Much Easier to Install & Configure than a Proprietary Phone System
A software program running on a computer can take advantage of the advanced processing power of the computer and user interface & features of Windows. Anyone with an understanding of computers and Windows can install and configure the PBX. A proprietary phone system often requires an installer trained on that particular proprietary system!
Easier to Manage Because of Web Based Configuration Interface
A VoIP Phone System has a web based configuration interface, allowing you to easily maintain and fine tune your phone system. Proprietary phone systems often have difficult to use interfaces which are often designed so that only the phone system installers can effectively use it.
Call Cost Reduction
You can save substantially by using a VoIP service provider for long distance or international calls. Easily connect phone systems between offices/branches and make free phone calls.
No Need for Separate Phone Wiring – Use Computer Network
A VoIP Phone System allows you to connect hardware phones directly to a standard computer network port (which it can share with the adjacent computer). Software phones can be installed directly onto the PC. This means that you do not need to install & maintain a separate wiring network for the phone system, giving you much greater flexibility to add users/extensions. If you are moving into an office and have not yet installed phone wiring, you can save significantly by just installing a computer network.
No Vendor Lock In
Use standard phones: VoIP phone systems are open standard – all modern IP Phone Systems use SIP as a communication protocol. This means that you can use almost any SIP VoIP Phone or VoIP Gateway hardware. In contrast, a proprietary phone system often requires proprietary phones to use advanced features, and proprietary extension modules to add features.
Scalable
Proprietary systems are easy to outgrow: Adding more phone lines or extensions often requires expensive hardware upgrades. In some cases you need an entirely new phone system. Not so with a VoIP phone system: a standard computer can easily handle a large number of phone lines and extensions – just add more phones to your network to expand!
Better Customer Service & Productivity
Since calls are computer based, it’s much easier for developers to integrate with business applications. For example: an incoming call can automatically bring up the customer record of the caller, dramatically improving customer service and cutting cost by reducing time spent on each caller. Outbound calls can be placed directly from Outlook, removing the need for the user to type in the phone number.
Software Based Phones are Easier to Use
It’s often difficult to use advanced phone system features such as conferencing on proprietary phones. Not so with software based SIP Phones – all features are easily performed from a user friendly Windows GUI.
More Features Included as Standard
Since a VoIP Phone System is software based, it’s more easy for the developers to develop, add and improve feature sets. Therefore most VoIP phone systems come with a rich feature set, including auto attendant, voice mail, call queuing and more. These options are often very expensive in proprietary systems.
Better Control via Better Reporting
VoIP settings store inbound and outbound call information in a database on your server, allowing for much more powerful reporting of call costs and call traffic.
Better Overview of Current System Status and Calls
Proprietary systems often require expensive ‘system’ phones to get an idea what is going on on your phone system. Even then, status information is cryptic at best. With VoIP systems you can define which users can see phone system status graphically via a web browser.
Allow Users to Hot Plug their Phone Anywhere in the Office
Users simply take their phone, plug it into the nearest Ethernet port and they keep their existing number!
Allows Easy Roaming of Users
Calls can be diverted anywhere in the world because of the SIP protocol characteristics
