Many large businesses have already set up VoIP systems, and for good reason. These types of telecommunications system have a large number of advantages over traditional phone networks, and in fact have replaced the latter almost completely. However, until recently there have been few options available for small businesses that have made them worth the time, effort, and expense of implementing. This has changed thanks in large part to the RingCentral VoIP Phone System, which caters to businesses of any size, but has also proven to be a stable and cost-effective solution for small businesses.
Before going directly into the RingCentral VoIP Phone System, it would be a good idea to become familiar with phone systems in general, ranging from traditional phone systems to VoIP phone systems, and the advantages that the latter brings. Becoming familiar with this information will help anyone in making an informed decision about any VoIP system, but in particular it can help highlight the advantages that RingCentral brings with their own product.
Phone systems using traditional telephone technology have been around almost since the invention of the telephone well over 100 years ago. Businesses both large and small had set up phone systems that operated in a similar manner to the traditional telephone system, often referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone System). In fact, phone systems that are based on this very old technology are still in use all around the world, even with businesses of all sizes.
The old telephone system was based on analog technology, utilizing electrical signals to carry the audio signal across metal wires, which are then converted into an audio signal on the receiver’s end. For phone systems that consisted of more than one line, businesses had to rely on having their own internal PBX (Private Branch Exchange). For large businesses, this often consisted of having complex, bulky, and expensive PBX hardware installed inside of their offices, with multiple lines coming into the PBX and often hundreds or even thousands of lines coming out. For small businesses, such hardware was often too expensive to use.
Later on, ISDN systems (Integrated Services Digital Network) started to replace the old traditional phone systems, although their setups often were similar in their necessary equipment, not to mention the expense necessary to install and maintain it. Still, though, they were a step in the right direction, providing multiple digital phone lines for businesses without as complex of a setup, and sometimes containing features that were not available elsewhere.
Within the last 15 years, many of the old traditional and ISDN phone systems have been replaced by VoIP systems. VoIP (Voice over IP) provides a way to have a complex multi-line internal phone system with all of the capabilities of traditional PBX-based systems, but through a digital network, providing a way for companies to setup their own internal phone system using their existing computer network infrastructure.
VoIP works by setting up a “virtual” PBX inside of a server, which then handles all of the VoIP devices or clients. This allows for a simple server to handle the complexity that makes up a traditional PBX system, thereby saving the customer money by using much less equipment and energy to run and maintain the system.
The VoIP devices and clients can come in a number of different fashions. One of the most popular is by using IP phones, which are similar to older business phones but work by connecting through an RJ-45 network port instead of through the traditional RJ-11 port. Another device is one that connects to a computer, although these tend to be less prevalent. A third option is by having an employee’s computer workstation run VoIP client software, letting the computer itself act as the phone instead of needing a dedicated device for this purpose.
As you can probably imagine, VoIP phone systems offer a large number of benefits over traditional or even ISDN phone systems. One of the primary benefits that is readily apparent is in the infrastructure of a VoIP system. As a VoIP system can run on an existing network, this saves a lot of expense in the installation and maintenance of such a system, as installing one would require a minimum of new infrastructure to be installed.
Another great benefit of VoIP systems is in their scalability. Traditional phone systems often require a great deal of time and expense to scale up to the needs of a growing business, whereas VoIP systems can be scaled with a minimum of both. As a business grows and hires more employees, and thus requires a more extensive internal phone system, a VoIP system can grow with it, using the existing network infrastructure. This makes VoIP systems quite ideal for small businesses that are looking to grow.
One other great benefit provided by VoIP systems over their older alternatives is that they can provide phone system capabilities that simply weren’t possible before. Such capabilities can include multi-user voice conferencing, data transmission concurrent with voice, and portability that allows you to use your VoIP system from virtually anywhere in the world. Along with these benefits, VoIP systems are always being upgraded with new capabilities over time, which in turn allows you to take advantage of the new features offered by them without having to pay exorbitant installation and maintenance costs. With all of these benefits to a VoIP system, it makes them the perfect communications solution for any small business.
After learning about the typical capabilities and advantages of a standard VoIP phone system, it probably makes sense to most people to search for a simple yet flexible and inexpensive solution for their small business. The RingCentral VoIP phone service provides a huge number of advantages over competing products due to a number of reasons.
The RingCentral VoIP system is cloud-based, meaning that your own internal infrastructure needs are going to be minimal in order to use the system. In fact, it is possible to get started with using the RingCentral system within minutes of signing up. All that is required is an Internet connection in order to use the service. Once you are signed up, you can use the RingCentral service on any device, including your computer or mobile phone, as well as with dedicated IP phones. Basically, there are almost no limits to how or where you can use your RingCentral VoIP phone system.
Along with your RingCentral VoIP phone system, there are a number of features that have been added that give you the capability to communicate with your employees all across the globe and at any time of the day.
- Simple Setup
The setup process for the RingCentral VoIP system is about as simple as it gets. Just as long as you have an Internet connection, you can sign up for the system, assign phone lines to your employees, setup greetings and voicemail, activate any additional features that you want, and then make your first call all in the span of just a few minutes. No extra hardware is required, and the software apps for many different platforms are all available for download.
- Video and Audio Meetings
Voice and video conferencing has always been somewhat of a pain for many businesses to setup and use, but with RingCentral, doing both is quite simple. The RingCentral apps allow for one-click voice and video conferencing on any device, whether it be a computer, smartphone, or tablet, and includes features such as screen and file sharing along with HD quality video.
- Team Messaging
One of the great recent trends in business communications technology is team messaging. Team messaging allows your employees to collaborate, share ideas, and maintain constant communication throughout the work day, which has shown to provide numerous benefits. The RingCentral service provides team messaging, allowing your employees to chat with each other in real time, along with features such as file sharing, group creation, and even instant audio and video messaging.
- Online Fax
Despite the new communications technologies that have recently appeared, sending and receiving faxes is still useful method of sharing information with others in remote offices, or even with customers. The RingCentral system provides online fax capabilities, allowing your employees to send and receive faxes from any device. The online fax service is even HITRUST certified and offers HIPAA Business Associate Agreements to covered entities, making the RingCentral service an ideal solution for the healthcare industry, or for any other industry with privacy requirements.
Small businesses are always wary of any kind of technology or communications system that is expensive to install and maintain. With the RingCentral service, the advantages that it offers make it the ideal telecommunications solution for small businesses, providing a simple and effective VoIP system that is simple and inexpensive to setup and maintain. If you are looking for the best and most cost-effective VoIP phone system for your small business, the RingCentral VoIP phone system is your best bet.