What Is a VoIP Phone & How Does It Work?

VoIP’ has become a buzzword when talking about business telephones of late. But VoIP is more than just a funny sounding acronym. It represents a huge step forward in the advancement of modern business phone systems. The big question for everyone is what is a VoIP phone? 

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What is a VoIP Phone System? 

A VoIP phone is a device that uses the internet instead of a pair of direct connect copper wires. VoIP phone systems give you almost unlimited options for mobility and connectivity. 

You are probably reading this because you’ve already heard about VoIP’s key features like: 

  • Easy install and setup 
  • Easy scaling 
  • Phone numbers that follow you and your employees 
  • The technology supports older technology 
  • Wide availability and economical implementation 
  • Simple integration with other software applications. 
  • Range of device options 
  • Seamless set up on existing internet connections 

Types of VoIP Phones 

  • Hard Phones
  • Direct calls 
  • Conference calls    
  • Accessing voicemail 
  • Communications through handsets, headsets, Bluetooth and speaker phones 
  • Softphones

How VoIP Phones Work 

In the past, phones were wired to an on-premise PBX (Private Branch Exchange).

This bulky machine would handle all routing and ensure each call reached its proper destination. VoIP phone features far exceed those available on old PBX systems. 

Since VoIP phones process telephone calls via the Internet, or the cloud, the technology employs existing computer network cabling or WIFI to access telephone networks.

No additional copper wiring is needed to use your VoIP business phone service. Your phone number can stay the same as before and so there is no expense in changing it. 

Because of this; making a VoIP phone call is simple. Just pick up the handset and dial a number. The technology is designed to make it simple, not more complicated. 

This same idea applies to receiving a VoIP phone call. It’s the same as any other call. 

Benefits of a VoIP Phone System 

Many of the features of a VoIP phone system speak for themselves: 

  • VoIP phones use your existing Internet connection.
  • Link to user accounts, not to phone numbers.
  • Give companies easy access to advanced voicemail features. 
  • Have higher quality audio range (twice that of traditional). 
Originally Posted By: Cisco