When hosted VoIP phone service was first introduced in the 1990s, it was regarded as a low-cost alternative to traditional business phone services. Today, VoIP systems offer much more than lower monthly phone bills. Many of the features made possible by VoIP technology can impact your finances in ways that might surprise you. Let’s take a look at both the direct and indirect ways you can save money.
Direct Cost Savings of Hosted VoIP
1. Skip the expenses associated with an onsite Private Branch Exchange System, or PBX
A hosted VoIP phone system means you don’t have to purchase and store PBX hardware in your facility. That’s because you’ll be able to make and receive phone calls through a cloud-based PBX. No PBX hardware, no servers that take up office space, and no service call charges when you need maintenance or to add new staff.
The new infrastructure expenditures associated with a business VoIP service essentially amount to zero. That’s because what’s required is a capable internet connection, which is something your office already has.
2. Avoid the expense of business phones
While analog and VoIP phones cost about the same to purchase, the beauty of a VoIP system is that you don’t have to buy a desk phone for each employee. Many providers, like OnSIP, provide softphone apps for their customers that can be downloaded to PCs, laptops and tablets or logged into through a web browser window. OnSIP's desktop app and mobile app are free for OnSIP users and provide a full-featured, customizable and portable business phone wherever they are working.
3. Lower your long-distance phone calling charges
Most VoIP phone service providers offer unlimited long distance calling within the United States (and sometimes Canada), which account for the bulk of most phone calls. OnSIP’s Unlimited Plan enables customers to make free calls within the Standard Calling Area, which includes the US48 states, Hawaii, Canada and 19 other countries.
Indirect Cost Savings of Hosted VoIP
1. Reduce your office space footprint
With business VoIP, employees can make and take phone calls from any location that has internet access. This allows employees to work from home, a practice that can reduce operating costs by saving a company thousands of dollars in utilities and office space. Some employees are also more productive when they are in a quiet environment rather than a crowded office with colleagues.
2. Cut your travel budget
Advanced phone features, such as video conferencing and 1:1 video calling, allow staff to collaborate on projects without having to meet in person or travel across the country. Not only does this reduce travel expenses, but it also frees up valuable time for employees who can use the time they spent commuting or waiting in airports on more productive work.
3. Use an auto attendant instead of hiring a full-time receptionist
Take advantage of a VoIP service’s auto attendant feature to provide callers with answers to frequently asked questions, route them to the proper person or department, forward calls when the office is closed and much more. Another benefit of using auto attendants is that they tend to cut down on robocalls that are not only annoying but harm employee productivity.
VoIP: A Clear Winner to Reduce Operating Costs
Selecting the best business communication system is a decision that can have long-term consequences for the growth and profitability of any organization. The difference in upfront costs alone between a traditional business phone system and SMB VoIP are substantial. When you add in the productivity improvements, operational efficiency and flexibility that VoIP phone service enables, it is clear that hosted VoIP is the better choice for most businesses.