What is VoIP? A Guide to Hosted VoIP for Businesses
Upgrading your business telemcoms usually leads to two specific terms: VoIP and hosted VoIP. For many businesses across the UK, VoIP has become the go-to solution for modern communication.
But what is VoIP, what does it actually mean, and how does a hosted VoIP phone system work?
In this guide, we’ll explain VoIP in straightforward terms, how hosted VoIP works and why it could be the right choice for your business.
What Does VoIP Stand For? A Simple Definition
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
In simple terms, VoIP technology allows you to make and receive telephone calls over an internet connection instead of using traditional telephone lines.
Your voice is converted into digital data and transmitted over your internet connection before being converted back into audio for the person receiving the call.
For the person making or receiving the call, the experience can feel very similar to using a traditional business telephone system.
What Is Hosted VoIP? Cloud Telecoms Explained
Hosted VoIP is a VoIP phone system where the technology that manages your calls is hosted and managed in the cloud by your telecoms provider rather than relying on traditional telephone lines or an on-site PBX system.
Your business phone system connects to the hosted platform through your internet connection, allowing calls to be made and received using compatible desk phones, computers and mobile devices.
Because the main system is hosted remotely, businesses can benefit from a flexible communications setup without needing to maintain a traditional telephone system on their premises.
How Does Hosted VoIP Work? A Step-by-Step Look
With hosted VoIP, your calls travel through the internet rather than traditional copper phone lines. Your business telecoms provider manages the hosted platform remotely, helping to keep the system maintained and up to date.
Your team can make and receive calls using:
- Desk phones
- Softphone applications on computers
- Mobile applications on smartphones.
Because the system is cloud-based, it can also be easier to scale as your business grows.
If you recruit new staff, they can be added to your VoIP phone system instantly without needing to install additional traditional telephone lines.
This can be particularly useful for growing organisations, businesses operating across multiple locations and teams working remotely or on a hybrid basis.
What Is a VoIP Phone? (Hardware vs. Apps)
A VoIP phone is a telephone that makes and receives calls using an internet connection rather than a traditional telephone line.
Many VoIP desk phones look and operate much like conventional office phones, but they connect to your business network instead.
A physical desk phone isn’t always necessary. Depending on your VoIP system, employees may also be able to make and receive calls through software on their computer or an app on their smartphone.
What Is a VoIP Device? Compatibiity Guide
A VoIP device is any compatible device that can be used to make or receive calls through a VoIP system.
This could include an IP desk phone, computer, smartphone or other compatible communications equipment.
The right devices will depend on how your business operates, where your employees work and how they need to communicate.
Key Features of a Hosted VoIP System
One of the biggest advantages of hosted VoIP is the wide range of features available to improve how your business communicates.
These can include
Track incoming and outgoing calls to monitor activity and better understand customer interactions.
Record calls for purposes such as training, compliance and quality assurance.
Provide a more professional experience for callers while they wait in a queue or for their call to be answered.
Call Routing and Auto Attendants
Direct incoming calls to the appropriate person, team or department without relying on manual transfers.
Allow employees to access business communications away from the office using compatible devices and applications.
These features can make hosted VoIP considerably more flexible than a traditional business phone system.
Why Are Businesses Switching to Hosted VoIP?
Many organisations are moving away from traditional phone systems because hosted VoIP can provide greater flexibility and scalability.
Some of the key benefits include
Scalability
Users can be added or removed as your organisation changes, making it easier for your phone system to grow alongside your business.
Reduced On-Site Infrastructure
Because the main system is hosted remotely, there is less reliance on traditional on-site PBX equipment.
Remote and Hybrid Working
Employees can stay connected to the business phone system whether they’re working in the office, at home or elsewhere.
Integration With Other Business Tools
Depending on the system being used, VoIP can integrate with CRM platforms and other productivity and communications tools.
When combined with reliable business connectivity, hosted VoIP can provide a flexible communications infrastructure capable of supporting the changing needs of an organisation.
Is VoIP Reliable for Business Use?
VoIP can provide highly reliable business communications, but the quality of the underlying infrastructure is important.
Because VoIP calls rely on your network and internet connectivity, your connection needs sufficient capacity to support your phone system alongside the other applications and services your employees use.
This is particularly important for larger organisations or businesses with high call volumes, multiple locations or significant numbers of employees using cloud-based systems simultaneously.
A VoIP solution should therefore be considered alongside your wider connectivity and network requirements rather than as an isolated phone system.
What Happens to VoIP If the Internet Goes Down?
Because VoIP uses an internet connection, businesses need to consider what would happen if their primary connectivity were interrupted.
Without appropriate contingency measures, an internet outage could affect the ability to make or receive VoIP calls through that connection.
However, depending on the system and infrastructure in place, businesses can use measures such as backup connectivity, alternative call routing, mobile applications and call diversion to provide greater resilience.
For businesses where telephone communication is critical, continuity planning should form part of the VoIP setup from the outset.
Can You Keep Your Existing Business Phone Number With VoIP?
In many cases, businesses moving to VoIP can retain their existing telephone numbers through a process known as number porting.
This can be particularly important for established organisations whose numbers are already used by customers and appear across websites, marketing materials, directories and other business communications.
Number porting and the timing of the transition should therefore form part of the migration plan when moving to a new VoIP system.
The Importance of the Right Infrastructure
To get the most from a hosted VoIP system, a strong network setup is essential.
This may include:
- reliable business broadband or dedicated connectivity
- professional cabling to support office connectivity
- secure network configuration
- compatible devices and phones
- appropriate backup and resilience measures.
Working with an experienced business telecoms provider helps ensure your connectivity, network and phone system are considered together rather than independently.
Is Hosted VoIP Suitable for Multi-Site Businesses?
Hosted VoIP can be particularly useful for businesses operating from multiple locations.
Rather than each office necessarily requiring an entirely separate phone system, employees across different sites can form part of the same wider communications environment.
This can make it easier to route calls between locations, manage users and accommodate changes as the organisation grows.
It can also support businesses with a mixture of office-based, remote and mobile employees who need to remain connected wherever they’re working.
Is Hosted VoIP Right for Your Business?
If your current phone system feels outdated, expensive to maintain or difficult to scale, hosted VoIP could provide a more flexible alternative.
But choosing a VoIP system shouldn’t simply be about replacing one telephone system with another.
Consider how your teams communicate, the reliability and capacity of your connectivity, how many locations you operate from, your remote working requirements, future growth plans and what would happen if your primary connection were unavailable.
The right solution should support how your organisation operates today while giving you flexibility for the future.
Support You Can Rely On
At Triton Telecom, we help businesses find telecom solutions that actually work for them.
From VoIP phone systems and business broadband to business mobile communications, cabling and features such as business call recording, we provide business telecom services designed around the needs of your organisation.
If you’re exploring hosted VoIP or considering upgrading your current business phone system, our team can help you understand the options available and find the right solution for your business.
Speak to Triton Telecom about your business communications requirements.
