VoIP Telephone - What is it and why the trend?
What is VoIP?
VoIP, short for Voice over Internet Protocol, is a technology that allows phone calls to be placed and received over an Internet connection. By turning analog signals into digital signals with an analog telephone adapter (ATA,) and having a dial tone provider like MercuryTel, any high-speed Internet connection can transmit voice traffic. Only a high-speed Internet connection will work however. Satellite and Dial-up Internet services are not compatible with VoIP.
The VoIP advantage.
VoIP telephone service has become increasingly popular for many reasons as the advantages over traditional phone service are undeniable.
Affordability.
VoIP telephone is usually more affordable than traditional phone service as long-distance, international calls, and advanced features often cost extra with traditional service. This is not the case with VoIP. For example, at Mercury, our flat-rate VoIP plan for our residential customers costs a mere $25 per month and includes all local and long-distance calling across the USA and Canada. Our business phone customers get the benefit of a fixed monthly rate that includes all calling across the USA and Canada as well. We also pair the service with our Digital Cisco or Mitel Business Phone Solution. There are no setup or activation fees with our solution and all advanced capabilities, features, service calls and customizations are included at no extra charge.
Advanced Features.
With MercuryTel VoIP service, you get features like Voicemail to Email and Find Me/Follow Me, which traditional phone services don’t usually offer. Voicemail to Email is a feature that delivers a digital file to your email address of any voicemail left on your MercuryTel line. Find Me/Follow Me is a feature that will ring you on any number you designate to find you on, should you not be available at your MercuryTel phone number. This is great because it can be configured for only certain callers or all callers, during specific times of the day or all the time, whichever you prefer. In addition, features such as Voicemail, Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Conference Calling, 3-Way Calling, and more are all included at no added expense.
Convenience.
For our residential customers, VoIP Phone service can be wired to the home’s phone wiring, making it work and feel just like traditional phone service, but better. Also, you can keep your existing phone number providing your current phone company will allow the number to be ported away, which most can. On the rare occasion that the phone number can’t be ported, we can provide you with a new one.
For businesses, we pair the service with Digital Cisco Phones or Mitel Phones in a way that provides a complete phone system replacement. All features such as Automated Attendant, Menus, Queues, and others are included and can be customized to suit your needs. For business customers, we do an on-site pre-installation analysis, which will determine the suitability of your Internet connection and cabling. We also do all of the preparation work needed to ensure a smooth transition to Mercury Network.
Why the trend?
The VoIP trend is growing due to the affordability, capabilities, and convenience. With unlimited local and long distance calls that include cheaper International rates, as well as all of the advanced features that are available, VoIP telephone service clearly has its advantages if it is available and your Internet is compatible.
Why choose MercuryTel as your provider?
The reasons for choosing MercuryTel, where available, for your phone service and business phone solution are abundant. Where we provide service, we are truly local, which has its advantages. We have a local office with customer service reps, sales people and technicians. If you have a question, feel free to stop by one of our offices for help. National companies without a local presence can only support their customers over the phone and via e-mail.
Our support team has knowledge of you, your location and your history with us. We have local trucks that provide service, should you need it, in a timely manner, oftentimes the same day. Finally, our phone switch is local, which makes a huge difference in call quality. Imagine how much longer it would take for you to drive from point A to point B in Wisconsin or Michigan if you had to make a stop in California first. That happens with the national VoIP providers, but not with Mercury. With our service your voice traffic stays on our private network and never touches the global Internet. With most providers, your calls go over the Internet and may end up travelling thousands of miles away instead of across town, and that can hinder call quality.
Finally, our business phone solution includes our Comprehensive PhonePro Support, which provides unlimited support, training, and service, free of charge. There are never any maintenance contracts, repair fees or additional costs for customizations or training. Our features and capabilities, such as Caller ID, Find Me Follow Me, Auto-Attendant, and Voicemail to Email, will help your business to sound more professional, communicate more effectively and work more productively without the big phone system expense. Call us today!