ToIP, a business telephony solution you should consider as soon as possible!
Although telephony over IP (ToIP) is within the reach of all businesses, its adoption must be studied on a case-by-case basis, depending on the size of the structure, the existing situation, the company’s needs, etc. We present this technology, which is now unavoidable.
Here’s an overview of this technology, which is now a must-have.
A short video and image panorama of Cisco Telepresence solutions.
Our selection does not claim to be exhaustive, but it reflects the diversity of solutions developed by the San José giant.
From desktop to immersive versions, everyone will be able to identify the use that suits them best.
And even the most advanced immersive telepresence systems are a dream come true.
Whatever the case, collaboration is now within the reach of all businesses, whatever their size.
SIP, softphones and video telephony
SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is the universal ToIP standard, the protocol used to manage communications.
It enables users to exchange text, voice and video data.
Depending on the remote terminal (telephone, IPBX, etc.) and the type of destination (landline, foreign country, etc.), it adapts the communication characteristics to improve quality and reliability.
The key levers used are audio and video codecs, which enable sound and image to be retranscribed, streams to be compressed and bandwidth to be optimized.
Softphones let you make and receive calls from your computer using a headset.
A sedentary employee will generally prefer a hardware phone, while a nomadic user will appreciate all the possibilities of his softphone as he changes his place of work.
This option also avoids the need to purchase a hardware phone.
A softphone is always useful for occasional videoconferencing or telecommuting sessions.
And for the technophiles out there, Jabber works with your Apple Watch.
Watch the video!
But also with your Android-based connected watch.
Visio(phony) is natively managed by ToIP.
It allows you to establish a video exchange with the other person directly from your telephone, just as easily as making a call.
The only requirement is that both users have a compatible terminal.
What are the advantages of switching to ToIP?
Switching to ToIP offers many advantages, not least mobility and availability, which are particularly valuable for organizations with telecommuting employees or multi-site configurations.
Overflow management” also enhances your organization’s flexibility.
In practical terms, certain departments within your company can be part of a call pool, enabling them to intercept calls from unavailable colleagues.
When a secretary is on the line and has to cope with too many calls, a user can choose to ring his or her own terminal or that of a colleague.
With this type of solution, calls are never lost.
An Interactive Voice Server gives your company a more professional image.
It involves managing a script for efficient handling of incoming calls, qualifying them and directing them to the right person.
Employee productivity has also increased with the adoption of ToIP.
Thanks to this technology, users can send SMS messages from their computer, create differentiated voice mailboxes (based on day and month) or set up auto-call management.
The latter feature enables users to make a call directly from their computer (by clicking or using a keyboard shortcut).
A considerable time-saver for employees on the phone most of the day.
Another major advantage for decision-makers is the reduction in communication costs.
Initial investment is very limited, as is deployment time.
Support procedures are also relatively straightforward, thanks to a single IT network pooling Voice and Data.
Multi-site companies benefit from the total elimination of communication costs between geographically dispersed employees.
To make matters worse, the price of calls to mobiles and international destinations is lower, and national calls are settled on a flat-rate basis.
ToIP has developed so rapidly in recent years, not least because it enables companies to standardize their telephone equipment, take advantage of innovative solutions at no extra cost, and bring their facilities into line with the solutions of tomorrow.
An update on business telephony terminology
In generic terms, it’s usually referred to as a private branch exchange or switchboard.
To find out more, here are the meanings of the main technical terms:
- PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange): system used to connect a company’s telephone lines to the external public network managed by operators.
- IPBX (Internet Protocol Branch Exchange): same function as the PABX, but IP-based, using the computer network.
- VPBX (Virtual PBX): virtual IPBX hosted on a company IT server
- VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol): technology for transporting voice over an IP-compatible network.
- ToIP (Telephony over Internet Protocol): technology for transporting signaling and voice flows over a local network.
- SIP trunk: connectivity service for transporting voice communications over IP
In conclusion, ToIP is a technical tool and a means for a company to increase its productivity, competitiveness and availability.
The growing range of functions offered by the technology is now sufficient to take the plunge.
All that remains to be done is to choose the most appropriate solution for your needs.
It is advisable to call on a professional for this type of transition.
How can you take advantage of the benefits of ToIP within your company?
It couldn’t be simpler.
Elit-technologies can provide you with expert advice on all aspects of unified communications and collaboration, and answer all your questions to ensure a successful transition.
In this field, experience makes all the difference, and ours enables us to provide concrete answers to real, specific needs.
It’s high time you took the plunge!
