• What is VoIP?;
• What are the VoIP phones?;
• VoIP working requirements
• Powerful VoIP phone features
• How does VoIP work?
• How VoIP works with different devices
• How to use VoIP and make most of it?
• How much does a VoIP phone cost?;
• How to choose VoIP phone system that will work best for you;
• Making your VoIP phone work perfectly for your business;

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is a way to make telephone calls using the Internet instead of a regular analog, PBX system, or digital phone line. Your voice is turned into digital information data packets that travel over the web, making it easier and often cheaper to stay connected.

What are the VoIP phones?

A VoIP phone is more than just a physical device with buttons and a handset. While traditional VoIP telephones do exist and look much like regular office phones, the term also applies to software-based solutions. In essence, an internet phone can be a program that turns any Internet-compatible device into a phone capable of making and receiving calls via the Internet.
This means your smartphone, tablet, or even your computer can function as a virtual phone, provided you have the right software installed.
The term includes both tangible devices and VoIP phones that operate over the web, offering more flexibility and often reducing costs.

VoIP working requirements

For VoIP to work smoothly, there are several key requirements you’ll need to consider. Here’s a simplified list to guide you:

• Internet Connection: A stable, high-speed Internet connection is crucial while using a virtual phone system. A minimum bandwidth of 100 kbps per line is generally recommended for good voice quality.
• Router: A powerful router can make a big difference in call quality. Ensure it supports Quality of Service (QoS) settings to prioritize virtual traffic.
• VoIP Software or Hardware: You’ll need a virtual voice calling platform, which could be a physical VoIP phone or software on your computer or mobile device.
• Audio Equipment: A good-quality headset or microphone and headphones.

Powerful VoIP phone features

A virtual phone service offers an expansive range of features that cater to diverse business needs. For a more holistic view of the use of VoIP technology, let’s focus on these crucial functionalities that can significantly improve your communication strategy:

• International, Toll-free, and Local Numbers: Whether it’s a toll-free number for broad customer accessibility, a local number to create a hometown feel, or an international number to expand your reach—manage all these through a single dashboard with ease.

• SMS: Enables businesses to reach customers through text messages, great for quick updates or marketing campaigns.
• CNAM: The Caller ID Name service allows you to identify the nature of the incoming call—be it business or personal.
• Call Log: Maintains a comprehensive record of all inbound and outbound calls for monitoring and analytics.

• Call Recording: A versatile tool for quality control and training, this feature allows you to record calls for future review. It’s also an excellent way to capture important information and monitor customer interactions for compliance and improvement.
• Webphone: Enables making calls directly from a web browser, eliminating the need for additional hardware or software.
• Voicemail to Text: Transcribes voicemails into text messages, allowing you to read messages at your convenience within the VoIP phone system.

• Automatic Call Distribution (ACD): Distributes incoming calls to available agents based on predetermined criteria, improving efficiency.
• STIR/SHAKEN: Security protocols to prevent call spoofing and ensure call integrity.
• 911 Emergency Calling: Provides the critical capability to dial emergency services directly from your VoIP system.
• Multi-level IVR: Offers a complex voice menu with multiple tiers and languages to guide callers more accurately to the desired service or agent.

Each feature offers unique advantages that can help your business communicate more effectively and efficiently. It’s all about picking the ones that align most closely with your organizational needs.

How does VoIP work?

So how does a VoIP phone work? Below are the essential components and steps involved in making a VoIP call:

Initialization: Setting up the call

Before a VoIP call can begin, both the sender and receiver must establish a connection. The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is commonly used for this purpose. SIP helps in setting up, maintaining, and terminating multimedia communication sessions. In simpler terms, SIP acts like a “middleman” that introduces the caller to the receiver and sets the stage for the conversation to take place and the VoIP phone system to work.

Voice capture: Converting sound to data

When you speak into a VoIP-enabled device, your voice is captured by a microphone. This voice is then converted into digital data. This process is vital because only digital data can travel over the Internet. The complexity of this conversion is managed seamlessly in the background when the VoIP call works, making it transparent to users.

Compression: Making data smaller

Once the voice is converted into digital data, it is compressed to reduce its size. Compression helps speed up the data transfer and minimizes bandwidth usage (so it can travel quicker over the Internet). Efficient step-by-step compression is one of the reasons why making VoIP phone calls can be cheaper than regular phone calls.

Data packetization: Organizing data for transfer

The compressed digital data is then divided into smaller pieces known as packets. These packets are tagged with destination and sequencing information to ensure they arrive at the correct location and in the correct order, meaning that these envelopes know where to go and in what order to arrive so that your conversation makes sense when it gets there. Protocols like the Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) and the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) assist in this packetization process in virtual phone systems.

Transmission: Sending data over the internet

While using VoIP, these packets are sent over the Internet through a series of virtual ports. Port selection depends on the protocols being used and the network configuration: They go through a sort of Internet “post office” system that makes sure they get to the right place. During this phase, the data packets may travel through multiple routers and switches before reaching their final destination.

Decompression and playback: Completing the call

Once the packets reach the receiving end, they are reassembled and decompressed to restore the original voice data. They’re opened up and put back together in the correct order. Then they’re turned back into sound, so the person using VoIP or regular service on the other end hears what you’ve said, just like in a regular phone conversation.

How VoIP works with different devices

You might wonder how do VoIP phones work with different devices. Here’s a brief overview of your possible options:

VoIP Phones/SIP Phones

VoIP phones, also known as SIP phones, are specialized devices designed to work with virtual technology. These phones look a lot like traditional office phones but have Ethernet connectors to plug directly into your broadband network. Once connected, they automatically handle the conversion of your voice into digital data, its compression, and the entire process of sending and receiving data packets over the Internet. They often offer enhanced features like voicemail, call forwarding, and multiple lines, making them ideal for business settings.

Softphones

Softphones are software applications for Mac or Windows that let you make virtual voice calls from a computer or mobile device while using VoIP. You don’t need a physical phone; you just need a microphone and speakers. Softphones are especially useful for travelers or remote workers. You can make calls as long as you have the app and an Internet connection.

Analog Telephone Adapters (ATA)

If you’re attached to your old analog phone but want to try using a VoIP phone, an Analog Telephone Adapter (ATA) is for you. This small box plugs into your traditional phone and converts its analog voice signals into digital data that can travel over the Internet. It’s a simple way to upgrade without replacing your entire phone system.

Computers

Using Voice over IP works on a computer in a straightforward manner. You’ll need a softphone application, a good-quality headset, and a stable Internet connection. Most services offer a user-friendly interface that mimics a phone’s keypad and controls, making the transition from traditional to digital calling a breeze.

Mobile Phones

Mobile phones can also serve as Voice over IP devices, thanks to a variety of apps that can be installed. These apps use your phone’s data connection to make calls, offering a cost-effective alternative to using your mobile network, especially for international calls.

How to use VoIP and make most of it?

The technology is versatile, providing advantages for both office and remote work settings. By focusing on key tasks that VoIP can help solve, you can learn how to use VoIP and tap into its full potential to make your work processes more efficient and effective.

Working from the office:

• Improved internal communication: Connect with team members across different departments without physical barriers. Advanced phone system features like multi-level IVR and ACD help guide the caller to the right department or individual.
• Customer relationship management: Integrate VoIP service with CRM software to bring customer information to your fingertips during calls, making each interaction more personalized and effective.
• Meeting and collaboration: Utilize video conferencing and screen sharing features to hold team meetings or collaborate with clients, saving time and reducing the need for physical spaces.
• Cost-efficiency: Replace expensive traditional phone lines and long-distance call charges with VoIP, which often comes with flat-rate billing for unlimited calls.

Working from home:

• Easy transition: With features like call forwarding and webphone, you can transition easily from office to a home phone without losing touch with clients or team members.
• Professional presence: Use toll-free numbers and custom greetings to maintain a professional image, even when working from remote locations.
• Enhanced flexibility: Use VoIP technology to make and receive calls not just on desk phones but also on computers, tablets, or smartphones when you work at home. Mobile apps often come with the same functionalities as desktop versions.
• Secure communication: Implement security features such as end-to-end encryption and STIR/SHAKEN VoIP protocols to maintain the confidentiality and integrity of your calls.
• Team coordination: Use real-time analytics and call logs to keep track of team activities and productivity levels, making it easier to manage a dispersed team.

How much does a VoIP phone cost?

The cost of VoIP phones can vary widely based on your needs and the provider you choose. There are free plans available, though these often come with limitations on features and accountability. For average service with a reasonable range of features, you can expect to pay around $15 per month per user. If you’re looking for more capabilities, prices can go higher. Enterprise plans, offering extensive features and higher levels of phone service accountability, can cost several hundred dollars per month. It’s crucial to consider additional costs like setup fees, number porting fees, and potential long-distance charges when calculating the total price.

How to choose VoIP phone system that will work best for you

When selecting a VoIP provider that best suits your needs, there are several criteria you should consider:

• Service Reliability: Check uptime statistics and customer reviews.
• Features: Look for internet phone service functionalities you specifically need, such as call forwarding, multi-level IVR, or video conferencing.
• Cost: Consider both the initial setup cost and monthly fees.
• Scalability: Make sure the system can grow with your business.
• Customer Support: 24/7 support can be invaluable.
• Security Measures: Features like end-to-end encryption and two-factor authentication are important.
• Quality of Service: Ensure the provider offers high-quality calls without latency or jitter.
• Ease of Use: An intuitive interface can save you time and frustration.

Making your VoIP phone work perfectly for your business

Choosing and implementing the right VoIP phone system can be a game-changer for your business, offering a flexible and affordable communication solution that grows with your business needs. The success lies in the details.
If you’re looking for a tried-and-true cloud phone system, MightyCall has been consistently recognized among the top providers by G2, the largest peer-review service platform. Enjoy a free trial period to experience the service and make an informed decision.

The post How Does VoIP Work: Full Internet Phone Operation Guide first appeared on MightyCall.

• What is VoIP?;
• How does VoIP work?;
• VoIP protocols and standards;
• What equipment is required?;
• Is VoIP technology safe?;
• Best VoIP features;
• How much does VoIP cost?;
• VoIP vs landline;
• Advantages of VoIP;
• Disadvantages of VoIP;
• History of Voice over Internet Protocol;
• Understanding VoIP, SIP, and PBX differences
• What is the best VoIP on the market?;
• How to choose a service provider;
• Is VoIP the right communication solution for your business?

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a technology that enables voice communications and multimedia sessions over the Internet, bypassing traditional phone lines. It converts your voice into digital data packets for transmission over the web, providing a straightforward answer to making calls without a standard phone line.
Also known as IP Telephony, Internet Telephony, and Internet Calling, Voice over IP network was developed to solve several key problems:

• High Communication Costs: Traditional phone systems can be expensive, particularly for long-distance or international calls.
• Lack of Scalability: Traditional phone systems don’t easily adapt to business growth or contraction.
• Geographical Limitations: With standard telephony, your location often dictates your phone number and costs, making it less ideal for remote or international operations.

VoIP telephony addresses these challenges, offering a more flexible and affordable communication solution.

How does VoIP work?

The Voice over Internet Protocol system is fairly simple. You can either get into the details or look at the quick rundown of how it works:

1. Voice Capture: Your voice is picked up by a microphone.
2. Digitization: The analog voice signals are converted into digital data.
3. Compression: Data is compressed for easier transmission.
4. Packetization: Data is divided into small packets.
5. Routing: Voice data packets are sent over the Internet to their destination.
6. Decompression: Received data packets are decompressed.
7. Conversion: Digital signals are converted back to analog.
8. Voice Playback: The analog signals produce sound through a speaker.

VoIP protocols and standards

Voice over Internet Protocol relies on various other protocols and standards to ensure consistent communication over the Internet:

• SIP (Session Initiation Protocol): This is the primary protocol used for setting up, maintaining, and terminating real-time communication sessions like voice and video calls.
• RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol): RTP is responsible for the actual delivery of audio and video data packets during the call. It works hand-in-hand with SIP to provide a complete communication experience.
• SDP (Session Description Protocol): Used in tandem with SIP, SDP is utilized for describing the multimedia components of the communication session, including the types of media supported and the VoIP network ports used.
• TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): While not Voice over Internet Protocol-specific, TCP is a core Internet protocol that guarantees the delivery of data packets to their destination, albeit with some latency.
• UDP (User Datagram Protocol): Another core Internet protocol but faster than TCP. It’s commonly used in virtual communication for quicker, albeit less reliable, packet delivery.
• H.323: An older standard that was one of the first to support multimedia communications over online networks. Although being gradually replaced by SIP, it’s still in use in some systems.
• MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol): This protocol is used for controlling telephony gateways from external call control elements, often seen in older, large-scale enterprise systems.
• H.248 (Media Gateway Control): This protocol, also known as Megaco, is designed to control media gateways on the borders of IP networks, including those in virtual communication, video, and other real-time communication services.
• G.711: This is an ITU-T standard for audio compression and decompression. It’s one of the most commonly used codecs in virtual communication, known for delivering high audio quality.
• G.729: Another audio codec standard that compresses voice data. It is designed for efficient data packetization to deliver high quality audio even over lower bandwidths.
• ITU T.38: This protocol is used for sending faxes over IP networks in real-time, which explains the facilitation of the transition of legacy faxing solutions to modern virtual communication infrastructures.

What equipment is required?

• A calling device: A device that supports an internet service connection and either has or can be connected to a microphone and speakers.
• Softphone: Software applications that transform your computer or smartphone into a VoIP phone, eliminating the need for dedicated hardware.
• Router: A strong and reliable router that can handle the VoIP traffic along with your regular internet usage is essential for quality service.
• High-speed internet connection: A stable and high-speed internet connection ensures better call quality either via WiFi or an ethernet cable. A bandwidth of at least 100 kbps per line is recommended.
• Analogue telephone adapters (optional): Connect your traditional landline phone to your virtual system, allowing you to use existing hardware with the new technology.
• Ethernet cables (optional): Сan be used to maintain a reliable connection between your VoIP phones and your network.

Is VoIP technology safe?

VoIP technology has come a long way in terms of security, but like any internet-based service, it’s not entirely immune to risks. Key points to consider are:

• Encryption: Many VoIP providers offer end-to-end encryption to protect your data and conversations.
• Authentication protocols: Strong authentication mechanisms, such as STIR/SHAKEN, can keep unauthorized users from accessing your account.
• Firewalls and security software: Utilizing specialized virtual firewalls and security software can significantly reduce vulnerabilities.
• e911 services: Modern virtual calling services often include enhanced 911 (e911) capabilities, ensuring that your location information is available to emergency services.

While virtual telephony can be secure, it’s essential to configure your system correctly and adhere to best practices in cybersecurity.

Best VoIP features

Understanding what VoIP is requires you to know the multitude of features virtual systems offer:

Toll-free and local numbers

VoIP systems offer a range of number types to suit your business needs. Local numbers are ideal for businesses targeting specific geographic areas, while toll-free numbers, usually starting with 800, 888, or similar codes, let your customers call you free of charge, increasing your company’s accessibility.

SMS and MMS

Engage with your customers through text messaging and bring that experience to a whole new level by sending images, videos, and documents. SMS and MMS capabilities make your marketing campaigns more dynamic and accessible to a wider audience.

International numbers

Expand your global reach. VoIP phone systems often provide the option to obtain international numbers, facilitating communication with overseas clients without excessive costs.

Caller ID and CNAM

With Caller ID, your company’s name appears when you call someone, adding a layer of professionalism. CNAM features go a step further, allowing you to see who is calling, which is particularly useful for differentiating between personal and business calls.

Call management and routing

From basic call forwarding to advanced features such as multi-level IVR and automatic call distribution (ACD), VoIP systems offer a multitude of options to route calls efficiently. This ensures that callers are directed to the most appropriate agent or department.

Mobile app

Online phone services often come with Android and iOS apps, allowing for convenient communication while on the go. Receive and make calls, check voicemails, and maintain customer relations from anywhere.

Call analytics & monitoring

Understanding call metrics is crucial for improving service quality. Features such as live call monitoring, real-time analytics, and detailed agent reports provide useful insights into your call center’s performance.

Integration & automation

VoIP integration with CRM systems like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho, as well as automation services like Zapier, can organize and improve your workflow. This connectivity boosts efficiency by centralizing data and automating repetitive tasks.

User & team management

Managing a large team is easier with features like user extensions, roles & permissions, and specialized workspaces for agents and supervisors. These functionalities offer a tailored experience, ensuring that team members have the resources they need to excel.

Conference calls and do not disturb mode

The ability to host conference calls facilitates team collaboration. Meanwhile, the do not disturb mode allows you to focus on tasks without interruption, allowing you to effectively manage your availability.

How much does VoIP cost?

Navigating the maze of VoIP costs can be challenging, but knowledge is the key to making informed decisions. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or running a large enterprise, VoIP offers a scalable solution that fits various budgets:

• Free Plans: Basic features with limited security measures.
• Average Users: Around $20/month for a balanced range of features.
• Enterprise Plans: Can scale into several hundreds per month for advanced functionalities.

Additional Costs:

• Monthly or Annual Subscriptions: Varies depending on features; $25-$50/month on average.
• International Call Fees: Typically ranges from $0.02 to $0.20 per minute.
• Setup Fees: One-time fee, usually around $50-$100.
• Equipment Costs: Varies widely, but anticipate around $100-$200 per phone.
• Add-ons and Feature Upgrades: Can range from $5 to $25 per feature, per month.

In comparison, traditional landline services often come with hardware, installation, and maintenance costs that can make them less economical than virtual phone systems. For a more comprehensive look at costs, check out our pricing page.

VoIP vs landline

When it comes to choosing a communication method for your business or personal use, the choice often comes down to VoIP or a traditional landline. Both have their merits, but they differ in functionality, cost, and flexibility. Below is a comparative table that illustrates the difference between these two technologies to help you make an informed decision.

Voice service offers advanced features and exceptional pricing options, but depends on a stable internet connection. On the other hand, landlines are generally reliable and straightforward but can be costly and less versatile. Understanding the features that are most important to you or your business can guide you in choosing between Voice over IP and landline.

Advantages of VoIP

Cost-efficiency

Often using VoIP means cost savings. Traditional phone systems require complex installations and are often burdened by costly long-distance charges. Virtual telephone service removes these issues by using the internet, thus lowering your overall communication expenses.

Scalability

As your business grows, so can your virtual system. Traditional setups usually require hardware adjustments for new lines or locations. With online phone systems, scaling up or down is as simple as clicking a button, making it highly advantageous for businesses with fluctuating needs.

Mobility

The flexibility of online phone services is another major perk, allowing you to stay connected from anywhere with internet access. This feature is particularly valuable for remote workers and businesses with multiple locations, as it ensures uninterrupted VoIP communication.

Advanced features

Online phone services offer more than just voice calls. Video conferencing, instant messaging, and file sharing are some of the advanced features readily available, enriching your communication experience. These functionalities often come as part of the package, making VoIP a one-stop-shop for various communication needs.

Reliability

Despite early concerns about internet dependency, VoIP phone services have proven themselves to be defined as reliable communication channels. Many providers offer uptime guarantees and have backup measures in place to reroute calls in case of outages, ensuring consistent and dependable service.

Each of these advantages contributes to making virtual communication a compelling choice for both small businesses and large enterprises looking to optimize their communication systems.

Disadvantages of VoIP

Internet dependency

Virtual communication’s major drawback is its reliance on a stable internet connection. Slow or unstable internet can lead to poor call quality, delays, or dropped calls. Businesses operating in areas with limited connectivity will find this to be a significant hurdle.

Power outages

Traditional landline phones often work during power outages because they have their own power supply. Virtual systems, on the other hand, go down when there’s no electricity unless you have backup power systems in place. This could be a crucial issue for businesses that require constant communication.

Security concerns

Like any technology that operates over the internet, an online phone system is susceptible to cybersecurity threats, such as hacking and data breaches. While providers are continuously improving security features, businesses must still be proactive in implementing additional layers of security to protect sensitive information.
VoIP offers numerous advantages, but these drawbacks are worth considering. It’s essential to weigh the pros and cons and assess whether the potential issues are deal-breakers for your specific needs.

History of Voice over Internet Protocol

The 1990s

The roots of virtual communication can be traced back to the early 1990s, a decade marked by rapid technological advancements. Below is a table that encapsulates key developments during this period:

The 2000s

The 2000s saw virtual communication gain mainstream recognition and acceptance. Technological advancements made it more reliable and accessible:

Future

Looking ahead, virtual calling shows promising avenues for growth and improvement:

• AI Integration: Artificial Intelligence could further refine voice recognition and analytics.
• 5G and Beyond: The advent of faster and more reliable networks will improve call quality and may introduce new features we can’t yet conceive.
• IoT Collaboration: Integration with Internet of Things (IoT) devices can make VoIP more versatile, functioning as part of a broader network of smart devices.

The trajectory of VoIP calling suggests a continued data trend towards ubiquity, integration, and enhanced functionality, making it an indispensable tool for future communications.

Understanding VoIP, SIP, and PBX differences

While virtual communication serves as the overarching technology allowing voice communications over the ethernet and broadband, SIP and PBX are specialized components within this framework. Understanding their unique roles can clarify the broader landscape of digital communication.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP): SIP is a signaling protocol used to control multimedia communication sessions. It’s like a set of rules that dictates how virtual telephony should be initiated, maintained, and terminated. SIP is responsible for connecting, monitoring, and disconnecting sessions in a virtual communication network. If virtual communication is the general highway for internet-based calls, SIP is the traffic management system that ensures vehicles (data packets) travel smoothly and reach their destinations without issues.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX): This is an internal telephone switching system that manages incoming and outgoing calls for a company’s internal users. A PBX is equipped with features like call holding, voicemail, and call transferring. Traditional PBX systems worked with landline phones or digital phone lines, but modern PBXs are increasingly integrated with virtual communication to manage calls over the internet.
In summary, VoIP communication is the foundational technology for making calls over the internet. SIP is a protocol within virtual communication that manages the call sessions, and PBX is an internal system used within enterprises to manage their various telephony needs. Each plays a distinct yet interconnected role in the realm of digital communication.

What is the best VoIP on the market?

Selecting the best VoIP phone for you largely depends on your unique business telecommunication needs. Below is a mini-list featuring three different VoIP providers that cater to various scales and requirements.

MightyCall

MightyCall is made for call centers and small to medium-sized businesses, offering a range of features, such as toll-free numbers, call routing, and voicemail-to-text. With a user-friendly interface, it aims to make communication seamless and efficient.

Pros

1. Highly customizable
2. One of the best customer support services on the market
3. Impressive feature set

Cons

1. No built-in video conferencing
2. Limited integrations

Best for: Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a versatile feature-rich option with excellent support.

RingCentral

RingCentral is a solid option designed for large enterprises. It offers advanced features such as video conferencing, international calling, and a wide array of integrations with other business software.

Pros

1. Suits large enterprises
2. Well-known
3. Reliable customer support

Cons

1. Pricier than alternatives
2. Lacks a webphone, mini-CRM functionality, and an auto-receptionist among some other necessary features

Best for: Large enterprises needing a solid and scalable virtual communication solution.

Google Voice

Google Voice offers a free, basic VoIP calling service that is suitable for solopreneurs or businesses with minimal requirements. It provides straightforward features like voicemail, text messaging, and call forwarding.

Pros

1. Free for basic use
2. Easy to set up
3. Integrated with other Google services

Cons

1. Limited advanced features
2. Not suitable for larger businesses

Best for: Individuals and small businesses with basic communication needs.

Choose the one that aligns best with your business needs to get the most value out of your virtual communication solution.

How to choose a service provider

Selecting the right VoIP service provider is crucial for your business’s communication efficacy and efficiency. It greatly depends on what VoIP is used for. Here are the key factors to consider when making the final decision:

• Understand your needs: Before you start comparing providers, identify what your specific needs are. Do you need features like video conferencing, international calling, or call routing?
• Budget constraints: How much are you willing to invest in a VoIP service? Take into account not just the subscription cost but also potential additional expenses like setup fees, equipment, and overage charges.
• Ease of use: A complex system can be a nightmare for your team. Look for providers that offer intuitive, user-friendly interfaces.
• Feature set: Choose a provider that offers the set of features you need. This could range from basic features like call forwarding to advanced capabilities like call analytics and integrations.
• Reliability: A service that is often down is of no use. Ensure the provider guarantees high uptime, backed by a Service Level Agreement (SLA).
• Customer support: Opt for providers with robust customer support that is easily accessible through multiple channels, be it phone, email, or live chat.
• Scalability: As your business grows, your communication needs will too. Select a provider that can easily scale with your business.
• Reviews and recommendations: Don’t underestimate the value of customer reviews and recommendations. These can provide real-world insights into the pros and cons of a service.

Is VoIP the right communication solution for your business?

Throughout this article, you’ve learned about virtual telephony, its cost-effectiveness, versatility in features, and its edge over traditional landlines. Now you know how to choose the right VoIP provider, based on the factors ranging from feature sets to customer support. If your business seeks a powerful, feature-rich, and economical communication system, virtual communication certainly deserves consideration.
In case you’re looking for a perfect solution catering to the needs of small and medium-sized call centers, MightyCall brings to you a suite of exceptional features with unparalleled support and scalability.

The post VoIP Meaning: All About Technology, Calls, Network, and More first appeared on MightyCall.

• Sleek Dial Pad Interface:

We’ve given the dial pad a fresh makeover by removing unnecessary buttons and making room for a cleaner, more modern UI. The backspace button is now conveniently located at the bottom of the screen, perfect for one-handed use. Plus, you can now send SMS/MMS messages directly from the dial pad as you enter a phone number!

• Stay Connected With Confidence:

We’ve introduced a connection quality indicator during calls, so you will always know how strong your connection is. Just remember, this indicator is separate from the one displayed before making a call. Depending on your internet connection quality, you will be able to choose one of the 3 call method options prior to making a call:

— IP Telephony for an excellent connection of above 100 Mbps: when you are in the office or at home with a beautiful WiFi quality;

— Mixed Method for when your connection is on and off: when you are on the road, the weather is interfering with your router, or there is another reason for a laggy network. It will require for you to add your cell number in the settings prior to making the call;

— Cell: for when you do not have an internet connection at all but want to use the convenient MightyCall interface with all your client contacts: this method will also require for you to add your cell number in the settings prior to making the call.

• Work Smarter With Open in Popup and Split Screen:

Multitasking just got easier with the addition of Open in Popup and Split Screen (Android) support. Now you can minimize the app and seamlessly access other applications.

• Embrace the Landscape:

Our app now supports landscape orientation on Android devices, offering you more flexibility and freedom while using the dial pad.

• The Ultimate Hide Button:

We’ve added a nifty “hide button” so you can minimize the app during a call and effortlessly navigate through the application, accessing other app features, such as chats, call history, or call flow at the same time. Talk about convenience!

• A Globe-Trotter’s Delight:

Say goodbye to the confusing American flag that used to appear when erasing a phone number. Now, you’ll see a sleek, resized globe icon, indicating that no number has been entered.

• Caller ID Gets a Makeover:

We’ve jazzed up the CallerID feature with improved readability, making it crystal clear that tapping on it lets you change the displayed phone number with ease.

• Bigger and Better Keypad Buttons:

The touch area for buttons on the keypad has been increased for added comfort, ensuring you always press the right button.

• Upgraded Call UI:

We’ve given the call-in-progress UI a new look, particularly when you’re chatting with a single contact. Conference call cards are now also more visually appealing, and the call duration is displayed more prominently during an ongoing call.

The post Dial Pad Revamp: Boosting Your User Experience with Style and Functionality in MightyCall first appeared on MightyCall.

For one, it’s a tool that will improve your company from the inside out. The benefits of call recording start with your team members and extend to customers and overall company growth.

Here’s how a seemingly little detail like call recording will improve your team management, boost productivity, facilitate customer service, and foster learning.

 10 Best Benefits of Using Call Recording

1. Capture details you might have missed or forgotten

When talking to customers, it’s vital to actively listen. Taking notes often helps people keep track of details and ideas, but doing so during a call can prevent you from actively listening. With call recording, you can give your full attention to any call and take notes later when replaying it. This helps ensure customers feel they’re truly being “heard” — a big part of providing a great customer experience.

Additionally, sometimes it’s difficult to make out what a customer is saying. They’re in a noisy environment, talking quickly, or speaking in a heavy accent. You can, and should, ask for clarification when needed, but having a record of the call that you can play back as many times as you want provides some insurance and the peace of mind that you won’t miss anything important.

2. Coach your team more effectively

By recording calls, you can hear how your team members speak to customers. It’s a fantastic opportunity for managers to help teams improve their communication skills and to provide tips on how to sell more effectively or how to offer better customer service and support. Anyone in your organization, from receptionists to top salespeople, can benefit from the kind of granular coaching and feedback managers can provide as a result of monitoring call recordings.

3. Get to know your customers

Call recordings help your marketing team better understand your company’s customer, or “buyer”, personas. A buyer persona is a stereotypical representation of your typical and/or target customers, such as a “Mid-20s Urban Professional.”

By listening to customer calls, your marketing team will learn how well the buyer personas they’ve developed measure up to your actual customers. Having a realistic understanding of buyer personas can make your marketing efforts much more efficient and impactful.

4. Enhance your product or service

By sharing call recordings with specific team members in product management or R&D, you can help them better understand how customers are using your product, what they like about it, and what could be better. All of this is invaluable (and free) information that can be translated into products and services that more effectively meet customer expectations.

5. Stay on the right side of the law

First off, it’s important to note that call recording is legal as long as there is an acknowledgment that it’s happening (whether by you telling someone or a pre-recorded message doing so).
MightyCall call recording settings
Otherwise, maintaining a database of recorded calls will help your business comply with legal, industry, and service-level compliance guidelines.

Recorded calls can help you resolve disputes or defend against litigation from unhappy customers and in some cases a voice recording can serve as a verbal contract.

Lawsuits and legal representation cost an arm and a leg, and hiring a lawyer can be financially crippling for anyone but the biggest companies. Considering most lawsuits brought against companies stem from miscommunication, having a hard record to help sort things out before lawyers get involved is a lifesaver.

6. Watch your words

It’s often said that it costs five to seven times more to acquire a new customer than it is to retain an existing one. To keep customers, you need to provide excellent customer service (among other things). Like the old adage goes: sometimes it’s not what you say, but what you don’t say that really defines a conversation.

If you run a small business, chances are there’ll be some repeat customers who you may get to know. By listening to call recordings, you and your team can figure out what to avoid saying to certain customers so nobody’s feelings are hurt and you stay in everyone’s good graces.

7. Capture customer stories

Customers who call your company and glow about their experience using your product or service — why they chose it, how it’s helped them, and so on—are a godsend. Beyond the confidence boost you get, you may be able to use the content of those calls (with the customer’s approval) for a great “customer success story” for your marketing or advertising campaigns.

8. See how your customer service has evolved

By maintaining a database of call recordings, you can compare how your team communicates with customers today vs. how you communicated with them in the past. The differences can show where you’ve improved and where you still need work as well as how your business is growing — which can be motivating.

9. Quickly bring a customer service agent up to speed

If you operate as a solo entrepreneur or run a small business, it may be necessary to bring someone in from time to time to handle customer calls. Maybe you want to completely disconnect from a business while on vacation, or you’re too busy to handle customer calls effectively. These situations happen all the time. Sharing call recordings with new or temp workers helps bring them up to speed quickly on your customers’ needs and frequently asked questions, as well as how to handle them. Showing is always better than telling.

10. Keep an ear on technical issues

It’s easy to bring all the focus to solving a customer concern or problem, but sometimes you also need to analyze the technical aspects of your conversation with a cool head. Is the sound quality HD? How have your interactions technically evolved over a period of time? How well is your phone system technically adapted to things like quickly routing calls, adding consultative calls, sending the caller to another department, etc? Do you have recurring tech glitches with those things, or it’s fast and smooth? Keep in mind that call recording benefits extend into technical aspects and will help you technically improve your service.

Advantages of Call Recording for Business: All the Benefits in One Feature

At the end of the day, call recording is a small and inexpensive way to monitor your business and implement changes. It provides you with a wealth of data and there are numerous ways to practically apply that info.

If phone calls are a major component of your business and you’re not using call recording, you’re missing out on an easy opportunity to maximize your business practices. In today’s hypercompetitive business market, doing so is inexcusable.

MightyCall offers a simple-to-use call recording feature that already comes with pre-recorded messages for full legal compliance. This feature is completely automatic, so you won’t have to press buttons to record each and every call. Simply set it up once for inbound or outbound calls  — or both — and take advantage of all the above benefits automatically.

The post Top 9 Ways Call Recording Can Help a Business first appeared on MightyCall.

Enter call waiting – an effective way to handle two calls simultaneously. This new call handling option puts you in charge of how to treat the incoming call without sending mixed signals to the prospective customer.

Let’s take a look at how this new MightyCall feature can help you turn prospects into customers, and how to start using it today.

A feature that makes second-line call handling simple

Businesses often face the problem of two people calling at the same time. In a standard setting, the second caller will hear a busy signal or be sent over to voicemail. Sounds fair that the person may call back later or leave a message. But according to an Accenture report, 91% of people are “frustrated” with having to call a company several times for the same reason. So it’s a lot more probable that faced with a busy signal, the frustrated callers will turn to a competitor.

Call waiting eliminates the problem of a missed call on the second line. Instead of a busy signal, it lets call agents attend to both callers in the manner they choose, depending on the situation at the moment.

Activate this feature to enjoy the following benefits:

• Cut down on the number of missed calls
• Improve customer satisfaction with a higher call response rate
• Get better reviews from customers
• Distribute calls evenly between agents
• Save time on follow-up

Instead of a busy signal: three ways to handle calls

Instead of routing calls according to pre-set rules, the feature allows the agent taking the call to decide what to do with the call on the second line.

When you get a call on the second line, you’ll see three icons (options) pop up on your mobile phone screen or in the webphone:

• Transfer – use this option to transfer the second call internally to a colleague or externally to any other number
• Add Call – press this button to connect a colleague for a consultative call
• Switch – an option that allows to switch between two calls as many times as you need. Calls will alternative between active and on-hold when you tap this button

Read more about setting up or disabling the feature. You can also contact our live support at +1 (888) 256-8312 ext.2 or support@mightycall.com. Just let us know that you need help with setup, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

More call handling options from MightyCall

The feature is designed for two simultaneous callers. If three or more people happen to dial your business phone number and/or extension at once and you don’t have other call handling options enabled, the third person will hear a busy signal.

However, you can avoid the busy signal even with multiple callers by activating the Call Queue option which comes with all MightyCall plans. Call Queue notifies the callers to wait for the next available operator and automatically places them in line in the order the call was received.

Learn more about Call Queues, plus check out our other latest features like  General Voicemail Box which allows teams to jointly follow up on customer communications.

The post Introducing a Smarter Way to Handle Simultaneous Calls first appeared on MightyCall.

In this article we cover:

• What is Google Voice?
• How Does Google Voice Work?
• The Two Plans Comparison
• Pricing & Plans Overview
• Features Difference Between Two Options
• Users and Locations Comparison
• Pros & Cons of the Business Plan
• Pros & Cons of the Personal Plan
• Making the Right Choice

What is Google Voice?

Google Voice is a wireless phone service provider, giving its customers from select countries a phone number for local calls, texts, and voicemail. Naturally, it can be synced across the devices of choice: computers or smartphones. It has all the basics covered: spam filters, black list function, call forwarding, back-ups, voicemail transcriptions, alongside extra features available for purchase, such as international calling.

How Does Google Voice Work?

Being a VoIP service, Google Voice uses Voice Over Internet Protocol to transfer calls and messages. It is a tie-free fully virtual calling system that allows you to call from wherever you are. In VoIP, voice is transformed into a digital signal that is passed over the internet, connecting people with other users. All you need is:

• A device: computer, smartphone or tablet;
• Stable internet connection: the Wi-Fi or a data plan.

Google Voice account provides free PC-to-phone calling within the US and Canada and free PC-to-PC audio and video calls worldwide. Depending on the plan, the customer gets a virtual phone number, allowing for a full replacement of a sim card. There are two main options you will be choosing from; read more about them below.

Google Voice Personal vs Business Comparison

Google Voice Personal

This type of account is available on Android, iOS, and the web, providing its customers with free limited phone call functionality. Meanwhile it cannot provide you with a virtual number, it includes an integration with mail and calendar, making it best for:

• Individuals who like to have the option of calling others via the internet or a computer for individual convenience reasons;
• Freelancers who need to handle and organize multiple calls from clients on the device of their choice;
• Small businesses that do not have a large volume of calls;
• Solopreneurs who manage their orders and customers on a tight schedule;
• Anyone who enjoys the freedom of calling via the internet and multiple devices rather than being attached to the cell phone and cell service.

What are the main uses for the Personal account

1. Economy: Making a free phone call within the US. For example, if you need to talk to some customer support that will leave you hanging for an hour and you do not want to pay for it;
2. Scheduling: making a call schedule through integrating it into the calendar: if you want to make a few calls at once;
3. Privacy: making sure that your own phone number remains private and unknown;
4. Back-up: being able to use any phone or computer, so if you lose your phone and need to make a call from your laptop, you will be able to.
5. Travel: when you go from one state to another, your service quality will depend on the internet connection, not cellular service.

Google Voice Business (Google Workspace)

The Google Voice for Business is a paid subscription-based service that provides you with a free phone number (or multiple for an extra fee) and an extensive functionality (voicemail, SMS ability, and other), which is its greatest advantage. The users can communicate on any internet-enabled web-linked phone line, making it an excellent option for companies and the professional Google Voice service.

This option is best for:

• Growing small businesses: manage the small client base and other business communications in an organized way;
• Middle size businesses: have your team members handle the communication with the clients via multiple devices within one system;
• Solopreneurs: handling a large volume of communication in an organized manner (this option also includes text messages);
• Small research projects that require data collection via surveys.

What are the main uses for the Business option?

• Texting and calling: communication with customers or other services;
• Having a custom area code and privacy for your telephone numbers: being able to contact others without revealing your location or having to use your private non-business phone number;
• Keeping records of business calls for documentation and follow-up purposes.
• Organization: being able to have everything in one place and not get lost in the multitude of contacts;
• Answering service for your telephone numbers: having an automated answering option that interacts with callers to prevent loss of clients.

Google Voice Personal vs Business Account: Pricing & Plans

When comparing the two Google Voice plans, it is important to note that the personal plan is absolutely free. It is not meant for large volumes of communication, rather than that, it is more of a feature for individual use. That means you are choosing between Google Voice free vs paid.

The Google Voice for Business option was developed specifically for companies that need to manage a larger volume of calls. It is divided into 3 different tariffs:

* Only calls from the GVoice app will show up as your Google number, dials from your mobile phone touchpad will use your caller ID.
All private data shared with Google.

MightyCall Solution

The Google phone system is good, but it has flaws, since unlike MightyCall, it has never been an independent business communication service specializing in virtual calls. MightyCall, however, has originally been focused solely on VoIP phone numbers and telephony (for over 15 years), which is why it offers more features (free on all the plans), such as toll-free/vanity phone numbers, extensions/call flows and HD audio quality.

It also has helpful customer support: daily 8 am to 8 pm EST phone, chat, 1-1 onboarding sessions and web customer support for anyone who needs assistance or wants free help with the set-up, which is why G2 named MightyCall the top VoIP customer support this year.

Features Difference Between Google Voice Personal and Business

The set of available features depends on the option you choose. Take a look at the table comparing the features of these options.

	Personal	Starter	Standard	Premier
Mobile apps: iOS and Android
Toll-free/vanity numbers
Call forwarding
International locations				Unlimited
SMS		Unlimited in the US	Unlimited in the US	Unlimited in the US
Voicemail-to-text
Do not disturb based on calendar working hours
Desk phone compatibility
Auto attendants
Caller ID (Google Meet Calls)
Ring groups
Conferencing calls
Call menus
Integrated web widgets
Extensions/call flows

MightyCall Solution

MightyCall clients have access to many features that GVoice is lacking. Choosing MightyCall (over GVoice) allows you to:

• Try toll-free/vanity numbers – included on all the plans;

• Jump on conference calls – MightyCall knows how important to have team calls to ensure everyone stays up-to-date;
• Check out HD audio quality – Google Voice doesn’t support top-notch HD audio for callers and relies on Wi-Fi, sometimes resulting in a faulty connection that will give your company an unprofessional reputation;
• Experience call flows and extensions – since GVoice was not originally developed as a wireless phone service provider, it does not have an option to have structured call flows or organization for telephone numbers;

• Enjoy the hands-down best customer support out there.

Google Voice Business vs Personal: Users and Locations

The difference between Google Voice Personal and Business is also in the number of users and locations. The Personal Plan is exclusively for the United States, meanwhile the Business plan has available telephone numbers in 13 countries/regions for callers:

• Belgium
• Canada
• Denmark
• France
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom

*Depends on the subscription type

MightyCall Solution

If you did not find the location you are interested in in the Google Voice list, MightyCall is your choice.

MightyCall provides a choice of 25 countries for international business phone numbers, including all countries from GVoice. You will get a choice from: Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, Philippines, Brazil, Portugal, China, Russia, Egypt, Singapore, France, South Africa, Germany, South Korea, India, Spain, Indonesia, Switzerland, Italy, Thailand, Japan, Turkey, Mexico, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and the United States of America.

Pros & Cons of Google Voice Business

When choosing between Google Voice paid vs free options, it is important to look at the multiple factors to be taken into consideration when choosing your professional communication platform:

Pros

• Price – the service is affordable and is within one of the best price offers within virtual phone providers;
• Port your phone number – for an additional $20 USD you can port your own number or use your Google Voice Number for free;
• Simple interface – the service has an amazing at UI;
• Growth – your business will grow once you switch from a sim card to a universal plan;
• G Suite – an integration will be intuitive and easy for companies using Google;
• Call screening – requiring vocal identification from your callers;
• Switch devices – devices can be switched during a call.

Cons

• Cannot port landline – if you want to port a landline number, you will have to transfer it to a mobile operator first;
• Privacy concerns – all the information will be stored on Google servers;
• No analytics – this service is yet to offer analytics to its clients;
• Limited features: requires Google Workspace for use, which is an additional purchase, so in a way it is an addition to the GWorkspace rather than an independent service;
• Hard-to-access customer support – the forum is the main means for communication between the customer support team and clients;
• Limited communication channels – only voice and text services offered, no conference calls or additional features.

Pros & Cons of Google Voice Personal

It is important to remind ourselves that this plan is absolutely free for individual use when looking at the pros and cons:

Pros

• Variety – this plan gives you an additional option on top of your cell phone;
• Professionalism – having the ability to keep all your calls dubbed on your computer will help you organize your work communication;
• Price – this version is completely free;
• Voicemail transcription – Google AI is a powerful tool that ensures quality in voicemail transcription;
• Calendar – adds your communication on your calendar;
• Flexibility – allows to work from any device or operational system;
• Security – provides you with a tool to protect your number from people you are calling.

Cons

• No emergency calls – you will not be able to reach 911;
• Limited locations – the feature only works in the US and with US telephone numbers;
• No virtual number – people will not be able to call you;
• Limited users – only one person can be using it;
• No organization – you will not have access to a put together hub with all the features and all call history;
• Limited communication channels – only voice services offered, no texting, MMS, conference calls or additional features.

Making the Right Choice: Google Voice Business vs Personal

Google Voice is an affordable and functional solution for both business communication and personal use, so depending on your needs, you can make the decision based on comparison. The VoIP solution provides a solid set of basic features for making virtual calls, but it lacks a few options you might need. If you do find yourself missing a few features or if you did not find what you need in the functionality of the phone service, we recommend trying the MightyCall solution.

MightyCall was created and perfected over the years specifically to meet the needs of small and medium companies when it comes to virtual telephony. It is also one of the most affordable options on the market of over 25 countries and is known to provide over-the-top customer support. Try it and see for yourself.

The post Google Voice Personal vs Business: Full Pricing & Feature Comparison first appeared on MightyCall.

In the following post, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of what it’s all about and help you decide whether or not it’s the right decision for your company.

What is a PBX System?

PBX is an acronym. The letters “PBX” stand for the word “Private Branch Exchange”, and it’s become ubiquitous to the modern office. The system effectively creates a web- a local network of telephones which can also connect to the outside world.

What PBX is can be thought of as a central box (as it most oftentimes literally is a physical box somewhere in the office). All the phones in the office are connected to that box, and that box is in turn connected to the outside world. When a ring is incoming, the private branch exchange can handle incoming ring and move them from one internal phone to the next (known as ring transferring or forwarding). It can also manage internal ring, where the phones in the telephone network can ring each other (each with their own extension).

That way, when people ring into the office, they don’t ring each salesperson individually (unless they know their extension, that is); rather, they ring a single central phone number and then the call is meted out further to the correct person.

PBX History

Past

PBX systems originated just before the middle of the 20th century. Early variants were either manual or were automatic, but both were “private” (in the sense that they were used in private companies or government offices).

Present

Nowadays, physical boxes are significantly smaller than they once were, and are relatively easy to keep somewhere on-site without it taking up too much space or being unseemly.

Future

The future is, like everything else, digital: the IP-BX (combining VoIP systems and the branch exchange) is taking the industry by storm, as it does not rely on a physical box and instead “exchanges” all the “branches” via cloud servers.

How Does a PBX Work?

As discussed previously, there are currently two forms of PBX systems: the older physical PABX boxes, which all the telephones in a given area are connected to via cables, or newer IP-BX systems, in which all the connected phones are linked via the internet. When a call is incoming, it can be split off to whichever person the caller wants to reach. Linked telephones can also

Traditional PBX relies on actual wires to link everything. While the original variants of this phone system required a person to man the box by literally switching the wires, now the wires can “switch” themselves electronically.

With newer, internet-based systems like the Cloud PBX, all is done in the cloud (including the location of servers). These are mobile systems without wires and (often) without a physical box.

PBX Features

• Call forwarding
• Call transfer
• Intra-office/company calls
• Call blocking

• CRM integration (Not available in all systems)

Required Equipment for PBX

To have a functioning PBX system, you’ll need a couple pieces of equipment:

• Telephones to connect to the system (desk phones or mobile phones)
• Central “box” (in the cloud or a physical box) which can “switch” the calls
• A router for telecom communications
• VoIP system (for IP-BX systems)
• Stable supply of electricity

Different Types of PBX Phone Systems

Analog PBX Phone System

The Analogue PBX system is probably the traditional PBX. It’s the system you think of when you think about office phone systems. All of the equipment, namely phones, are connected via physical wires to a regular PBX box, which is in turn connected to an outside wire.

Advantages:

• Easy to operate once set up
• Reliable

Disadvantages:

• Difficult to set up without outside help
• Reliant on physical hardware

IP PBX

This system is essentially the Analogue PBX system, but some are reliant upon physical boxes and others are reliant on internet technology (as in they do not have a central “box”). These can switch between internet calls/numbers and non-internet calls/numbers.

Advantages:

• Being more integrated with the internet opens up to new possibilities

Disadvantages:

• If your broadband connection is down, the system is down

VoIP PBX

Virtual phone systems take the previous ones a step further and goes all-in: now the entire virtual PBX is in the cloud, sans equipment, and all phones are connected to the virtual PBX via the internet (either plugged into an ethernet wall socket or are connected via a signal/Wi-Fi.)

Advantages:

• Gain benefits from being part of the cloud (more digital space)
• More PBX features due to internet connectivity (e.g. call routing, call queues, virtual receptionist, outbound and inbound caller ID, etc.)

Disadvantages:

• As mentioned before, internet connection problems can bring the entire system to a halt

Hosted PBX

Hosted PBX systems don’t require equipment like a physical box on-campus (as in, in your office). Instead the server needed for the Hosted PBX is somewhere off site, oftentimes in a data center of some kind. Your phones are connected to the PBX server via your router.

Advantages:

• Less on-site physical devices
• Data safely stored

Disadvantages:

• Problems with data center affect you

On-Premises PBX

An On-Premises system is reliant upon IP technology. But, as per the name, that IP technology is somewhere on campus. So phones are connected to an IP device, giving internet connectivity, but the device must be on campus.

Advantages:

• On-site device being connected to the internet allows the incorporation of virtual phone system technology
• On-site device may allow quicker repair

Disadvantages:

• Need a space for an on-site device

PBX SIP Trunking

SIP trunking–trunking being a collection of phone lines–is a modern PBX solution to older types of phone systems, some which may use a landline. With SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) trunking, if your office/workspace already has a box, you can connect it to the internet–via SIP trunking–effectively enabling you to have all of the benefits of an internet/virtual phone-type system while using your phone line collecting old box or landline.

Advantages:

• Lower costs for calling
• Increased flexibility

Disadvantages:

• Relying on internet PBX service can be problematic at times

PBX Use Cases

If you run a small business, you may be wondering if a PBX is right for you. A lot depends on whether or not you need to make a lot of business calls when running your small business, or whether you don’t need to make them so often. One example would be something like an IT company. There are a ton of these, so having good customer service is a good way to ensure that you can stick out from the business crowd. A PBX phone system can help you with that, as it can guarantee you a set amount of lines which can always be used.

Conversely, let’s say you run a different kind of business- like a factory. A factory maybe needs one or two phone lines, since your workers aren’t talking to the people who are actually buying the products and most people don’t call factories. Here a PBX may not be so helpful, since you’ll have a lot of lines which will go to waste on the device.

PBX Phone System Benefits for Business

1. Reliability: Usually takes the form of a box somewhere on the campus of your office space, and there it sits without needing constant maintenance. Unless the power goes out or something happens with the telephone wires or telecom communications, it’ll probably keep on chugging along.
2. Office Interconnectivity: Being able to quickly dial a coworker to ask a short question or to give a heads up is something that we sort of take for granted, but is really helpful- the time spent looking for a person’s number or having to go over to their desk might be a good way to waste time, but that’s also what it is: a waste of time.
3. Ease of Use: Forwarding calls with the options PBX providers who offer a device is really a cinch, and it doesn’t take a ton of technological know-how to be able to do so. People don’t like being challenged day-to-day on things which are tertiary to their actual challenges. Someone might love the challenge of working out a gym, but if the public transport is for some reason out of whack and difficult to use, they probably won’t love the challenge of getting there. Same for office workers and business-related communication channels: no one likes having to press a billion buttons just to be able to put in a call to a coworker or to a long-time client. A PBX system makes it simple to do so.

Businesses like call centers or paper supply companies, which have to make lots of business calls to lots of people all the time (be it for customer phone service calls or for sales calls) can take full advantage of PBX devices.

How to Choose PBX System for Business

Choosing the right PBX system for your company can be overwhelming at times. There are hundreds of models, all of which have their own unique aspects. Below are some questions to keep in mind when choosing your company’s business phone system:

Your Budgeting

• What are your monthly expenses? – How much does your business spend each month?
• Do you have any savings? How many do you have? Do you have enough for new phone lines?
• Are there any major purchases you need to make soon?

Your Infrastructure

• Where is your business located? – Do you work in an office? Does everyone on your team work in the same area? Do you share the office?
• Do you already have work phones/a PBX phone system? Do you have set phone lines?
• Do you have reliable internet connectivity?

Your Clientele

• Are your clients the sort of people who prefer using the phone?
• Can you do more of your business with clients on the internet than you do now?
• Are there periods of time in which you have a large amount of incoming calls?

How You Run Your Business

• How many people call out of your company at once? – Do you need to have many employees constantly making calls, like a call center, or have more basic calling needs?
• Can employees work from home? How often?
• Do you have a large client base impacting your business communication needs? – Might it be easier for your clients to be able to do some things online?

Company Size and Likelihood of Expansion

• How many employees do you have? How many phone lines do you have?
• Do you plan on hiring more people?
• Do you plan on moving to a new working space sometime soon?

Private Branch Exchange Pros & Cons

PBX pros

• Ease-of-Use: devices are extremely easy to use once set up. Most of the time, employees will simply just have to dial the phone and start talking.
• Features: Some telecommunications systems, especially those connected to the internet, open doors to a litany of business features.
• Sound: calls are often crystal clear and have minimal sound quality issues.

PBX cons

• Price: They don’t come cheap. Some can be relatively expensive.
• Difficult to Repair: If using a physical device and something goes wrong, repairing it will be nearly impossible without hiring an expert
• Limits on Lines: Most physical ones have a set number of phone lines available. If you expand and need more lines for your phone service, you’ll probably have to get a new box.

Rarer PBX Features

1. Custom Voicemails: Some more modern ones allow you to create your unique voicemails (oftentimes, per user) for your business phone.
2. Call Recording: The ability to record incoming and outgoing calls can be a game-changer for many call-based companies.
3. Block Lists: Getting annoying spam callers? Some can permanently keep those numbers away from your phone.
4. Desktop/mobile app: Internet-based systems can enable desktop and mobile apps for users, often used in mobile PBX phone systems.
5. Auto-attendant: Getting callers to where they need to go without anyone having to pick up the phone is a huge benefit of newer systems.
6. Keeping Your Own Number: With newer systems, those who switch can more often than not port their old numbers over, which is great for companies which have spent time and money associating that number with their phone services.
7. Call routing: You can use new PABX systems to lay out “call trees” which callers can follow to get to the “destination” they need to get to.

PBX vs VoIP vs UCaaS: How to Make the Right Decision

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, allows callers to place outbound calls and receive incoming calls over the internet instead of over wired phones. UCaaS, or Unified Communications as a Service, by contrast incorporates VoIP calling along with other forms of communications (like texting and video conferencing).

Which is superior?

Why are companies turning toward internet-based Voice over Internet Protocol and UCaaS systems?

1. Flexibility: connecting to the internet allows for the incorporation of internet features
2. Expansion: As you grow, your system can grow with you and you can accrue more business phone numbers.
3. Insight: Using internet-based systems allows for a careful analysis of statistics which boxes and basic machines simply don’t allow for.
4. No Geographic Restraints: Internet-based systems allow your employees to work from anywhere with a signal or Wi-Fi.
5. Software Integration: If you already use certain programs, like different CRMs, newer systems can work in tandem with them.

Why Choose MightyCall as a Business Phone System

The PBX has been a mainstay of business phone systems for decades. Hardy, reliable, and trustworthy, it has connected salesmen with clients for years. But for companies desirous of a flexible, easy, and accessible system, virtual systems may be a better bet.

Here are a few reasons why people are flocking to MightyCall:

• Low-cost – Using MightyCall’s system is cheaper than a physical phone line and comes with no hardware or software to update. MightyCall starts at just $9/month.
• Fully mobile – PABX systems, while reliable, tie you down to a single location whereas virtual phone system allow your workers to go wherever there is internet.
• Reliable – Virtual systems make use of cellular networks, internet, and/or Wi-Fi connectivity to ensure a reliable connection at all times
• Multi-faceted – Our unified communications platform takes full advantage of internet technologies. Communication perks include call routing service to any device so you can call and text via your business number, and over three dozen professional features.
• World-class security & reliability – Your conversation quality will stand the test of time thanks to our 99.99% uptime, 24/7 network security,  data encryption, and protection from robocallers.
• Simple to set up – An entirely virtual telephony solution, MightyCall can be up and running for you in minutes.

The post Is a PBX Phone System Right For You? first appeared on MightyCall.

But what you may not think of is something which has probably been there since…well, since you can remember: caller ID. It’s been your friend almost certainly since you have first owned a phone: it’s kept you from picking up the phone when creeps call, it’s saved you endless hours of boring conversations with that family member who just cannot get the hint, and with it you have avoided all sorts of annoying robocalls.

Although most phones (or at least almost certainly most phones) you have used include caller ID, you probably have not thought about how it works, how there can be different versions of it, and how you can use caller ID to your advantage when trying to establish your business and build up your brand.

In this article, we will be discussing everything you did not know that you need to know about caller ID- where it came from, the different kinds which exist currently, how it is used in the twenty-first century, and how YOU can use it to do your advertising for you.

Caller ID: A History

The history of caller ID is more storied—and international!—than you might think at first look. Caller ID took a long time to come about. In the late 1960s / early 1970s, a Greek immigrant to the United States of America patented new technology. The man, Theodore Paraskevakos, had found a way to transfer via the telephone lines (like the ones you see attached to poles) electronic signals. This incredibly early and remedial technology soon gave way to transferring specific signals—or words—across telephone lines. A couple of years later, in the mid-1970s, a Japanese inventor named Kazuo Hashimoto ended up building the first variant of an actual caller ID device.

From that point on caller ID took off. Over time it became a fixture of wall and home phones. When cell phones became more and more popular throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, caller ID went right along with it, being made an integral part of receiving calls. Ditto with smartphones- after the advent of the smartphone in the mid to late 2000s, it soon became odd to *not* know who was calling you.

And nowadays? Well, nowadays it’s…everywhere. You probably cannot remember the last time you used a phone—any phone—that did not have caller ID (unless maybe you, for whatever reason, still use a retro payphone in public on occasion).

What kinds of caller ID programs are there? And is there any way to trick them?

This is probably not, at first, something you would find yourself considering. After all, caller ID is something that, for lack of a better phrase, identifies the caller- right?

Well, yes and no. Caller ID is actually a game-changer for small business. There are two types of caller ID: Inbound Caller ID and Outbound Caller ID. Let’s talk about the first one, well, first.

Inbound Caller ID is where you are receiving a call and your phone identifies who the caller is. Now, if you have never received a call from this number, your phone receives the electronic signals from the calling phone: a phone with the number 555-555-5555 communicates with your phone and tells it that it is receiving a call from the telephone number 555-555-5555. Pretty straightforward. Now, if you program that number into your phone and tell it that the signal it receives from that number should be displayed as “Jim,” then your phone will know to display the signal received from that phone as Jim.

So far, so simple. There is, however, a way around this. It depends on the country you are using it, but a caller can use a workaround technique that effectively “restricts” the information your phone gives out to the phone you are contacting. The way to do this is by typing *67, waiting a bit, and then inputting the call. This will send a signal to the receiving phone which will show up as “Restricted.” Now, it’s not super useful because 99% of people will not pick up the phone when it says “Restricted” (because, I mean- why would you?), but it is a method which has worked for decades and still works even on modern smartphones of the current era.

There is another kind of caller ID that must be mentioned in any discussion of the kinds of caller ID, specifically a special kind of outbound caller ID offered by MightyCall: CNAM.

How MightyCall’s CNAM Can Help Raise Awareness of Your Business

One of the most difficult things about business in the modern era is that, with the advent of texting and seemingly one thousand different kinds of messaging apps and programs, getting people to actually talk on the phone can be rather challenging. Even with caller ID, a number you don’t recognize is still a number you do not recognize, and lot of people just are not THAT interested in conversation.

That is where CNAM comes in. For example, if you own a pizza joint and you make some close-to-dinnertime sales calls to nearby neighborhoods offering to deliver a discounted pizza, your Caller ID can appear as “Joe’s Pizza Parlor” instead of your phone number in digits. The best part about MightyCall’s CNAM is that it is totally free. Just get in contact with MightyCall at support@mightycall.com and they will help you get it up and running for free!

MightyCall also offers incredibly useful inbound calling technology as well! With MightyCall’s inbound calls, you can set up your contacts in such a way that when you receive a call, your business number will appear alongside it. This lets you know that the call is to your business number and not your personal number (this is especially useful for those of you who use multiple numbers on one phone).

The benefits of this are huge. If it’s a Friday night and you are settling in to relax, you might take a call from your dad, but maybe you do not feel like taking one from a client calling about who knows what. With standard caller ID technology, unless you have every number memorized which you even briefly interact with, you won’t know who they’re calling. Plus, it could be a first-time caller to your business- then you definitely wouldn’t know who is calling! With MightyCall’s inbound caller ID, it doesn’t matter if you have talked zero or a hundred times to that number- you’ll know if they want to talk to Business You or Personal You.

Getting this set up is super easy. Just head on over to your MightyCall web panel, click “Numbers and Web Widgets” on the left hand side bar, and click on “Call Display Control.” Make sure the slider is green and that you’ve appropriately saved your contact information (which you probably already have), and voila- you are set to go!

In Call-clusion…

Caller ID has been around a long time and, just like phones themselves, it keeps moving forward. You probably are no longer using a rotary phone, so why use an old, outdated version of already old technology?

With MightyCall, you can not only get specialized inbound caller ID and outbound CNAM caller ID technology, but you also get a ton of useful features like call forwarding to any device, call recording, call queues, visual voicemail, and more.

The choice is obvious. Start calling with MightyCall’s free trial today and get your caller ID to work for you.

The post Inbound and Outbound Caller ID: Why It Deserves to Be Taken Seriously by Your Business first appeared on MightyCall.

This isn’t just an annoying problem- it can actually impact your small business’s bottom dollar since it keeps you from being able to talk to the people who *actually* want to do business with you, and clogs up your phone line.

To help you out with that, we’ve put together a guide of the best ways to stop these robot menaces and put an end to robocalls. Below we’ll cover what exactly spam calls are (and why they’re so hard for you to get rid of), methods of blocking spam and robocall numbers, and then specifically how MightyCall has a bunch of tools to deprogram these annoying bots.

In this post:

• What are legitimate and illegitimate spam calls?
• I’m on the National Do Not Call Registry. How am I still getting called?
• How do I block a number from calling my business phone?
• Does *61 block unwanted calls?
• An easier option: blocking calls with MightyCall

What are legitimate and illegitimate spam calls? Who even is calling me?

There are primarily two kinds of callers that people want to block: aggressive/rude callers and spam callers. The former are hopefully a rare breed, and you won’t have to worry about them so much. The latter are a nuisance because they seem endless.

Spam callers themselves are mostly two categories: real people and bots. Yes, unfortunately, real people do genuinely sit around their phone all day and attempt to scam people out of their social security numbers or whatever else they’re trying to get. These people just have a list of numbers that they’ll go down.

The latter type, bots—short for robots, as you may have guessed—are automatic calling programs which digitally go down their list and can make thousands of calls a day, usually with some robotic program talking about how the IRS is going to arrest you unless you hand over bank information.

Further, keep in mind that there are legitimate “spam” callers (salespeople doing cold calling) and illegal scammers — the dangerous kind trying to get to your credit cards and private information. However, just because a call is legitimate doesn’t mean you ‘ll want to keep getting dozens of those per day. Especially when you’re a business person with not a moment left to waste.

Wait — I’m on the National Do Not Call Registry. How am I still getting called?

The National Do Not Call Registry is useful against precisely the above-mentioned legitimate sales callers. However, it does not protect against scammers.

For the latter, the National Do Not Call Registry is a lot like a bank putting a “Do Not Steal” sign in their window. If someone is gonna’ rob the bank, the sign won’t stop them. Same deal here; as the Federal Trade Commission says, these people are already illegally scamming people- why would any registry stop them? That said, the FTC recommends that you report all scam callers to reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Learn more: FTC Takes action against robocall epidemic

How do I block a number from calling my business phone?

You don’t just want to hang up on someone- you want to permanently block them, never to see or hear them again.

On iPhones, it’s pretty straightforward: go to your calls, tap to the right of a number that called you, scroll down, and hit Block. Android phones differ, depending on the phone, but it’s a similar process on those devices. However, this doesn’t really solve the problem of repeated different spam calls.

If you have desk phones, that’s a horse of a different color. You’ll have to talk to your IT department or supplier, as everyone is going to have a different way of going about it.

Read more: how to block robocalls on your iPhone 

Does *61 block unwanted calls?

If you’re using AT&T, dialing *61 blocks the number which most recently called you. To get to this, you’ll first have to dial *60 and listen to the instructions. Other major services have similar options, though you’ll have to go to them directly to find out what to dial, as all of them differ.

An easier option: Blocking Numbers with MightyCall

MightyCall’s virtual phone system comes with a plethora of tools for silencing the numbers who you’d like to never hear from again.  The greatest of these (and one that you’ll be using for plenty other things too) is the call flow and the auto attendant. The call flow is the path you set up ahead of time which callers will follow when they call you. You can set up different “flows” for different situations, like times of days and holidays, and various other settings (like how calls are doled out to your employees). What this means is that those annoying robots are going to run into something they can’t process; they’re not smart enough to navigate the auto attendant, so they’ll never be able to waste your time.