Internet-enabled connectivity continues to affect nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Quantifying the beneficial aspects of some online advances is difficult, of course. But one area that’s enjoyed undeniable improvement is telephone communications, which has been revolutionized in recent years by VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol.
What is VoIP? At its most basic, VoIP allows you to host your phone line on an Internet protocol network rather than a landline. Analog voice calls are converted into packets of data that can then travel over a public or private IP network. Depending on the service provider and plan, VoIP can work on computers, standard handsets, or mobile devices, making it not only far cheaper than traditional telephone plans but also adept at meeting the flexible needs of today’s small to medium-sized businesses.
CMIT Solutions recognized the game-changing nature of VoIP several years ago when we developed CMIT Voice and furthered our commitment to providing clients with enterprise-level solutions at affordable prices. Want to make sure your customers never get a busy signal again? CMIT Voice routes your calls exactly where they need to go. Want to receive faxes, emails, or voicemails while away from the office? CMIT Voice can deliver. Want to leave circuit-switched private branch exchange systems in the dust? CMIT Voice has the answer. Want to simplify network management, unify communication systems, and easily add new phones to your account? CMIT Voice can handle it all.
According to a 2013 CTI Technology report, VoIP now has a consumer penetration rate of 37% and a business penetration rate of 10%, with a 15% annual increase expected in 2014. Like any Internet-based technology, however, VoIP is still changing. A recent study by market research firm In-Stat shows that mobile VoIP (driven by the Bring Your Own Device, or BYOD, movement) represents the biggest growth segment, with 288 million users by the end of 2013 and a forecasted 1 billion by 2017. Mobility also poses the biggest challenge to VoIP, though, as phone systems are more prone to privacy or security hacks when they’re being used outside of the office. A 2012 report from the Communications Fraud Control Association suggests that phone fraud is growing at a rate of 29% per year, and even big names like Cisco aren’t immune, as a scandal from 2012 indicates.
Meanwhile, like the rest of the computing industry, a transition to cloud hosting of IP networks and servers should propel VoIP even further into the future. First, the communications market must plan for the retirement of traditional phone networks and transition to all-IP broadband networks. Last fall, AT&T petitioned the Federal Communications Commission to begin phasing out its traditional telephone regulatory approach, with Hank Hultquist, VP of the company’s Federal Regulatory division, saying, “This telephone network we’ve grown up with is now an obsolete platform or at least a rapidly obsolescing platform.”
Want to reduce communication outlays, streamline your telephone network, and hitch a ride on the VoIP wagon? CMIT Voice provides an enterprise-level solution previously unattainable to small and medium-sized businesses at a fraction of the cost. Call or email us today to find out how CMIT Solutions can help your business communicate faster, cheaper, and better. Internet-enabled connectivity continues to affect nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Quantifying the beneficial aspects of some online advances is difficult, of course. But one area that’s enjoyed undeniable improvement is telephone communications, which has been revolutionized in recent years by VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol.