3 VoIP Trends Businesses Should Watch Out For
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has come a long way from its inception. Initially considered as merely an experiment, VoIP has evolved to become one of the most powerful and preferred communication solutions in the business world. And the good thing is, VoIP is expected to experience immense growth fuelled by a number of emerging trends.
In this article, let’s take a look at three VoIP trends that will shape the industry and will have the potential to help your business stay ahead of the curve.
The Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network of Internet-enabled devices with the ability to collect and exchange data. These “things” include the expected (smartphones, laptops, and tablets) as well as everyday objects you would not consider (such as your refrigerator, coffee maker, thermostat, and light switches). Now how does IoT impact the world of VoiP?
Since VoIP is an Internet-based telephony system, it can be linked to IoT applications, which will allow businesses to take advantage of even more functionalities from their phone networks. Some potential examples of tasks that businesses and their employees can perform by integrating IoT and VoIP include:
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Using VoIP phones to adjust monitor setup, lighting, and reserve desk space
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Receiving alerts when office equipment needs maintenance or repair
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Syncing calendar to VoIP-enabled phones to get notifications of upcoming events
VoIP already delivers cost savings to businesses and increases efficiency of employees...but when combined with IoT, businesses can maximize the benefits of VoIP even further.
Peering
One of the most attractive features of VoIP is its significantly lower call rates when compared to a traditional PSTN system. But there’s a growing trend among VoIP service providers that would allow end users to enjoy even more cost savings: peering.
Peering is an agreement between two or more VoiP service providers to exchange VoIP traffic and keep it on IP networks in order to avoid the charges associated with passing calls through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN). By peering with other providers, carriers are able to increase efficiency and lower costs. Thus, passing along the savings to end users.
Mobile VoiP
With the popularity of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and increased reliance on mobile services, it shouldn’t be surprising that the VoIP industry is tapping into the mobile market.
Mobile VoIP isn’t exactly “new”, but it’s anticipated to be even more prevalent in the coming years. The greatest advantage of mobile VoIP for businesses is that it allows employees to stay connected anywhere and anytime without incurring additional costs from mobile telecom services.
VoIP providers such as Vonage and RingCentral, for instance, have solid mobile apps that will help you stay reachable even on the road. So, for example, if you need to contact someone in the main office while you’re in the field or out of the country, you no longer have to worry about being slapped with roaming charges. Instead, you can easily contact anyone through a mobile VoIP app at little to no cost.
Final Thoughts
These are only some of the trends predicted to redefine the VoIP landscape. But no matter the trend, it is clear that businesses need to keep up in order to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive and changing market. And a reliable, dependable VoIP solution is the way to do it.