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VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) heralds a new dawn in telecommunications in Australia and throughout the world. Whilst services such as Skype and Engin have been around for a while as possibilities for small business owners, the VoIP infrastructure has only recently been upgraded to a totally acceptable call quality for VoIP. According to a survey by Optus, almost 60 per cent of businesses cite lower call costs as one of the main drivers for VoIP. Among the enterprises that have actually deployed VoIP, more than half report cost savings and better call management as the main benefits.

One appeal of VoIP for small business has been the cheap calls, but the truly fantastic benefit associated with a VoIP service is that it gives you a truly integrated service that’s independent of location. With a VoIP service you are able to access your phone service wherever you have a broadband connection. This can be your computer at work or home, your laptop when you’re travelling, or a PDA or smart phone.

You can also benefit from call features traditionally enjoyed by big businesses. These include things like:
• Three way calling.
• Advanced call forwarding features.

These functions aren’t new but with a VoIP system they are easier to set up and cheaper than on a traditional phone system.

There are four ways to use VoIP:
1. Using an analogue telephone adapter (ATA), which lets you connect a standard phone to your Internet connection.
2. Using an IP phone, which looks just like a normal phone but is adapted to work on broadband networks and has an Ethernet port to connect directly to your router or an IP PABX (which is similar to a regular PABX but setup for a web-based system). WiFi IP phones let you make VoIP calls from WiFi hotspots.
3. Using a softphone, which is software that turns your computer into a phone. You simply plug a handset into the speaker and microphone ports or via a USB connection. Many VoIP providers only offer this basic software-based service.
4. Using an integrated access device (IAD), which allows a number of different telephony devices to access a single broadband connection. A modem/router and an ATA all in one device.

If you are looking at implementing a VoIP service for your business, Best Business Deals recommends Costbusters.