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What Is Hosted VoIP? Definition, Options, & Advantages


You not want cumbersome, conventional on-premises telephony infrastructure to make calls and handle enterprise communications. Hosted VoIP is the discuss of the city now, and rightly so.

On-premises PBX techniques have gotten out of date and insufficient to fulfill right now’s enterprise wants. Hosted VoIP gives a extra dependable, feature-rich, inexpensive, and built-in cloud-based different to conventional cellphone techniques and VoIP servers.

Let’s discover out what precisely hosted VoIP is, the way it works, its principal options, and how one can profit from switching to a hosted VoIP supplier.

What Is Hosted VoIP?

Voice over Web Protocol (VoIP) is a telecommunications infrastructure that makes use of the web as a substitute of conventional copper wires to transmit voice and knowledge.

Hosted VoIP is an internet-based telephony system that doesn’t want customers to put in any infrastructure on-site to make VoIP calls. As a substitute, the {hardware}, software program, and infrastructure are managed and maintained on a third-party enterprise VoIP supplier within the cloud. 

Customers merely join their IP telephones or softphones (software-based cellphone purposes) to the web and entry VoIP companies by means of the supplier’s servers.

Hosted VoIP vs. on-premises VoIP

On-premises VoIP consists of an in-house infrastructure. On the flip facet, as a substitute of constructing and sustaining a bunch of servers, a hosted VoIP resolution takes care of the whole lot of their knowledge facilities. This implies you want far much less {hardware} on-site and get way more zero-maintenance calling capabilities. 

In contrast to on-premises VoIP servers, hosted VoIP provides what you are promoting full cellphone service over the web from a trusted VoIP supplier.

How Does Hosted VoIP Work?

In analog cellphone techniques, one cellphone connects to a different by way of the Public Switched Phone Community (PSTN). The cellphone makes use of electrical alerts to create audio alerts within the receiver’s speaker.

Hosted VoIP cellphone techniques convert voice alerts into knowledge packets and transmit them over the web. While you subscribe to a hosted VoIP service and make a name, your voice is transformed into digital knowledge and despatched over the web to the VoIP service supplier’s servers. 

From there, the supplier connects the decision to the recipient’s cellphone supplier, whether or not a standard landline or one other VoIP system. This methodology means that you can make and obtain calls utilizing your web connection with out conventional cellphone strains and inside seconds. It additionally gives extra flexibility, scalability, and price financial savings.

How a Hosted VoIP Phone System Works (Diagram)

If you have already got a phone system, you’ll be able to nonetheless use the VoIP features with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking.

How does hosted PBX work?

A PBX, or personal department change, is a enterprise cellphone system. PBX options embody name queuing, extension numbers, voicemail, and extra. These options are supported by a fancy {hardware} resolution that IT professionals handle.

In contrast to a standard PBX, a hosted PBX service is completely totally different—in a great way.

You get all the identical options; simply the VoIP firm manages your {hardware} resolution. 

Your telephones don’t join on to an inside server. They join by way of VoIP servers hosted securely within the cloud. So, on high of typical PBX performance, it’s also possible to combine top-notch cellphone service between workplaces.

A digital PBX service provides you all the advantages of a PBX with none of the hassles. If you have already got one in place, you’ll be able to learn extra about hosted PBX vs. SIP Trunking.

Hosted VoIP Options

Hosted VoIP gives all of the important cellphone system options. From name queues to auto attendants, it gives the whole lot your staff wants:

  • Auto attendant
  • Convention calls
  • Cellular app (softphone app)
  • CRM integration
  • Superior name analytics
  • HD name high quality
  • Toll-free cellphone numbers
  • Native cellphone numbers
  • Discover me, observe me
  • Voicemail-to-email
  • Limitless scalability

These are only some calling options included with Nextiva’s VoIP plans. You possibly can learn our full listing of VoIP options right here. 

The listing doesn’t finish there. Should you’re in search of a platform that mixes the capabilities of VoIP with different enterprise communication companies like video conferencing and enterprise SMS, give UCaaS a strive. Right here’s what it’s and a few of its key options.

UCaaS performance

Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) takes VoIP telephony to a brand new degree. It integrates communication instruments reminiscent of immediate messaging, phone, video conferencing, and e mail into one platform. 

Listed below are some includes a UCaaS like Nextiva’s productiveness software program gives:

  • Group chat and immediate messaging: Create notes, share information, and ship messages, hyperlinks, and attachments one-to-one or throughout groups in actual time.
  • Video conferences: Conduct multi-participant or one-on-one video conferences inside the firm and with prospects. 
  • Voice: Get superior voice calling options like name recording, name forwarding, superior name routing, and video and textual content.
  • Collaboration: Use built-in instruments to collaborate on initiatives, ship messages, and schedule conferences from one platform.
  • Cloud safety: Get extra management and safety with internet-based internet hosting in a non-public cloud or safe knowledge heart.

With Nextiva, your employees can simply change from chat messages to cellphone conversations and video conferences on the identical platform. It will increase productiveness and gives you methods to attach by means of varied communication channels.

UCaaS vs. hosted VoIP: Which is best for you?

UCaaS is a bigger class with a spread of communication instruments and options (additionally VoIP) and isn’t a VoIP different. You’ll find it irresistible when you conduct in depth video conferences or have groups collaborating on initiatives. It’s meant for various and demanding communication wants. 

However, when you’re a small enterprise or talk primarily by way of PBX and voice calls (assume a name heart), UCaaS could also be overkill. A hosted VoIP providing superior voice-calling options is a better option.

Advantages of Hosted VoIP

Hosted VoIP can positive sound complicated, but it surely isn’t. It merely means a VoIP hosted in a number of redundant knowledge facilities with 99.999% reliability and uptime. 

While you change to hosted VoIP, you’re not simply “transferring” your bodily PBX to a digital one however gaining extra reliability, scalability, plus 24/7 assist and monitoring. 

Beneath are some key advantages of hosted VoIP that can assist you select.

1) Important price financial savings

Companies can scale back cellphone prices by as much as 50% with VoIP softphones. The truth is, VoIP may help small corporations scale back startup prices by as much as a whopping 90%! 

Should you at the moment use a landline enterprise cellphone resolution, it can save you large by switching to hosted VoIP. Hosted VoIP provides you all of the options of a enterprise cellphone plan for much less with out putting in and continuously sustaining the on-site gear.

As an illustration, Nextiva’s fundamental plan begins at $18.95 per line per 30 days and consists of limitless nationwide calling, free on-line faxing, name routing, and extra.

It’s also possible to save on different enterprise apps, as Nextiva gives a full suite of instruments, together with gross sales and customer support CRM, surveys, analytics, web site chat, and extra.

A screenshot showing how Nextiva app helps save VoIP costs

2) Worldwide calls begin at $0.01

Do you’ve workplaces, customers, and prospects in different nations? Hosted VoIP is the answer for you.

VoIP platforms like Nextiva provide worldwide calling charges beginning at $0.01. (No joke!)

Nextiva's cheap international calling rate list

Serious about utilizing an on-premises setup like a landline to make worldwide calls? You’ll rack up costly payments and wish fixed upkeep to make high quality calls. Pricey, time-consuming, and nerve-racking.

A hosted VoIP can save loads in your enterprise cellphone invoice. In comparison with conventional cellphone strains, hosted VoIP calls are sometimes of upper high quality. Whereas analog calls journey over native cellphone strains, VoIP calls are carried over the web, leading to higher-quality cellphone calls with extra bandwidth.

With a VoIP platform like Nextiva, home long-distance calls are free and included in your month-to-month plan.

3) Unified communications

Streamlining all communication channels right into a single platform significantly helps your groups.

Your groups sometimes cut up their workday between inboxes and platforms. 

Think about how rather more productive they may very well be in a single feed. That’s the truth with a unified method. As a result of it’s so helpful for companies, the UC market is quickly rising, forecasted to succeed in $167 billion by 2025.

4) Third-party integrations

You already use a number of totally different instruments for what you are promoting to get issues performed. Most corporations have CRM, e mail advertising instruments, and analytics software program of their tech stack. Connecting your current enterprise instruments with a hosted VoIP system is straightforward. 

Integrating calls with conventional cellphone techniques is rather more complicated and time-consuming. You want additional {hardware} and specialised software program to bridge the hole.

Since Voice over IP is digital, integration is way less complicated. For instance, routinely sync name knowledge along with your current CRM software program utilizing Nextiva’s integrations with helpdesks like Zendesk and ServiceNow and CRMs like Zoho and HubSpot.

Some top integrations Nextiva offers

5) Superior contact heart instruments

Hosted VoIP has ushered in a new period of customer support. Prospects count on corporations to function across the clock. Sending prospects to a voicemail not cuts it. For this reason companies, even small companies, use contact facilities as a service the place brokers reply to questions by way of e mail, cellphone, or textual content.

Beforehand, companies needed to set up an workplace, run dozens of phone strains, and rent an IT particular person to remain on high of it. Now, a hosted VoIP platform can present end-to-end performance with out huge prices. You possibly can ramp up brokers in document time with nothing greater than a VoIP softphone.

Take a look at Nextiva’s VoIP name heart options for a extra in-depth clarification.

6) One VoIP cellphone quantity, extra mobility

A cloud VoIP cellphone system makes it simpler to keep up VIP buyer relationships. With the “discover me observe me” function, incoming calls will attain the correct particular person, irrespective of the place they’re. The function routinely rings the workplace desk cellphone. If unanswered, it tries the enterprise mobile phone. 

Lastly, it’d ring the house quantity.

All of your prospects have to recollect is your workplace cellphone quantity. It’s also possible to use a enterprise cellphone app to make calls on the go. NextivaONE app works on any system and integrates with the identical analytics and CRM as VoIP. The most effective half is that you should use your workplace cellphone quantity out of your cell phone.

Ways to download NextivaOne app

Migrating to Hosted VoIP? Select Nextiva

Should you’re simply beginning your hosted VoIP journey or have an current PBX you need to combine with VoIP however have to understand how, flip to Nextiva. You’ll get devoted onboarding and migration assist at each step.

Nextiva is a top-hosted VoIP supplier and unified communications options for companies. However don’t take our phrase for it!

  • In Gartner’s current Voice of the Buyer report, Nextiva was named Prospects’ Alternative in 2 classes and rated 4.5 out of 5 for assist expertise and product capabilities. That’s not all.
  • Greater than 9 of ten companies suggest Nextiva on GetVoIP from over 2,995 opinions – the very best amongst key VoIP suppliers.
  • A 99.999% uptime is enterprise-level system availability. Nextiva additionally gives HIPAA-compliant Hosted VoIP options as a way to deal with sufferers, not IP telephones.
  • Nextiva conducts common safety testing and invests tens of millions to scale its community. We pair that with award-winning customer support so companies can deal with what issues: prospects.

Whether or not organising the brand new VoIP system, transferring current knowledge, or coaching your staff, Nextiva gives a easy transition to hosted VoIP so you should use it with out interruptions.

FAQs About Hosted VoIP

Can I host my very own VoIP?

Sure, you’ll be able to host your personal VoIP if in case you have the finances and technical data to put in and preserve the {hardware} and software program wanted. Nevertheless, it’s time-consuming and costly. A greater different is a hosted VoIP that offers you all the nice VoIP options with out the effort of sustaining the underlying structure. It saves you time and cash and is straightforward to scale.

What are the disadvantages of hosted VoIP?

Hosted VoIP requires a dependable, steady, and quick web connection. Should you don’t have one, you’ll probably expertise community jitter, poor name high quality, and dropped calls. Having a trusted hosted VoIP supplier can be important for a similar causes. An unreliable VoIP connection can damage what you are promoting and postpone prospects.

Which is the most effective hosted VoIP supplier?

Nextiva. It’s dependable, scalable, straightforward to make use of, easy to arrange, and gives loads of VoIP options and nice buyer assist. Nextiva even has devoted onboarding and migration groups that can assist you transition to hosted VoIP.

Improve your cellphone system to Nextiva
and see why it’s the #1 Hosted VoIP supplier.

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