Category Archives: VOIP

The Four VOIP Features Most Used in the Office

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Close up focus on call center headset device at VOIP system on telephone with virtual interface of communication at office desk

How much more efficient would you be if you had all these features?

Internet phones go by many names. Cloud phone, VOIP, and Unified Communications (UC) just to name a few. But no matter how you say it, phones that work over the internet instead of through the old phone system are undeniably useful. Numbers follow you over multiple devices and calls can be managed through advanced software features.

In the business world, VOIP is even more useful because of the flexibility and control over communications that internet calling has to offer. After all, everything else is on the internet. But how does a switch to VOIP influence your every-day office experience? A good way to measure that is in the top four VOIP features most used around the office.

Voicemail to Email

Checking voicemail is a time-honored hassle. This usually involves calling the voicemail service and listening through every single message. Then, if you want information from the voicemail, you have to listen closely and sometimes play the message several times to take notes.

VOIP makes this easy with the message being saved as a file attachment in your email.   In other words, you can finally check your voicemail by skimming your email. You can catch names, numbers, and details without having to be in the office. So it’s no surprise this is the most popular VOIP feature used every day in the office.

Find-Me Call Forwarding

The next most popular feature is based on device flexibility. A VOIP number can call to and be answered on any device with internet access and the right software installed. This means you can answer a work number from your cellphone, your home office, or multiple business locations as you travel.

Find-me, follow-me is the name of the feature that rings all of your devices to “find you” when a call has come through your VOIP number. This feature often prioritizes whichever device you are most likely to be using to ring first. In daily office life, this kind of smart call forwarding gives professionals the ability to leave the office without missing calls and to have one work number instead of multiple location-based numbers.

Availability Scheduling

One of the best features of VOIP for the modern professional is the ability to build a schedule. With availability scheduling, you can indicate which device to ring based on the weekday and hour. You can also block out times where you are not available at your work number so that your cell doesn’t try to “find you” for work calls during the night or on weekends.

This kind of scheduling can also be used for dynamic call management. You can change which voicemail plays based on a schedule and multiple people can even share a work number based on there availability.

Call Routing

While the previous features are useful for individuals, call routing is the most used feature for business infrastructure. Thousands of businesses distribute customer service and inter-office calls using VOIP’s inherent call routing capabilities. Not only can internet phones be used for call pools and cues, but the software nature of VOIP allows businesses to write custom call routing protocols for every communication model.

Call routing provides for everything from cloud-based office switchboards to virtual call-centers of remote technicians.

For a modern business looking to the future of business communication, VOIP is an essential technology. Voice communication should be handled through the cloud. The possibilities are endless when every device and business location keeps you equally connected to your network, both internal and external.

If your business is ready to choose a new communication infrastructure, consider the power and potential of internet phones. Contact us today for an initial consultation.

How to Set Up VOIP In a New Location

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A business owner sits amongst her moving in boxes setting up VOIP, waiting for new desks. She is using a digital tablet. In the background her assistant is checking the files

Having a VoIP phone system eases the pain of relocating or opening another location for the business.

In the long tradition of business phones, establishing a new office location is notoriously tedious. With old school phones, you would need to cancel the previous service if you were moving offices. Then purchase an entirely new phone plan including complex installation costs for all the lines and phone locations you’d need.

But not anymore. With VOIP rapidly replacing old school PBX phone solutions, setting up phones in a new office location has never been easier. Of course, it’s only natural to ask how this is done, what with the old system being so involved, costly, and tedious. Many businesses who have expanded or changed offices in the past have a whole system that needs to be re-written for VOIP.

So for those of you who are worried about opening a new location, this guide is for you. Rest assured, you won’t need a technician to make it happen and, in fact, can start making VOIP calls in the center of your yet-unfurnished office if you cared to.

Step 1: Secure Your Location

VOIP works no matter where you are, so feel free to pick your office location based on everything except the kind of phone service you need. When you’re working with VOIP, you can secure just about any commercial property that suits your business needs. Your VOIP has no special installation requirements and will work anywhere there is a strong wifi signal.

If you’re looking for VOIP-friendly parameters, then make sure you have access to high-speed internet, though broadband cable or strong satellite internet will both serve the purpose. You can even run a remote office off cell-network hotspot depending on how strong a signal you can pick up. Your new office location can be absolutely anywhere that gets internet service.

Step 2: Bring the Desks and Computers

Once you choose the location, bring in all the usual office furnishings. Desks and chairs, computers and laptops, cashier workstations and mobile device charging stations; any and all of it will do. The one and only requirement of the VOIP phone system in your new office location is that there be some internet-capable end-point devices. Meaning computers, laptops, phones, and/or tablets.

Take a little time to make sure your internal network is properly configured during this stage. Don’t just place the router, optimize it. Test signal and decide where you’ll put wifi repeaters or run internal lines if there are rooms that receive a lower-quality wireless signal, as happens from time to time.

Step 3: Up Your Extensions (If Expanding)

If you are moving your office with all the same staff and the same number of extensions. Don’t even worry about this step. You don’t have to do anything with your account or even tell your VOIP provider that you’re moving locations if you don’t need any changes in service. VOIP is just as capable of being used in a new office location as it is on the road and away on business trips, so no need to worry about any service transferring hassle.

If you are opening a new location and expanding the number of staff making calls, then you will need a few additional extensions to add and configure. Fortunately, this is incredibly easy to do with no installation required. Get in touch with your VOIP provider. All you need to do is request the right number of new extensions and configure them to the use the correct settings. The extensions will be provided, along with new logins, and your bill may not even go up if your just relocating.

Step 4: Install the VOIP Software On Office Computers & Devices

Next, make sure your endpoint devices can access the VOIP cloud service. Simply install the software on each computer and laptop and download the app on any mobile devices. Make sure the software loads correctly and that employees are able to log into the cloud phone platform from each one.

If there is a device that seems to have trouble, reset the device’s app settings and try a fresh install. VOIP platforms are not complex and should work properly on every device. For workstations that will involve a lot of at-desk calling, consider a few VOIP handsets or simply checking to make sure the soft-phone programs are working properly.

Step 5: Have Employees Log Into Their Extensions

Everyone on your team should already know how to manage their VOIP accounts because, as we said, location doesn’t matter a bit. Have each person display that they can still log in, just to be sure. For new employees, you will want to walk them through the very first login, changing their passwords, and the settings/configurations that their team uses to integrate VOIP into the workflow.

Whether your team is in the old office or in the new office; the only thing you need is the software on your devices and an active login for every team member who will be making or receiving calls. IF anyone’s login does not work, go through the usual channels to reset their password.

Step 6: Return to Normal VOIP Workflow

Now you are completely ready to return to your normal workflow or begin innovating your process in the new location. Expanding or transferring your phone service to a new office location is as easy as that. With a VOIP platform, expanding may not even increase your costs unless your adding devices. The only installation is software if you are adding new devices. The only interaction you need with your VOIP provider is to scale your extension count up or down. How’s that for replacing your old PBX relocation process?

Even more interestingly is that your customers need never know the difference because your service numbers won’t have changed. From venders and suppliers to your audience of buyers, changing offices or expanding into new locations is incredibly easy with VOIP.

Ready to make the transition from hardline PBX phones to VOIP or expand your VOIP business to a new location? Contact us today!

How to Keep Your VoIP Highly Secure

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close up man hand point to press button number on telephone office desk with virtual interface effect of VOIP security concept

Cyber Security doesn’t stop at your data network, does your managed service provider review your VoIP System?

VoIP is the standard for office phone systems today. It offers economy, versatility, and valuable features. It’s the only reasonable choice for a new exchange. When it’s done right, it provides a very secure communication system, much safer than email. Calls within the network, as well as many outside calls, have end-to-end security.

Like any other function on the network, it takes some attention to make sure it really is secure. There are people who try to get into every network, and phone systems are as much of a target as any other point of entry. Nothing can eliminate all risk, but a careful approach to selection, installation, and management keeps it down to a very low level.

Reasons for caring about VoIP security

Any part of a network can be a jumping-off point for attacks on the rest of it. Every device needs to be kept as safe as reasonably possible. VoIP phones, like workstations, smartphones, and servers, need to be part of the network security plan.

If the exchange isn’t well secured, people can get in and use it for free. They increase the costs as well as the load on the network. Unauthorized calls can reduce the quality of service for legitimate ones.

Spies could listen in on calls, gathering business secrets or personal information. Once they’ve collected enough information, they can impersonate key employees and engage in plausible-sounding scams.

A weakly secured system is more vulnerable to a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, making it impossible to place calls. Such an attack, sustained for hours, can seriously disrupt business.

A security plan that takes VoIP into account greatly reduces these risks and ensures reliable phone service. Users can make calls with greater confidence.

Setting up the service

The first steps’ come with the selection and ordering of the service. The hosting provider needs to handle its own security well. If you set up an on-premises PBX, you take on responsibility for it and need to make sure it’s well managed. Most businesses, especially small to medium-sized ones, find that hosting is the sensible choice.

Make sure that the service which you choose offers secure protocols in the service package you select. Secure SIP does for voice connections what HTTPS does for Web access. It uses TLS security to prevent unauthorized access and ensure that the connecting parties are who they claim to be. Secure RTP, or SRTP, encrypts the content of communications, making it nearly impossible to spy on. As a bonus, it makes DoS attacks more difficult.

Setting up the network

Adding VoIP to a network requires some configuration changes. This is the time to minimize the vulnerability of voice connections on the network.

The voice network ought to be segregated from the data network. One approach is to have two separate networks, each with its own router and devices. That can require significant rewiring, though. Having voice and data on separate subnets accomplishes almost the same thing and is easier to set up. Either way, the separation improves quality of service as well as security.

Voice and data devices should have separate IP address ranges, so they don’t get mixed up with each other. If a DHCP server assigns the addresses, voice and data should each have their own DHCP allocations.

Many businesses have multiple locations, and employees would like access to the phone exchange from home or in the field. Setting up a virtual private network (VPN) or wide-area network (WAN) keeps all intra-office calls inside the network. They give an extra layer of safety, encrypting all traffic.

Securing the administrative functions is vital. Keep the number of people who have access small, and use multi-factor authentication. Allowing administrative access only from specified IP addresses further improves safety.

Securing the users

The individual devices and user accounts need ongoing attention. When configuring phones and softphone applications, each one needs to have a strong and distinct SIP password.

People like being able to access the voice network from their personal phones. Setting them up with compatible applications and VPN access makes this possible. However, a well-managed BYOD policy is necessary to keep matters under control. If someone installs a softphone app on an infected phone, that could give spies access to the voice network and more. A good policy for user-owned devices sets standards for acceptable device types, and it lets the administrator cut off any misbehaving devices.

When using their personal phones in the office, people will often prefer to go through Wi-Fi rather than the cell network and VPN. Access is more direct and faster. All Wi-Fi access points in the office should already use WPA2 encryption, and voice access is one more reason to make sure they do.

Ongoing maintenance

Security isn’t something administrators can set up and forget about. It requires regular maintenance. Vulnerabilities will turn up from time to time in both phone firmware and voice applications. Where there are known vulnerabilities, attacks soon follow. Keeping the phones and software patched with the latest security releases will keep anyone from exploiting those weaknesses.

Network monitoring and periodic security scans will alert administrators to any problems. The sooner a problem is caught, the less damage it will do. The system should maintain logs of activity to aid in diagnosing any issues. The logs need to be kept safe, since they could provide attackers with clues about weaknesses in the network.

VoIP needs the same attention to security as any other network function. When everything works right, it’s safer than a PSTN connection, since conversations never travel through analog lines. Intra-office calls are secure from end to end, and conversations with other VoIP systems often have the same level of protection. With a reasonable level of care, employees can discuss confidential matters safely.

SystemsNet hosts, maintains, and upgrades your VoIP for you, so you don’t have to worry about configuration errors or security patches. You can use your PBX in confidence. Contact us to learn how to get started.

How VOIP Mobilizes Your Workforce

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Business man in a car using VOIP to make and receive calls from the same number

Flexibility in an ever changing business environment is key to exceeding customer expectations

A lot of things have been said about internet phones, but the one thing we can all agree on is that VoIP is the single most mobile phone solution that has ever been introduced to the business world. Even in the age of cellphones, business professionals would have had to give out three or four numbers in order to work in the office, at home, and in the field. VoIP changes all that. VoIP allows employees to connect from any internet device answering and calling from the same number.

This simple set of features means that no matter where team members are, clients and partners can call just one number to find them instead of sorting through a list of numbers that might be the work, home, and mobile numbers. Instead of employees having to juggle multiple cellphones or connect in multiple ways, they merely need to log into the VOIP platform from any of their many devices. What this does, ultimately, is make your workforce incredibly mobile, seamlessly mobile. Let’s dive into the many ways this can work.

Customers Can Always Call the Same Number with VoIP

No matter where your employees are, customers always call the same number. If a team member is handling an account, the customer need only call one number to get their favorite account manager, If a team member is part of a service pool, they will be sorted calls from customers no matter their physical location or device when answering.

VoIP Makes Telecommuting a Seamless Experience

This means that telecommuting, when employees log into work from their home office, becomes a seamless experience as well. Employees are still part of the internal network. They can make and answer calls just the same as if they were at their desk in the office.

VoIP Makes Business Trips Easy

Likewise for business trips. Once an isolating and hassle-rich experience, employees on business trips can now connect smoothly back to the team and/or their clients as soon as they are set up in the hotel room. In fact, any quiet location with internet access will have them back online and virtually back in the office.

VoIP Keeps Employees in the Field Connected

What about team members who jet about town meeting clients and dealing with worksites? People who are seldom in the office or who often need to leave the office can also stay connected. In fact, your VoIP number doubles as a second active number on a cellphone so that cell numbers stay private and clients can call the same VOIP number whether the team member is in the office or out in the field.

VoIP Opens the Door to Remote Employees

For the same reasons, it is now much easier to integrate remote positions with VoIP because these distant team members can connect directly to the office’s internal phone system. They can pick up an extension, participate in a call service pool, receive call transfers, and be a part of conference calls just as easily as if they were based in the home office.

VoIP Makes Your Business More Accessible

Because remote work is so much easier to implement, VoIP also makes your business more welcoming to the physically handicapped who have an easier time working in their optimized home offices. Handicap accommodation in the workplace is not always the ideal solution. When an industry expert would make a great addition to your team except that they need to work from home to work comfortably, then a VoIP-powered remote position is the most welcoming accommodation you can provide.

VoIP Makes it Easy to Work From Multiple Locations

VoIP is also great for circuit-managers, business owners of multiple locations, and teams that move from worksite to worksite depending on the project. After all, your home office is wherever the phone rings, and VoIP allows your central business number (or numbers) to ring to any device that has connected. No matter where you are currently located.

VoIP Lets Parents Parents Work When Kids are Home Sick

Finally, VoIP opens the door for sick days, both for employees and sick children. When a team member is too sick to commute (or avoiding infecting team members) they can telecommute from home instead. And when an employee is perfectly well but must stay home with a sick child, they can connect and clock in several hours while the child naps in recovery or watches cartoons as sick children often do.

VoIP is a fantastic addition to any business as an affordable and versatile alternative to the traditional PBX. But its best function is to mobilize the workforce in more ways than can easily be enumerated. Even this list covers only a few of the many ways that VoIP makes it easier to connect from anywhere while maintaining a unified phone system. Contact us today to find out how VoIP can mobilize your workforce!