Tag Archives: Communications

Tips for Speed Testing your VoIP Service

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business man speed testing his VoIP service. Business man in office. Looking at camera

Items to check to improve the quality of your calls

One of the most important things to keep in mind in terms of a VoIP is that having good call quality requires you to have a decent internet connection. Lower speed networks will likely result in call degradation, dropped calls, breaks, delays and so on. The best way to avoid this is to do a simple quality test for your VoIP before starting to make regular use of it to make calls. This will ensure that you know if your network will suffer similar issues and if you need to make a network upgrade or otherwise alter your VoIP setup before you start trying to use your VoIP setup to make calls in order to avoid problems.

What is a VoIP Test

Just like all other types of information found on the internet, VoIP calls are passed from point to point as a form of data transfer through the use of various data packets. Calls are sent to and from callers by packets of data that travel across the web in order to transmit data from one specific point to another specific point. If packets are dropped, or lost, in transit from point to point then the loss of those data packets will affect the call quality due to the fact that not all of the call data was successfully transmitted from one endpoint to the other. The loss of these data packets may potentially result in missing audio, grainy audio quality and even dropped calls.

What a VoIP does is that it basically tests how well your Internet connection handles data packets. The majority of these tests work by measuring things like jitter, latency, and the bandwidth of your upload and download speeds. All of these components put together will determine how the data packets are handled and how those packets affect your call quality.

 

How to run a VoIP Test

The best way to run a VoIP test is to use one of the many free tests that run in a web browser. To obtain the optimal results, you should run the test at the busiest and most populated time of day. This will allow you to test what you’re going to get an idea of what you will see during busy times. Testing a VoIP will only take a bit of time and it will monitor what you find to send you appropriate speed measurements to give you an idea if your network is capable of handling VoIP calls at the moment.

 

Potential Problems

If the outcome of your network test tells you that you will not be able to handle VoIP calls without experiencing a significant amount of stutters, call drops or quality degradation then you should not attempt to use your internet for VoIP calls regardless.

If this is the outcome you get on your test and you still want to be able to make calls then your choices are to either upgrade your network so that it can make calls properly and then test again to make sure or alternatively, you can make your calls from a different location that already has better internet. For example, if the area you are attempting to connect in is somewhere with poor network service then you might be better served to either rent an office space or simply make your calls from a public location such as a coffee house in the future.

 

If you are looking for more information on VoIP testing or you need some tips or suggestions to help you choose a VoIP system for your use then contact us today to get whatever hints, tips and suggestions that you need.

Why VOIP Is the Perfect ‘Out-of-Office’ Phone Solution

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Business woman using VOIP in a mobile phone out outdoors

How easy is it for your customers find you?

Email, chat, texting, and social media have brought us a long way, but in business you always need to have a phone number. For whole industries and tiers of your supply chain, the phone is the primary form of contact. For many businesses, certain things can only be confirmed on the phone or in person. And, of course, there must be a way for you to be contacted by clients or your boss.

Multiple Business Numbers

This means that you need a business number: A line of contact you can put on your website and business cards. A number you will almost always pick up during business hours. But this is easier for some professionals than for others. People who work at the same desk all day long have it easy, they can pick up their desk phone at any time during the regular work day. However, if you are a field service professional, visit clients, or travel often, you rack up a lot of ‘out of office’ hours where everyone must reach you at a second–personal cell–number instead.

Providing a Unified Company Number

Professional phone lines aren’t free. Businesses buy package deals but must still install the hard lines one by one to connect desk and office phones. On top of this, professionals who travel for business are often provided with company cell phones. In part to provide them the privacy of also having a personal cell if they choose to. This means that any professional with both a desk and a company cell carries the cost of two unique phone lines.

In the age of wireless technology, this is no longer necessary. VOIP, also known as internet phone, allows a business to provide each employee with exactly one phone number. A number that will follow them around on any device with internet access. Because you log into it like an app instead of needing a line or SIM card. This one little change from wired and cellular phones to internet phone simplifies so much about business communication.

Now, professionals who travel often or work in the field can give their clients and colleagues one number that can reach them any time during business hours. You can set it to ring through to your current device on a schedule or even schedule off-hours that go straight to voicemail. But it gets better.

Connecting In the Field

Staying connected while traveling is a constant search for signal coverage areas. Based on how 2-5G cell networks and wireless internet work these days, connectivity is almost identical between when a cell phone and a wireless hotspot can connect enough to make a call. But VOIP can do even better.

There are a great many places that have a wired and local wifi internet connection but do not have cell signal, and in these places, VOIP is always superior. No matter where on-the-go professionals find themselves, any device with an internet connection can make and receive calls, keeping you in touch almost everywhere.

Staying Connected in Emergencies

When traveling for work, equipment emergencies are the worst kind. If your laptop or cell phone break down on the trip, it could mean disaster. But accidents happen anyway. Your cell phone could fall out of your pocket, get soaked, or sat on and you would be left out of touch. Unless you have a VOIP number.

Most VOIP providers work like an app, where you can install and log into the VOIP platform then access your number from any capable device connected to the internet. Unlike a cell phone with a unique SIM card, VOIP numbers can be answered from your office desktop computer, your laptop, a tablet, your phone, or even borrowed device or hotel lobby computer. VOIP is the ideal phone number solution for emergencies in the field.

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Traveling for work and working in the field both require you to be away from your office much of the time. But that doesn’t mean you have to give out your personal cell number or be tethered to a company cell. VOIP allows on-the-go professionals to answer one number from any device on any available network. For more information about how VOIP can improve your workflow, contact us today!

VoIP Phone Systems Or Traditional PBX Phone Systems: Which Will You Choose?

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Call center workers using a cloud-based phone system or VoIP Phone System

VOIP is the way to go for your business communications

Premise-based PBX phone systems are no longer the go-to option for businesses like yours. There are various reasons why failing to upgrade to a cloud-based phone system from an on-premise PBX phone system can significantly hinder your business.
Some of the disadvantages of using a PBX phone system include restrictions on customer service, increased downtime, and a limited amount of features.
Disadvantages Of PBX Phone Systems
The majority of consumers who are searching for products and services on a daily basis will prefer to communicate with a company that has a reliable and strong customer service. Does your current PBX phone system have the ability to answer some of your most important customer service questions?
How many times does one question need to be transferred?
How long does a customer have to wait on hold?
Do customers ever end the phone call because they were tired of waiting on hold or being constantly transferred?
If you are using a premise-based PBX phone system, you may not be able to find the answers to any of the above questions. You are likely not getting the type of features and resources you can get from a cloud-based phone system. When you use a cloud-based phone system, you will be able to use features like call recording, queue management, call reporting, etc.
Another disadvantage of an on-site PBX phone system is the high amount of downtime. When your PBX phone system fails, this means you will have to wait for your provider to arrive at your workplace to repair the problem. There is no guarantee that the provider will be able to repair the problem the same day. If your system is down, you will not be able to take phone calls or receive phone calls. No one wants to go through this as a business owner or manager, right?
When you use a VoIP phone system in your workplace, you will have a system that has been securely established. You will be able to use the same type of service that police officers, emergency responders, and other emergency services use. If a cloud-based phone system has been beneficial and reliable for them, we think this system can be the same for you.
If you have been looking for ways to cut some of your business’s unnecessary costs or if you have been looking for ways to improve conferencing and other communication methods, you may want to think about making the switch to a cloud-based phone system. Switching to a cloud-based phone system can become one of the best communication solutions your business has ever made.
We know you will not want to deal with complications, stress, and headaches in your workplace on a daily basis, right? We think you deserve to have a telecommunications system that will allow you to work easily and effectively.
When you have a cloud-based phone system, you will not have to be bothered with the constant technology talk and the blaming of who caused damage to the system. When you have a problem when you are using a cloud-based phone system, the only thing you will need to do is call the support number of your cloud-based phone system provider. After you make the phone call, a professional will handle any issue that you may have. You will not have to worry about downtime or unnecessary costs on repairs that could have been avoided.
On-site PBX phone systems were once the only option for businesses to use. Since this is no longer the case, don’t you think it is time for you to see how a cloud-based phone system can contribute to the current and future success of your business? Contact us today for a consultation.

The Benefits of Voicemail to Email

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Phone keys mobile communication - Voicemail to email concept

Can you get your voicemail when your not in the office?

Voicemail is an important part of business communication, but it can be a nuisance to manage. Why should you have to replay all your messages to find the one you need to hear again? What do you do if you press the wrong key and accidentally delete an important message? The good news is that there’s a VoIP feature that lets you receive all your voicemail in your inbox. This feature, logically, is called voicemail to email.
Messages in your inbox
When you enable the feature, your VoIP system forwards each message to your inbox as an audio attachment. The subject line and text will tell you when it arrived, what number, and the caller’s name if it’s available. You can choose to delete messages from your voicemail automatically when they’re sent, or to leave them there. Leaving them gives you extra flexibility, but auto-deletion guarantees your voicemail will never be full.
Once the messages are in your inbox, you can employ all the tools that are available for managing email. You can sort them into folders, mark them as high-priority, and forward them. You can set up filters to highlight messages from some callers and mark others as spam.
Sometimes an old voicemail message is the only place you have an important piece of information, such as a caller’s phone number. Being able to get back to it easily can save a business deal.
The limit on your messages is only the limit on your inbox. That’s usually a very generous cap, but voice attachments are large, so you may need to delete or archive old messages.
Messages as audio files
The attachment holding the voice message is an audio file, usually in MP3 or WAV format, so you can treat it as an independent file. This is useful for archival purposes. You can save the attachment as a file, delete the message from your inbox, and have a permanent record. This way you can save as many messages as you want, organizing them into folders using any scheme. For instance, you can save all voice messages from a supplier and save having to ask questions they’ve already answered.
Transcription to text
You can choose to have the VoIP system put a text transcription of each message into your email. This will save time when reviewing your messages, especially if you’re in a noisy environment where it’s hard to make out what the caller said. Copying down phone numbers while listening to voicemail is seriously annoying. Having the number in the transcription is much easier.
Not all voice transcriptions will be equally useful. If the signal-to-noise ratio is poor, the transcription could be spotty. Even so, it will often give you enough of the message to tell whether it needs your immediate attention or not. Sometimes the transcription could even pick up words that you have trouble identifying.
Extra convenience
Letting your VoIP service send your voicemail to your email makes the messages far more convenient to handle. All your communications are in one place. You can review the messages at your desktop as well as your phone.
If you know your associates are using voicemail to email, you can be more confident that they’ll get your voice messages and notice them. People are apt to ignore or lose messages on their phones, but if they’re getting them in email, they’ll pay more attention to them, and you’re more likely to get a response on the first try.
SystemsNet offers hosted PBX and VoIP, with features including conferencing, auto attendants, “follow me,” voicemail to email, and much more. Contact us to learn how you can have a better business phone system.