Harry Perry
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), has many misconceptions about call quality, security, and cost. Today, we will be sharing insight on these and other issues relating to VoIP and debunking false information and myths.
#1 VoIP is unreliable with poor call quality
Many people with this understanding remember VoIP when it was first being installed in the early to mid 2000s, when it seemed like a perfect solution but flopped as the network infrastructure, internet speeds, security, and routing was not designed for voice traffic in small to medium businesses. Even the phone systems then needed extra support to route calls to the correct destination. This is a common misconception today. In the same way computers have evolved since the 2000s, so has VoIP and telecommunications.Â
Advances in VoIP have been dramatic over the years. With internet speeds increasing to even more than gigabit, VoIP calls are capable of transmitting data at a significantly faster rate, resulting is much better call quality. In addition to this, we have all seen the advancement in audio compression over the years with better algorithms and noise reduction technologies that have contributed to a superior voice quality over the often static-laced analog lines when making long distance calls.
#2 VoIP is less secure than traditional landlines
This is not particularly true. A good VoIP system and solutions integrator can make the system significantly more secure than a traditional system. For example, VoIP calls can be encrypted to stop hackers or eavesdroppers from listening to your conversations. VoIP systems can also be configured with two factor authentication, force unique user passwords, and more. Additionally, a reliable VoIP system will always have robust security measures to protect services from cyberattacks such as denial-of-service or distributed denial-of-service (DoS or DDoS).
#3 VoIP is expensive to switch to
The most surprising aspect about VoIP for businesses is actually the pricing. As VoIP, and especially Cloud Phone Systems, became more available, the pricing just kept getting better. Even in on-premises systems, the more expensive type of system, the pricing is reduced when you don’t need extra parts to suit landlines. Even voice services are cheaper and will usually always include all your long distance calling or even international calls. When it comes to Cloud Phone Systems, the upfront price can be as low as a fifth of the comparable price of an on-premises system.Â
It’s particularly common that a business will save up to upgrade their phone system to a Cloud VoIP system and then be surprised at the pricing and decide to additionally buy wireless headsets, more advanced feature sets, and more functionality because it all fits within their initial budget ideas.
#4 You can't keep your business telephone number
Completely false. There would be an extremely specific circumstance if you were forever locked in with one carrier. For almost every telephone number including cellular, fixed landline, or VoIP, phone numbers can be ported (transferred) to your new carrier. In the same way you might switch your cell phone from one carrier to another because of a better deal but keep your telephone number, business telephone numbers work almost identically. The process may take slightly longer but the concept is exactly the same. Within 1-2 weeks all calls will be with your new carrier and the process to switch is very simple, with automatic cancelling of services taking place with the losing carrier. You do not need to call the old carrier or anything, it’s an efficient and streamlined system.
#5 VoIP does not store information in your country
This can be dependent on the provider you are using. It is particularly important to read the fine print and privacy policies of the company that hosts your voice services if based in the cloud. If you have an on-premises building, little to no data is ever stored outside of your company’s walls. For us on Cloud Phone services, we guarantee data residency in our North American market, ensuring Canadian data stays and is transported within Canada, likewise for the USA unless customers require remote workers across borders.
Why we don’t use RingCentral
RingCentral came under fire in 2022 for allowing remote access in Russia among other countries to personal data from their cloud servers in the USA and EU in order to “operate, maintain, and support our business”. Russia has since been removed from the list at the time of this article being written, but the list does include Georgia, Ukraine, Mexico, the Philippines, India, and China. Personal data access from other countries, without explicitly detailing the reasons for doing so, goes against our core beliefs as a company. Because of this, among other reasons, we do not sell RingCentral solutions. The important piece here is to be mindful of who you sign up with. A well-known name does not necessarily mean practices that align with your company beliefs. We do a lot of research and questioning about this specific topic before we bring a solution to a customer.
Source: RingCentral Personal Data Transfer Impact Assessment: https://assets.ringcentral.com/us/terms-and-conditions/personal-data-transfer-impact-assessment-faq.pdf
Need help to decide on a system? We provide free presentations for that
We offer full presentations to explain the different types of communication systems from on-premise (on-site) to cloud, to a hybrid where it’s a bit of both. All attendees are welcome. There’s no catch and it is completely free. If you like us as a company, you have the opportunity to then ask us for a quote during or after the presentation. Regardless of what system you choose though, you will leave with valuable information on what to look for in your hunt for better communications.