VoIP, or Voice over IP, is a way of transmitting phone calls over a local network, or the Internet. Using VoIP has several advantages over the traditional phone system, or PSTN. These include:
- Ability to have more than one phone call on one connection. This makes it much easier to add phone lines rather than needing new wire(s) for each phone line, since the calls all work on your existing PC network equipment.
- Location independence. Because of the way VoIP calls are routed, you can pick up your phone and connect it anywhere in your office, or even remotely, and all the calls will work the same. With a traditional phone system, the routing is determined by connecting copper wires together, so it is not possible to move phones around without re-programming the switching equipment that makes the connections.
Because VoIP was developed after computers were commonplace, most VoIP systems are written using standard computer systems. This meant that they were able to mix phone calls and data much more easily, leading to a concept of convergence, where phone applications are able to interact with other software systems, such as using your email system as both your voicemail and email inbox. If someone leaves you a voicemail, it shows as an email in your inbox, with a voice file attachment. This also enables you to listen to your emails by calling in to your voicemail system.
VoIP technology from FrontRange provides all these basic capabilities, but it also takes the next step. It integrates your voice communications with your business systems. Gartner describes this as 3rd generation VoIP technology. FrontRange allows you to provide both agent-assisted and self-service solutions that can both retrieve and update information in your CRM and service desk applications. This means you can allow your callers to open new cases, reset passwords, validate completed requests and many other tasks all without requiring an agent to be present, which increases your customers satisfaction because they can solve their own problems and it reduces your bottom line by freeing your agents to work on the unique problems that arise rather than the repetitive ones. FrontRange also understands you may not be ready to replace your legacy telephone equipment, so it is designed to integrate seamlessly to extend your solutions as you migrate to complete VoIP deployments.