To VoIP Technology

Business communication was revolutionised with the advent of VoIP technology and DECT handsets. They both combine to let businesses realise that business communication can be more efficient, better and more cost-effective.

What Is The Definition Of Voip Technology?

VoIP is the short form of the term ‘Voice Over Internet Protocol’, and it is also known as ‘voice over IP’ or ‘IP telephony’ technology. This technology delivers voice and media such as text, SMSs, voice and video calls with the help of the Internet.

How Does Voip Work?

When you use VoIP on your digital and VoIP phone handsets, they run through the Internet, and the voice is encoded into digital data. This digital data is transferred to the other end of the call and then, again, recoded into voice signals. This process of encoding and decoding is done with the help of codecs. Codecs can encode voice data into digital signals and transfer them through the Internet, and when these signals reach the destination, the codec again transfers those signals into analogue voice data.

How Are Voip Calls Made?

To make calls using VoIP technology, you will require dect handsets at least or digital handsets or VoIP phone handsets. With the help of analogue telephone devices, these calls can be made very easily using VoIP technology services.

Require Dect handsets at least – Ariatech

Digital Ip Phones

To use VoIP technology to its best, you can bring Internet Protocol phones into use that resemble regular phones that we use at our offices and homes. The only difference is that they are made for VoIP-based communication. Hence, they will not connect to your wall socket using a phone cable.

What Are Softphones?

Softphone is a name given to software that loads on your device to allow it to use VoIP services. This device could be your computer, your laptop, your tablet or even your smartphone. The benefit is that since they use the Internet to make phone calls, the expenditure related to this is surprisingly low. You will need VOIP software and some features in your phone like a microphone, speaker, sound card, camera and a good Internet connection.

Use the Internet to make phone calls – Ariatech

What Are The Advantages Of Voip Technology?

Australian business owners can get several advantages by replacing their old business communication solutions with VoIP services and debt handsets.

• VoIP technology is loaded with features offered for free and some at cost as well.

• VoIP technology can be used with your existing phone systems as well.

• This will help you save money on your phone bills.

• VoIP technology is more flexible than traditional PSTN phone systems.

• It is the best NBN-friendly option available in the market.

How VoIP and CRM Integration Helps Generate Better Business Revenue?

The growth of a business comes with a multitude of challenges and responsibilities. One of these challenges is simplifying a business’s internal and external communication using high-profile business phone services. To cut down the expenses, there is an option of relying upon VoIP or voice-over-internet protocol. In recent years, VoIP-CRM integration has helped businesses streamline business processes and achieve improved communication at the same time.

This integration has other benefits as well, like smoother data collection and faster information sharing. In this article, we discuss what VoIP-CRM integration is and how it becomes advantageous for any business belonging to any industry.

What Is Voip-Crm Integration?

VoIP-CRM integration ensures that businesses have a powerful tool in hand to use for boosting business’s efficiency. They can also reduce spending on office phone systems by integrating these two technologies. CRM was created as a database to monitor customers and their behaviour and habits, but it has now evolved into a mobile tool that collects a wide range of data and information about the customer. Then, there is VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and it is a cloud-based phone system. A remarkable feature is that there is no need for any additional hardware, and just with a high-speed Internet connection and a phone handset, anyone can receive and make calls efficiently.

Created as a database to monitor customers – Aria Technologies

Integrating these two technologies works wonders, such as shorter lead response time, improved customer retention and, most importantly, boosted business sales. These telephone systems can become a synergy for businesses and allow them to retrieve customer data before every call. This makes business owners handle calls with particular attention to deliver better customer satisfaction. The data related to the interactions made using office phone systems is recorded in this CRM, and this includes phone calls, SMSs and even voice recordings.

What Are The Benefits Of Voip-Crm Integration?

According to those offering business phone services, the integration of these two technologies comes with so many benefits and the best ones are discussed below.

Real-Time Call Data

As mentioned above, VoIP-CRM integration eliminates the need to enter customer data into the CRM database. A good amount of time is saved that staff can use to boost their efficiency and productivity. This integration also provides a streamlined way to manage customer data.

Streamlined way to manage customer data – Aria Technologies

Better Customer Satisfaction

VoIP feature working in sync with CRM technology provides personalised experiences to the customers and ensures higher customer satisfaction. This integration allows businesses to create better rapport and build better customer relationships to increase customer retention rates. Finally, the lower usage cost makes CRM and VoIP integration a highly demanded technology in different industries and businesses.

Different Business Phone Systems and Their Unique Features

If you own a business, it would be mandatory for you to invest in reasonable quality business phone solutions. These phones are more than just a necessity to allow you to communicate internally and with clients and other people from any part of the globe. Several factors are there to consider when choosing the right phone system for your business. The most important of them all is the types available in the markets. There are several of them, and they have unique prepositions, characteristics and features. Before you decide on the correct type of phone, let us quickly review the most popular styles that people consider for their businesses.

Virtual phone system

This office phone system is ideal for small businesses where staff is mostly off-site. It allows companies to stay connected with remote workers via mobiles or home phones. It has an extensive call-forwarding feature where all incoming calls can be transferred to the employee’s cell phone or home phone. The biggest pro of this phone system is that it allows remote workers access to telephone system features regardless of where they are.

Traditional Landline System

This version of business phone solutions is ideal for bigger corporations that have adequate budgets to invest in these systems. Apart from the fund, an entire IT team is also needed to maintain these landline systems. They are supported by local or regional phone companies. It runs on traditional copper wiring, and private branch exchange is used to create multiple extensions and provide some essential features like call forwarding and call directories.

It has been a time-tested and highly reliable solution that businesses have been using for decades.

Voip Phone System

VoIP or voice-over-Internet protocol telephone systems are practical for smaller companies that need highly advanced business phone solutions at very affordable rates. This technology has evolved enormously, and currently, it is also ideal for business, where remote employees have to be contacted every now and then. They run on Internet connections, and there are no copper wires involved. It has some advanced features like automated attendance and secure cloud computer integration, and most importantly, it is significantly cheaper as compared to other telephone systems discussed here.

On-Premise Voip System

This system is highly functional, and you can control your business communication system completely. It is better suited for businesses with regulatory requirements. The IT staff at your office would be responsible for its maintenance, repairs, updates and efficient operations.

The Multiple Benefits That Domestic Users Avail From VOIP Phone Handsets

For more than two decades now, voice-over-Internet protocol or VoIP, has been the backbone of the commercial telecom sector. Businesses across the globe rely upon VoIP technology and VoIP handsets to make and receive phone calls using the broadband Internet connection. Now, these handsets and technology are also visible in our homes because of their benefits.

Much More Economical Than Traditional Landline Phones

If you have a broadband connection at your home, you can benefit from VoIP technology with the help of VoIP phone handsets. Your voice calls will be made using the Internet without further expenditure. This way, you will save a good amount of money, and the connection and communication will be of the best quality.

Connection and Communication will be best quality

Easy To Install and Update

Another benefit of VoIP technology is that the hardware is straightforward to install and update. This has been a game-changing aspect and different from traditional phone lines requiring more human resources and expenditure followed by inconvenience and hard work. Calls will be made via your computer or wireless mobile phone.

Use It Wherever You Go

5G technology is already operational in many parts of the world, and it has made video calling or calling via the Internet further easier and more convenient. Using your Internet connection and smartphone, you can make a Voip phone call, and again there would be no extra expenditure involved.

Wide Range Of Very Useful Features

VoIP phone handsets, as well as VoIP technology both, are equipped with some out-of-the-box and never seen or heard-before features. They have all helped a lot in making this technology further easier. You will get features at no extra cost, and the most beautiful features that can be used at home Aare call forwarding, three-way calling, caller ID, electronic and video messaging and so on. Again remember that all these features would be offered at no additional cost at all.

The Most Common Types of Cyber Threats for Small Business Owners

Compared to a decade ago, people today take cyber threats more seriously and are always proactive about handling them. The reason is that with these cyber-attacks, people and software attempt to maliciously steal your data or cause disruption in your business functioning.

It is because of these reasons that the popularity of cyber security software has increased incredibly, and people are making them a priority when it comes to handling or managing a server or a network. There are different types of cyber threats for small businesses, and in this post here, we go through the most commonly seen threats from phishing.

Phishing

This attack usually targets users directly through email or other forms of communication like text messaging. In this type of attack, the attacker disguises himself as a trusted contact and attempts to victimise you by sharing your personal data, such as passwords and OTP’s. Small businesses can use checkpoint software to make sure that phishing attempts and phishing scams are diminished right in the beginning.

Watering Holes

Till around five years back, this was not the most common type of cyber-attack, but its use has increased incredibly over the past some years. In this attack, the cybercriminal targets a specific group of individuals or businesses that share the same interest. They will infect one website that is visited the most by those individuals or companies, and here also, social engineering is very effectively used.

Drive By Downloads

According to the cyber security software solutions vendors, this cyber-attack occurs when a user downloads software into the computer. This software is malicious, and once it is in your computer, it will perform the following –

Spy on activity, such as recording keystrokes to capture passwords

Hijack the device by exploiting security flaws

Infect the device by downloading even more software or files that ultimately render the device useless.

This cyber-attack is more effective when the operating system is not updated, and small business owners ignore the security patches of the software.

Must-Have Features in a Video Calling App

Several statistics, data and researchers have shown that video conferencing platforms can be the most-effective communication tool for any business. But only a plain video calling software or app would not be enough for companies and businesses. There should be some inbuilt features to enhance the user experience and get the best out of the time spent during video calling. There are some key features that every video-calling software should have and we have discussed the main ones in this post today.

Screen Sharing

To make video conferencing more interactive and webinars more communicative, screen sharing is a vital feature that every app or software should have. With this feature, you can share your entire screen and apps on your desktop using these online collaboration tools. This makes it easier for the host to communicate his message to participants better.

Photo:- online collaboration tools, Ariatech

Multiple Webcam Capabilities

Any video calling app can be called an advanced one, if it has multiple webcam capabilities. With this feature, a video conferencing solution will allow you to use this feature where everyone can be seen and understood during the meeting. This becomes important for businesses that have lots of remote workers and they have to attend meetings regularly.

Photo:- video conferencing solution , Ariatech

VoIP

No video calling or video conferencing software is complete without VoIP feature integrated into it. VoIP is ideal for remote teams, as it allows people to connect with the business using their phone handsets. Communication will become seamless and it would be easy to switch between voice calls, video calls and group meetings.

Chat Features

These solutions should also come up with “chat features” or capabilities to allow participants to share messages including text, emojis and others. A robust chat feature ensures that the meeting is more interactive and participants can share their concerns during the meeting via these chat messages.

Other features that should be there in your video conferencing software are unlimited recording and ‘high-definition video’ feature should also be there. Then, branding features and dynamic presentation features followed by performance reports are some other things to look for while searching for a good quality video conferencing app.

Understanding the Anatomy of Video Calls

Something that was very exclusive and premier till a couple of years back have now become a part of everyday life. Thanks to Covid-19 pandemic that this technology evolved entirely and now video calling is available in different types. Here in this write-up, we will go through the four main types of video calling solutions used at our homes and offices.

What Is Video Conferencing?

According to the experts, video conferencing is a kind of technology that enables people to communicate with each other through audio as well as video at the same time. This means that during a video call, the people on the both ends of a network would be able to see each other face to face and talk with them as well.

The Benefits Of Video Conferencing

There are several benefits that users can avail by using these online collaboration tools for communication solutions and some of them were listed here.

Can be a significant cost-saver in many scenarios
Remote employees can better coordinate team meetings without the need for travel
Businesses can use video to conduct job interviews too
An excellent tool for speed and efficiency – especially in an online customer service setting

How Does Video Conferencing Work?

During a video conference or a video call, one out of two technologies work and in most cases, team members can use webcams attached to their desktops or laptops. There is also the facility of attaching an external webcam along with the software needed to operate these webcams. The other system is using these online collaboration tools with the help of smart devices because modern-day smart devices like tablets, mobile phone, etc. are loaded with hardware and software needed for video calling. There are high quality multiple cameras to allow people to use these online collaboration tools for calling, meeting, etc.

Four Key Types Of Video Conferencing

The one on one business meeting
The customer video conference
The team video conference that can also be used to host virtual events too
The company video conference, much like the team video meeting