VoIP Phone Systems

Here we answer, in a non-technical way, the most common questions people have about VoIP. What is VoIP? How does it work? How can I upgrade my phone system to VoIP? Does VoIP improve performance and save costs?

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for ‘Voice over Internet Protocol’. This sounds like quite a technical term but all it means is making and receiving voice phone calls over the internet, instead of through a traditional copper phone line and hardware telephone exchange called a PBX.

How does VoIP work?

In the past, you had to connect a phoneline from your premises to your local telephone exchange in order to be connected to the wider phone network. Companies with multiple phones even had to have their own exchange onsite called a PBX (Private Branch Exchange). This was very cumbersome, as you were dealing with physical equipment that had to be installed and maintained, which meant it was expensive.

Nowadays all you need is an internet connection to enable you to make and receive calls, but you also get a host of new features and the costs are lower.

How do I make and receive calls?

If you still want to use a physical deskphone then all you need is a VoIP handset, which you plug into your router or network point. Or, if you prefer, you can access your VoIP phone number via a cloud phone on your computer or tablet. You can also go fully mobile by making calls on your VoIP numbers via an app on your mobile phone or by simply setting up a virtual number divert to forward your VoIP landline number to your mobile.

Upgrade cloud hosted VoIP service?

Upgrading to VoIP is very easy. If you are on a traditional phone system then all you will need is new VoIP capable phones, such as these: Business VoIP phones. No other on-site equipment is needed.

Can I keep my current number/s?

Yes, you can. All your current telephone numbers can be transferred to us. It is called ‘porting’ your numbers and typically takes 5 working days. We ensure there is no break in your phone service, so you simply switch from using your old phone to the new phones. Just fill in a porting form and we will handle the rest.

What is a cloud PBX?

Remember above when we mentioned about how in the old days companies needed an on-site exchange in their building, that called is a traditional PBX. They were expensive to buy, expensive to install and expensive to maintain. It was used to route calls to internal extensions, record calls and handle all your services on-site. The good news is with SortIT VoIP you no longer need a hardware PBX because we set it all up for you and it is all managed in the cloud, hence the name a Cloud PBX. If you want to make any changes to your set up, then your simply login remotely, from anywhere in the world. Or, better still, just call us and we will do it for you.

What additional features do I get?

SortIT VoIP telephone packages come with a whole host of new features that you cannot get on a traditional phone service. These include: