Understanding VoIP Phone Systems

1. Understanding VoIP Phone Systems Does it Add Value to Your Business?

2. Synopsis • Learn to Make the Best Use of Your VoIP Phones • Few Steps You Should Take to Make Your VoIP Phones Secure • Understanding the Importance of Using VoIP Phones in a Secure Way • Few Things to Do Before and After Getting VoIP Phones • Few Tips to Help You Utilize VoIP Phones Better

3. Learn to Make the Best Use of Your VoIP Phones • Take Advantage of Automatic Provisioning • When you select a VoIP system, you will have to consider how many employees you have. A small business can do just fine with a standard VoIP phone. However, you will have several decisions to make in case you have 30-40 employees because installing a phone for each desk will be an extremely expensive proposition. This is when you make use of an option called "automatic provisioning". With this feature, you do not need an expert to install the settings because everything will be done through a server that has already been set up by the company. All you have to do is simply plug in the phone using the right cables and your employees will start making use of it.

4. Learn to Make the Best Use of Your VoIP Phones • Make Use of VoIP Apps • One of the best advantages of VoIP phones is that they let you answer your calls from any device. Interestingly, you can now find VoIP apps that you can use on your mobile devices. You can also ask your employees to install the app on their phones and other mobile devices like laptops and even tablets. This way, they will be able to connect with the customers on the move. It is worth mentioning that some service providers offer their own special apps that you can use on multiple platforms. These apps may offer a wide range of features essential for a sales agent to deliver maximum satisfaction to the customers. Therefore, you should seriously think of taking advantage of this feature to run your business more efficiently.

5. Few Steps You Should Take to Make Your VoIP Phones Secure • Start by configuring dial plans. It is also a good idea to make user profiles to ensure that everything works in a seamless way. You can take control of voice network by using device certificate to grant access to your employees. You may also consider setting up username and password for each profile. • Use specific features to determine what types of calls could be received on the network. You can restrict different calls based on user, device, time of day and other criteria. • Take advantage of the firewall feature. You can significantly lower the risk of security breach by using a firewall –it is even better to set up some type of intrusion prevention system. Such security features help filter out unauthorized VoIP traffic. It will also enable you to monitor authorized traffic and keep track of unusual voice activities.

6. Few Steps You Should Take to Make Your VoIP Phones Secure • A good idea to ensure maximum security while using VoIP phones is to lock voice servers physically. Centralize administration will lower security risk. You may also benefit from two-factor authentication, especially for administrative access. Ensure that only you can grant administrative access to signaling data, credentials, and configuration files. • To ensure maximum security of your voice network, it is of immense importance to install OS updates at regular intervals. By doing so, you will never miss any new security update, which will help keep you save. • Consider taking advantage of VLANs. By using this option, you will be in a much better position to segment voice traffic. You can also use VLANs to separate voice traffic from data traffic.

7. Understanding the Importance of Using VoIP Phones in a Secure Way • Many businesses are often concerned about being attacked by cybercriminals while communicating over the internet. Eavesdropping on phone calls is a reality and can make you lose valuable data. Cybercriminals target professional services firms, financial institutions, and government agencies to acquire important data. Call centers are also their favorite targets because they can gain access to health records, confidential account information, and payment card data. What it means is that when using VoIP phones, there will always be a risk of having your voicemail hacked by some pros. It can translate into serious losses. • When making the switch, be sure to talk to your vendor and inquire about the available security features. You should not let security vulnerabilities keep you from getting the productivity and financial benefits of VoIP phone systems.

8. Understanding the Importance of Using VoIP Phones in a Secure Way • Just make sure that you do not decline any security services at the time of having your VoIP solution designed and implemented. Many businesses refuse to use any security services, saying that they will do it on their own. Statistics show that a large majority of business organizations becomes complacent and never gets the time to implement some security features. • You have to understand that the features of VoIP phones are impressive, but VoIP risks are many, and often extend beyond voicemail hacks, toll fraud, and eavesdropping. It is extremely important to realize that hackers can use these phone systems to gain access to your business network. Therefore, it is important to take steps to protect your voice network. However, the problem is that in most cases, the security technologies and policies are rather complex, mainly depending on your unique business goals and the type of IP phone you are using.

9. Few Things to Do Before and After Getting VoIP Phones • Determine Your Needs: Before finalizing your decision, be sure to have an idea about your unique needs. You can now find different vendors offering VoIP phones with varying features. You may not need certain features, so you do not have to cough up extra money to get those features. A better understanding of your unique needs will make it much easier to decide which phone system will work best for you. Similarly, you need to pay attention to exactly how many employees will be using the system. You will also have to consider what hardware you already have available in your office. Getting information about your needs will also help you determine whether you need 1000 monthly minutes or you can handle your business needs with fewer minutes.

10. Few Things to Do Before and After Getting VoIP Phones • Check the Quality of Your Internet Connection: Keep in mind that VoIP phones would allow you make calls over the internet. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to ensure that your company internet connection is fast enough to handle the load. Without a high-speed internet connection, you will never get a good call quality and your calls may even drop more often. Sometimes, you think that your VoIP provider is not offering good quality services, but in reality, the issue is with your burdened internet connection. So, do not cut corners here and invest in fast broadband connection to get good results. • Train Your Employees: When you opt for VoIP phone systems, it is always a good idea to invest some time and money in employee's training. Proper training will ensure that your employees know how to utilize different features to perform their daily tasks more effectively. It is true that your employees do not require any serious training to start using the phone, but a little training can help them tap into the hidden features of VoIP systems. You can simply have a few training and informational sessions to help them learn about the advanced features of a VoIP system. The idea is to educate them to an extent that they could configure their phones on their own to suit their unique needs. These training sessions will also ensure that your employees do not waste time searching the websites to learn how to activate a certain feature.

11. Few Tips to Help You Utilize VoIP Phones Better • Put Your Money on Quality Hardware • While it may feel tempting to save some money by going for substandard hardware, the move may cost you in the long-run. You should bear in mind that ultimately, you are installing a phone and it will be of no use if the voice quality is not that impressive. Using quality hardware ensures high quality of voice calls that can help your business in many ways. It is true that you should consider your budget constraints before investing in VoIP phones, but do not try to cut corners when you do not have to.

12. Few Tips to Help You Utilize VoIP Phones Better • Keep in mind that the quality of your calls depends heavily on your network speed and bandwidth, so you should be willing to spend some more to get better bandwidth. Some carriers charge you less but often experience heavy congestion, which can directly affect your call quality. Your calls may even drop more often, making you lose some serious business. So, be sure to invest in good quality phones because they also offer other features such as conferencing capabilities, bigger screens, programmable function buttons, and more. • Look for an App for Your Mobile Devices • One of the best things about using a VoIP system is that it allows you to make and answer your calls from any device. All you have to do is install a mobile app on your device. You may also ask your vendor to help you in this regard. Some vendors even come with their own apps that you can use on different mobile devices, including phone, laptop, and tablet. You should ask your employees to use the app on their mobile devices as well. By making this small move, your employees will be able to answer calls irrespective of their physical location.

13. The End For more details, please visit: http://www.dcstelecom.ca/voip-digital-phones/