VoIP: What is it and can it work for your business?

steve — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:09:12 +0000

Voice over Internet Protocol, known more commonly as VoIP, is simply a phone service via the internet as opposed to traditional phone lines. With more and more businesses switching to remote or flexible ways of working, your phone systems need to be able to keep up. Here we explore exactly what it is and how it can help support your business’s day-to-day activities as well as future growth and scalability.

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and basically means using the phone service over the internet. An increasing number of businesses are finding themselves in a situation where working from home is essential, or are incorporating more flexible working patterns. With this shift towards non-office-based work, many are having to upgrade their phone systems to VoIP. Where setting up everyone within a team with a traditional telephone sounds like a mammoth and expensive task, all this can be easily avoided by making the switch to VoIP.

Is VoIP right for my business?

VoIP has many benefits for businesses, not least because operating over the internet allows for reduced setup and operational costs, reduced hardware and increased connectivity.

• Be flexible

VoIP allows businesses to set up remotely and with more firms incorporating flexible working, employees can simply connect their device to the internet. As well as allowing for staff flexibility, VoIP allows for flexibility within your business. Whether you are expanding or downsizing, VoIP systems can grow with your business and can be deployed quickly to suit your needs. The need for arduous and time-consuming installations is removed.

• Cost-effective

VoIP systems are cheaper than traditional phone lines. With reduced installation costs and hardware, it’s easy to get set up with VoIP quicky and cheaply. Using the internet to make calls means the cost per call is a fraction of traditional prices.

• Keep connected

VoIP is now very well established, and with newer internet connections, reliability has significantly improved. It is worth noting that traditional BT POTS and ISDN circuits will cease in December 2025, making VoIP the only choice. Switching over sooner rather than later will ensure your business is ready for the future of telephony. Here at Probado we have been delivering VoIP services for over ten years meaning our team is fully equipped to help build resilience into your telephony requirements in line with your budget.

At Probado we offer a free initial site visit to make sure your internet system can support VoIP phones. Our telephony service is tailored to your business and includes either the purchase or rent of handsets, call handling and recording services, and maintenance. We see your phone system as a central part of your company’s branding and day-to-day operations; therefore, it will be dealt the respect it deserves. If you have any questions or need a helping hand with the process, get in touch with a member of the team.

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Security Advisory: Rise of VoIP and Non VoIP Telephone Scams

Jonathan — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 12:07:09 +0000

Please be aware we’ve been informed by telephony vendors of a new style telephone based scam making the rounds. This scam isn’t restrictive to VoIP services but can be imposed on standard BT lines as well.

There are two types of this scam, One with a single scammer the second involving two offending individuals:

The First
The scammer asking to be called back on 070 numbers – sometimes via email as they are interested in taking your products and services.
Known target customer types include, but are not restricted to:
• Hotels
• Car Dealerships and Garages
• Vehicle Hire
• Telecommunication Suppliers
• Letting and Estate Agents

During the calls, the suspected scammer will either keep the call going for as long as possible.

The Second
The same method as above but the scammer incorporates asking for colleagues to be ‘conferenced’ into the call.
When the conference method is used and the victim hangs up the call, their telephone system effectively leaves the called parties connected who then leave their line open. This can result in very long calls and charges.

Although 070 numbers do have legitimate usage, we encourage you to communicate this notice to your staff in the interests of awareness and ask to be vigilant.

Our advice is:

1. Be aware of the cost to call different numbers. 070 numbers are Personal Numbers and NOT qualified as mobile number

2. If you have setup a conference call by bringing people in to the conference, ensure
all parties have disconnected before hanging up yourself.

3. If you should find yourself a victim of a suspected scam, please report this to Action Fraud

We ask all clients to please be vigilant when taking calls and asked to communicate with third parties.
Kind Regards,
Probado Support Team

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