What is IP Telephony and What it Brings to Business?

IP telephony is the general name for telephone and video communications over the Internet. It is an alternative to fixed-line telephony. Thus, you need to have an Internet connection of any operator or provider (pay attention to the Freezvon), as well as an IP phone or appropriate software based on Android or iOS.

IP telephony is interesting for business because it provides the opportunity to get virtual phone numbers in Germany, organize multi-channel communication, and forward calls to the employee’s mobile number when he/she is not in the office. It also helps to effectively conduct business and communicate with colleagues abroad.

More to the point

It’s possible to create a single network of mobile and city numbers by integrating IP telephony into a virtual mobile PBX. This will allow, for example, to receive calls from customers, place orders, or consult consumers. You can also connect a toll-free 8800 number for your existing audience. By the way, VoIP is a technology that helps exchange audio data. IP telephony is an integral part of VoIP. It is important to remember that VoIP itself is a general term for all technologies involved in transporting voice and video information using IP addresses. Most likely, you have already used several VoIP-based programs. These are Skype, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, etc.

Moreover, the main difference between VoIP technology and the technology used to set up the work of habitual landline solutions is that an analog phone is connected to a physical location using copper wires. The VoIP phone makes and receives calls via the Internet and is not tied to the office. It turns your voice into a digital file, compresses it, and sends it over the network. Let’s find out the ways the communication through VoIP technology works:

• You are calling using VoIP.
• The technology converts sound waves (your voice) into digital data.
• Digital voice data is sent to your phone service provider via your internet.
• Digital data is transcoded into voice signals at the other end of the call.
• The other party receives data as sound waves (your voice).

VoIP allows you to make and receive phone calls from your laptop, tablet, regular smartphone (using an app), and even VoIP-enabled office phones. Let’s get acquainted with the most useful and really widespread virtual number feature that helps to improve the service level.

Configuring voice messages (IVR) 

IVR is a service that is needed to automate the work of a call center. It helps process incoming calls and route them to the right employee. Let’s see the main features of the service. 

• Voice greeting increases the image and status of the company in the eyes of the client. Here you can talk about what you do, what service you provide, and under what conditions. In general, you can say anything! 
• Voicemail helps the client to find the information he/she needs on his/her own without connecting to a specialist, thereby reducing the load on the call center. In essence, the customer serves himself/herself by listening to audio messages and selecting the desired options on the phone’s keyboard. Thus, you can set up a system of answers to popular questions and most of the routine work will be done easily! The feature also handles calls during non-working hours and weekends.
• You can distribute calls to different departments using voice messages (linking to responsible employees and forwarding to personal numbers). If the client does not know which specialist he/she needs, he/she can be connected with an operator who will help cope with indecisiveness.
• The system will entertain those customers who are waiting with advertising messages (in the case of a large flow of clients). It will tell the queue number to contact the operator so that the person does not accumulate unpleasant emotions. This reduces the risk of dissatisfied customers to zero. 
• Have you launched a new service? Then you will definitely want to know what your customers think about it. Do it with interactive surveys. The system itself will call the selected base and conduct a survey based on the script. Thus, you will receive all the data in the form of convenient statistics in CRM.

IVR increases customer loyalty and helps solve their questions quickly by following a prepared script. Moreover, the service also improves the lives of employees and managers.