Keeping up with the latest technologies in your workplace doesn't have to be expensive or a hassle, and could in fact save you money as well as greatly improve convenience for your employees. One such example is substituting your existing phone lines and handsets for IP phone systems that send and receive calls over Local Area Networks and through your broadband line, as this can be much cheaper than making calls over regular phone networks for long distance and international calls.

IP telephone systems comprise customised desk phones and a control unit, and with fewer cables involved than on standard phone systems, it's easy to move IP phones between rooms and connect them up via Ethernet cables in different parts of your workplace without any reprogramming being needed. When you route calls through SIP trunks, you could save more money as well as improve efficiency in your workplace by only having to purchase as many lines as you really need, and you should always make sure that your IP phones are compatible with the type of trunking system you're using.

IP phone systems could be particularly beneficial for your company if you make a large number of long distance calls on a regular basis, especially when using these phones in combination with VoIP software, which can make free calls if the other caller is using the same software as you. Even when you make calls to standard landlines or mobile phones, your calls will usually be billed at local rates due to them being routed through IP based systems, avoiding the charges involved in sending calls over multiple networks to reach their destination.

IP phone systems aren't only valuable for reducing overheads though, as these advanced telephone systems are also capable of many things that standard phone systems are not, such as the ability to make video calls, participate in video conferences and collaborate live on documents and files with your contacts. The method of delivery can also lead to greatly improved voice quality, with international delay times having been minimised to less than 250 milliseconds in many cases, when talking to people in all parts of the world.

The software-based nature of IP phone systems also makes these more scalable and capable of adapting to your business' changing needs than standard phone lines, all of which can make IP phone systems an appealing prospect for businesses of all sizes.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.