IP Telephony

We’ve talked about Skype before, but I’m looking at getting a new phone system and I’ve heard about IP Telephony systems. What is it all about?
IP Telephony is much more than just voice over the internet, it’s a technological merging of your telephone
and computer networks into one. Think of it as Unified Communications.
So that means no more telephone lines, call costs or rental? That should cut down on expenditure.
Telephone calls are cheap anyway these days, so IP Telephony is about more than saving costs.
That’s true. So what other differences are there?
Not only sharing the same network, your computer and telephone also share data.
So voicemail will be stored on my computer, say,on an MP3 file?
Yes, and it does more than that.
Now you’re talking. Tell me more...

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When making telephone calls, do you still use handset with IP Telephony?
You can, but there are more tools to hand. You can use a desktop IP display phone, a hands-free phone,
mobile, radio, or make calls directly on your screen using your mouse and a headset.
When looking at the screen, you can access more than just a contact’s phone number?
Of course, and IP Telephony allows you send and share data much more quickly than using a manual fax,
or even email.
Any data? How would that work?
Well, with some systems, once you are on a call with someone else, you can just drop a file into a session
display folder, so you can both look at it at the same time.
That’s very useful. What other information can it transmit?
It also supports video, so you can set up meetings and conference calls, and share documents and files
during these meetings.
I see – and so will they, naturally.
The main advantage of IP Telephony is the way it unifies all your communication channels in one place,
and allows you to access data at the same time, saving time, increasing efficiency -
…and saving money too! Great. How else can it save time?
For example, if you want to contact someone, it will first check to see if they are available, so you don’t
waste energy trying to get through if they are out.
That’s useful. Can it work out the best way to get hold of someone?
The system will tell you their preferred method of contact, even of multiple people at once for a meeting.
What if they are out? Can calls be diverted?
Yes. They can set all calls, emails or texts to be diverted to a mobile phone, your laptop, or anywhere else
they may be. And so can you, of course.
But what happens if I need to move desk, or work in another location temporarily?
Unified Communications systems are ideal for hotdesking. You simply log in to your phone, and it doesn’t
matter where you are. You have all the information available. No need for address books or desk diaries.
What about setting up or changing meetings in the future?
With some IP Telephony systems such as Cisco, all your communication will integrate with existing
software such as Microsoft Outlook, and you can also access your data information from a desktop phone.
Does IP Telephony also give you caller display?
Yes, but the display is much more powerful. It’s about more than just telephone calls. You can have
applications that deliver interactive information, integrated with your business data directly to the handsets.
That sounds useful! But what else?
Your system can integrate with your Customer Relationship Management system, so
that the moment they call you, it accesses their account history so that all the information you may
need is displayed immediately. That saves a lot of time, and will also impress the customer. That’s
good for business.


Psychosis can help connect you with Unified Communications to suit your business needs. Click here for more information.

Also in this issue: Customer Relationship Management and Disaster Recovery