2017, the year of VoIP!
Why am I so confident, you ask? Well, VoIP technology has already been around for a good 20 years. In the late 90s, the Internet was already developed enough that a few clever folks were considering using it to transmit voice data… but VoIP represented a mere 1 to 3% of voice communications at the time.
However, slow and steady wins the race: in 2003, with the help of Skype, this percentage jumped to 25%! The Estonian application, which is now owned by Microsoft, showed the whole world the potential of online telecommunications. This potential is still being revealed today!
Which brings us to 2017. VoIP is currently among the fastest-growing industries, alongside biotechnologies and digital business. In fact, this elite sector represents around $80 billion a year. Business is good, and getting better all the time!
Think about it. VoIP is everywhere — on Skype, of course, but also on FaceTime, WhatsApp, and even Facebook, which recently got in on the action by offering calls through Messenger.
The main advantage of VoIP is its price. A hosted IP phone system like the one UBIK offers can reduce the monthly phone bill by 40%. There’s no such thing as a long-distance call on the web, so you can kiss the associated fees goodbye.
Need another good argument? When a multinational corporation deploys a single VoIP system throughout its branches in different countries, it can save close to 90%.
Still not convinced? It’s estimated that a hosted VoIP system reduces the initial cost of setting up a telephone system in a new company by 90%. Countless businesses are starting up these days, and VoIP is an extremely interesting option for them!
And those are just the cost-related benefits! Internet connectivity makes a lot of fun extras possible. For example, you can link voicemail to an email address, send and receive faxes with your computer, or manage internal and external call transfers in real time using a web-based platform.
If you look at UBIK for example (it’s fine to toot my own horn, right?), the service includes a metric ton of features. You don’t need to shop around — it’s already got everything!
I often talk to company presidents who are reluctant to switch to VoIP. They’re afraid of conversations getting cut off or technical glitches in the system. Who hasn’t raged against Skype and its darned bugs?
Honestly, I have to admit that a few years ago, Internet connections (in Quebec, at least) were not good enough to guarantee effective VoIP communications. Some early adopters had pretty tepid first experiences.
Fortunately, the Stone Age is now behind us. The reliability, quality and speed of today’s Internet connections are nothing like they used to be. With good networking equipment, your system will work like a charm. I’m telling you: 2017 will be the year of VoIP!
In the meantime, I wish you a year filled with success, joy and excellence. UBIK is delighted to have you as a contact and hopes our business relationship is efficient and rewarding!
Ciao!
Fred
