VoIP seems to be the buzz word today. Everyone says you should get it, but do you really know what it is and how it works?

It's relatively simple and yet very complex. The simple part is, you make phone calls over the Internet. The complex part is that it is still new technology, with not all the bugs worked out yet. Sending an email or a file over the Internet is one thing, losing a small amount of data may not be noticeable to you. Phone Calls over the Internet are not so forgiving, with dropped data you experience delays or echo. And if you expect the same quality that Ma and Pa Bell are providing (by the way, it wasn't that way when they first started), you will be disappointed needless to say.

But VoIP does have a lot of benefits to offer, if that is what you are looking for. And the technology is improving everyday.

Benefits....
Would VoIP benefit your company?

Well, ask yourself this. Does your company do over a$100 long distance? Do you have employees that travel frequently or work from home? Do you have a satellite office in another town or state?
If you answered yes to any of the above then you can experience the benefits of VoIP.

Like most companies you are already incorporating into your everyday business operation cell phones to cut expenses. Now you can incorporate VoIP as well and save on long distance with customers and employees. Have the capability to forward incoming VoIP calls to cell phones, have caller ID, voicemail, call waiting, etc... at no additional charge.

Should your company move, with VoIP, you don't need to order phone service in advance, your phones still work no matter where you go. If you have multiple company locations, you can reach out-of- town associates by simply dialing an extension. And these are just some of the benefits VoIP can offer you.

Expectations....
What can you expect?

Well it’s not Ma and Pa Bell, but neither is your cell service and you still see the benefits in it.

You can significantly decrease or lose all your long distance charges between customers, employees and out-of-town offices.

You can have those extras, the phone company charges for now for free.

You can expect decent service 80-95% of the time. There will be times that an echo or a slight delay in response will be noticed, but it is still a new technology finding better ways to improve everyday.

911 calls and fax lines still have their issues on a VoIP line.

Getting Started ....
What do you need to use VoIP?

You need a good Internet connection. If your already having problems with a slow Internet connection, think about finding a faster service. Using the Internet to make phone calls requires a fair amount of bandwidth. So if you use the Internet a lot in your business already, for transferring data, web based programs or such, then understand you might not have enough bandwidth left for sending "voice" files over the same connection.

Maybe your company needs only one VoIP line to experience a savings, if so, then you can get started rather quickly. If you have more than one phone line (number), Riverview can help you easily convert one of them to a VoIP line to start saving long distance fees. This is also a great way to 'get you feet wet', experience some savings and still have your traditional service as backup.

VoIP is the future. And there are numerous ways to implement it into your business. Who knows, you could even become your own VoIP provider.