15Sep

5 Things You Didn’t Know Your VoIP Softphone Could Do

September 15, 2021 Maulik Shah 5

“When wireless is perfectly applied the whole world will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole. We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance.”
-Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla predicted the invention of smartphones and internet-based telecommunications back in his days. VoIP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) softphones are like an embodiment of what Tesla’ said about telephony and communications. However, did you know your VoIP phones can do much more than just making calls? VoIP softphones come loaded with features like team messaging, file sharing, and calendar integration making them highly versatile. No wonder VoIP could step up to bridge the communications gap during the COVID-19 crisis.

By now we are very well familiarized with what a VoIP softphone is. It is a software application that duplicates the functionality of a telephone, on a PC, or any computing or mobile device. Softphone apps have become a preferred telecommunication option for most small and midsize businesses, more so in the post covid times.

A VoIP softphone is designed to emulate a desktop handset, with a dial pad and basic phone features, like mute, transfer, and hold. Most VoIP apps are fairly easy to learn. However, being software, a softphone is loaded with features beyond making and receiving calls which are highly useful especially now when so many of us are working from home. Let’s get cracking at what all can your softphone do for you other than making calls.

A softphone is not a standalone solution. Instead, it is directly connected to your VoIP business phone system, allowing you to access your business phone on your laptop, desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone. This removes the requirement of investing in expensive hard phone equipment. Softphones enable users to make VoIP calls over diverse web browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

Unique Softphone Features

Softphones come packed with unique features. From an easy-to-use interface to built-in caller settings, users can customize a softphone’s features to fit their business needs. Most VoIP mobile dialers also include standard telephony features like mute, hold, transfer, and flash, along with other unique collaborative communication features.

Most VoIP systems are based on Cloud or are on-premise. These can do a lot more than what most of us might expect and bring huge cost-efficiency to a business. Their mobility, functionality, and exceptional open-source nature have set a new path for the way people will communicate in the future.

#1. Global presence and mobility

Global presence with a local number: Organizations are pushing the boundaries and expanding at a fast pace to make a global footprint. The VoIP technology enables a business to make international calls in a cost-effective manner. The DID (Direct Inward Dialing) feature of a VoIP system enables a business to own a virtual local number that can be reached by callers in other countries. For example, if you are a company based in Texas, United States but a lot of your business comes from say India, you can buy a local India number that serves as your caller ID and support your Indian customers with a virtual local presence when you are in the United States. VoIP gives you the freedom to have a local presence anywhere in the world irrespective of your location.
Mobility: VoIP only requires an internet connection to function. This implies that one can practically carry their business extension anywhere. In the hybrid and remote work culture of today, it is a blessing for customer care executives who need to keep their business identity while keeping personal numbers private. A VoIP system/app can turn any device (laptop, desktop, or smartphone) into offsite extensions of a business phone system enabling employees to take advantage of office extension features, such as making and receiving business calls via company phone line regardless of your location.

#2. Sending and Receiving Files

A cloud-based VoIP service is designed to handle both voice and video data streams. This enables its developers/users to enhance their softphone apps to handle other data as well. VoIP users have access to features like faxing or the ability to access, share and receive files. Platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack do offer comprehensive and instantaneous solutions for sharing files between users. But VoIP providers have stepped up their game by offering such integration as well as basic file sharing functions to help businesses conduct more work negating the need to switch between different services.

#3. Video calls, Team messaging and collaborations, Manage Calendars

Ability to make video calls: VoIP solutions enable users to connect over video calls. This one feature makes it an attractive proposition for small and mid-size businesses, especially now when most employees are working remotely due to the coronavirus. The ability and freedom that VoIP gives to tap your business number anytime is a blessing for quickly building a virtual business presence. Add to that the ability to enhance the call experience with video and it becomes a good substitute for social interaction, not only for customers or partners but also for internal employee-to-employee conversation.

Team messaging and collaborations: The new-age sophisticated VoIP softphones also offer team messaging and collaboration functions along with voice, video, and data sharing. Many VoIP service providers are now integrating new functionality into their products based on what their users want and the trend is here to stay. The new-age updated VoIP software enables users to make and receive calls, check voicemail, conduct online meetings that include support for chat, shared screen, and video conferencing.

Manage calendars: The modern VoIP software can integrate with the users’ contact lists, both a business contact as well as personal contact lists stored on PCs and mobile devices. This enables them to easily track contacts and initiate calls. A user can also access calendars for scheduling meetings and calls with VoIP.

#4. White-labelling and Customer Insights

White labeling: Enterprises strive towards providing exceptional quality at every customer touchpoint and leaving a lasting brand recall value in the mind of its customers. One of the most common customer touchpoints is an enterprise’s telephony service such as IVR, music on hold, or voice prompts. VoIP softphones come with white-labeling options, which means one can customize the system with its own branding, logo, pre-recorded voice message with a brand name, music and the whole paraphilia. These customized greetings and voice direction helps a business in attracting and retaining guests while building brand loyalty. Today’s modern VoIP system enables a business to upload and deploy their own brand voice to add depth, warmth, and personality to automated voice prompts. A clear message combined with a specific tone or background music resonates with the customers and enhances the customer satisfaction experience.
Customer Insights: Gone are the days when a telephone system was used to merely make and receive calls. Modern telephone systems including VoIP can be integrated with key business applications to increase productivity and enhance the overall customer experience. Modern VoIP systems come equipped with VoIP CRM integration capabilities. This enables business owners with a powerful cross-channel platform to unite data, context, and conversation. With proper CRM integration, an executive can have a holistic view of the customer during the call. Key information like basic caller information, call logs, keynotes, etc can be easily accessed by an executive interacting with the customer. This is a great tool to improve the quality of customer interactions by automatically delivering pertinent information along with each call.

#5. Enables ease of contact through your website

Most company websites have a “call us” or “talk to us” button on their contact us page. This kind of functionality enables businesses to build a customer-oriented experience. Thanks to the API (application program interface) of the VoIP allows companies to access core PBX features. It is now possible to connect a company’s web page with its telephone system via specific APIs, and put a VoIP “call us” or “talk to us” button on the website and let the customer’s input automatically initiate a call from your PBX system.

Besides these features, VoIP mobile dialers also offer additional unique features to their users. Let’s look at what they are:

Leverages WebRTC to make seamless audio and video calls

Supported by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WebRTC allows open standard browsers to communicate with each other and exchange audio, video, and data files that use a simple Javascript based API. It allows users to make audio and video calls without requiring a plugin or any additional software installation. WebRTC can be considered an extension of VoIP that brings the potential of making phone and video calls, chats, and Peer 2 Peer file transfers directly to the web browser or mobile app. WebRTC allows for more widespread adoption of VoIP, acting as an extension for VoIP into new platforms. The fact that WebRTC is open source, and has low latency and interoperability makes it an attractive technology option.

Auto-provisioning

Auto provisioning allows an enterprise to deploy its telecom services instantly through a software application, rather than doing it manually for every device. This tool is especially useful when deploying large numbers of IP phones that require advanced configuration. Users can activate their softphone service via a web interface without requiring any configuration settings. This makes the deployment and management of installation fast and easy. Also, using auto provisioning, organizations can remotely set up their phone systems across multiple locations. They can do so in bulk and manage the system through an intuitive cloud phone service platform.

Multi-lingual support

Softphone services like Tragofone offer multi-lingual support so that users can converse in a language of their choice.

Integration with other databases and directories

Some softphones implement compatibility with third-party applications like Microsoft Outlook. They also enable integration with shared LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) directories, Microsoft Active Directory and ODBC compatible interfaces. This feature is especially useful for call centers.

Multiple SIP Accounts

Having multiple, independent SIP accounts on a softphone allows users to consolidate their accounts and make or receive calls from a single softphone. Having multiple registrations enables organizations to shift between accounts on a per-outbound call basis, depending on which VoIP provider or ISP offers the best rates for the destinations they are connecting to.

Security and privacy

Modern organizations are very particular about the privacy and security of their communications. These security issues are very relevant for softphones, where incoming and outgoing calls are vulnerable to attacks such as wiretapping and eavesdropping. Quality softphones support encryption using Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure RTP (SRTP) protocols, as it reduces these threats.

Future of VoIP softphones

Modern-day VoIP softphones are a cost-effective, all-in-one business phone solution. They have a lot more to offer over the traditional PBX system used earlier. With the hybrid and remote work culture taking center stage they are here to stay.

Today’s sophisticated VoIP softphones (both “on-premises” and “cloud”) are easy to use, reliable and come loaded with features to cater to the ever-evolving modern-day business and work culture. It enables mobility and is truly blurring geographical barriers. With all-inclusive features, it enables small and medium-size enterprises to take advantage of Unified Communications(UC) and enjoy easy communications irrespective of the place and time.

Rich API, easy interoperability, CRM integration and integration with several critical business applications, and customization as per specific needs of a business VoIP brings all of this to the table along with delivering smart communications. VoIP is here to stay and evolve, we as users need to dig deeper to understand and leverage the many benefits it has to offer.

06Sep

What is a Cloud-based VoIP Phone System?

September 6, 2021 Chetan Patel 21

“The Internet is the heart of the new civilization, and telecommunications are the nervous system or the circulatory system.” ~ Carlos Slim

This is an apt description to highlight how significant the internet and telecommunications have been in bringing the modern world together. And one of the most innovative inventions utilizing both these tools has been “cloud-based VoIP phone system.”

Statistics do not lie. They are a good indicator of where a technology stands in the present scheme of things. As per a survey report by Global Survey Research, the global VoIP phone system is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% between 2019 and 2024.

Cloud-based VoIP phone systems have enabled companies to re-imagine how they can connect with other people without compromising their budgets. It has also emerged as a key technology for improving productivity in the workplace and providing flexibility and mobility to employees. No wonder then, that many companies that are trying to control costs are in awe of cloud-based VoIP systems.

Busting some Myths about Cloud-based VoIP phone systems

Most people get confused between a Business VoIP (Virtual PBX) and Cloud Phone Systems (Hosted PBX in the cloud) and tend to believe that both are the same. Though essentially the same thing, there is a significant difference in their functionality.

Both phone systems play an important role in lowering business costs when compared to an on-premises phone system. Deciding on the right cloud phone system is an important decisive factor in making a business a success or failure. Multiple factors play an important role in determining the best cloud phone solutions. With so many service providers in the cloud phone system domain, one needs to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each provider to see what suits their requirements the best. As a business owner, you must internally evaluate the output that you expect from a hosted business VoIP phone system or cloud phone provider’s solution. Is that too much information to process? Let’s break it down step by step.

Cloud-based VoIP phone system: The basics

A cloud-based phone system is essentially a business communications solution. It is hosted and maintained by your VoIP service provider in its data centers. The services are delivered to you through your internet connection. The key features of a cloud-based VoIP phone system are:

Hosted PBX capability, having the same routing and call management features as that of a traditional PBX using voice over IP (VoIP) to facilitate calls over the internet.
A cloud-based VoIP phone system has other capabilities as well, like a traditional office phone system. But these come at a much more cost-effective price point. One example being long-distance calling.
The cloud solution is designed to be offered as a service on a subscription basis. This makes it budget-friendly for small businesses, as they do not have to invest in an expensive on-premise system.
Cloud-based phones can also be white-labeled, thereby helping small businesses in brand building.
VoIP technology converts analog audio signals into digital messages. This message can travel over the internet. VoIP and softphones enable companies to be mobile without losing the personal touch of voice communications.

Key takeaways:

Cloud-based VoIP phone systems are hosted at the VoIP provider’s data center, rather than the office premises.
They are better known as cloud phone systems or off-site VoIP, which means business owners do not have to manage any phone system hardware or “PBX”.
From a technical and functionality standpoint it means that cloud VoIP is a package of a traditional phone system (or PBX) and a local/long distance phone service provider, connecting them to hardware that is highly secure, redundantly powered, that is present in geographically diverse data centers, instead of being located at your office.
Cloud VoIP = Hosted VoIP. Cloud-based phone systems are also known as Hosted VoIP or a cloud-hosted PBX.
Hosted refers to a phone system hardware or PBX that is physically located at an off-site place and managed by a team of dedicated VoIP experts.
VoIP is increasingly becoming a popular option as businesses do not have to invest money and resources to maintain and upgrade their business phone system hardware or PBX.
It is possible for an office to have a VoIP telephone service that powers their phones in the office. However, they could exercise the option of their PBX to be hosted at their VoIP provider’s data center, hence the term: “hosted VoIP”.

Benefits of “cloud-based” VoIP phone system

#1. Text messaging friendly

The millennials and most of the middle-aged population find texting and messaging as an easy way to communicate with peers, co-workers and companies. According to an article in The Washington Post, a whopping 70% of consumers prefer to message businesses rather than call them. Interestingly, the customer satisfaction ratings are also 25% higher for text-based interactions. One can attribute this to a number of reasons, such as:

Texting is a convenient option over waiting endlessly on a call.
People may not have the time nor interest to stay on a call with a company executive when they are at work or taking care of their family in their personal time. However, it is easy to stay connected by texting when multitasking.
Texting will not require them to move to a private place.
Today’s customers are aware and demanding. They appreciate it when companies provide multiple options and convenience. A cloud-based VoIP phone system gives companies the option to provide the flexibility to switch between phone, text, or chat.

#2. Call recording features

Exceptional business communication is based on a few tenets such as listening, understanding and following up on important discussion points. This can be difficult in the case of voice conversations as they do not leave a paper trail like emails and texting. However, modern phone systems come with a call recording feature enabling executives to save their conversations. A few benefits of the call recording feature include:

Executives can listen to the call recordings and make notes of the important points discussed, verify important details, share call recordings as proof to supervisors to settle customer disputes and fraudulent claims in some cases.
Call recording is an important tool for employee training, performance monitoring and feedback.
Call recordings depict a clear picture of the conversation between the customer and the representative. It helps companies gain insight into what worked, and what didn’t.

#3. Smart Voice Intelligence (VI) backed transcriptions

Gone are the days when one had to plow through bulky transcriptions to find a single detail. Modern-day cloud-based phones come with machine learning and Voice Intelligence (Vi) features that have made transcription smarter. The modern-day transcripts listen to what is being discussed and quickly summarize what is required to base the discussion. These smart transcriptions help:

Flag action items and critical call snippets while an executive is still on a call.
This enables the executives to action highlighted items or searches through the full transcription for a particular keyword.
This feature eliminates the need for making in-detail notes during a call. The notes taking activity with traditional phone systems can take away the focus from what the other person is saying. Automation of transcriptions powered by Voice Intelligence saves you from the effort of talking and taking notes simultaneously.
Smart transcriptions thus play an instrumental role in eliminating the need for mid-call multitasking. This automatically translates to team members being good listeners and communicators.

#4. Promotes a hybrid work culture

The business has to go on as usual despite countries going into lockdowns, pandemics or for any other reason. With what humanity has been enduring in the last 2 years, the flexibility to stay connected from anywhere is a necessity. This makes cloud-based VoIP phones a great choice. Employees just need a device (phone/laptop/i-pad) connected to the internet and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The softphone software makes it possible to start a call from a computer or a device that is connected to the internet. Softphones often go hand in hand with VoIP as they are commonly powered by VoIP.keygame-changer. They have been designed to integrate with the productivity apps that a business already uses. Being software, that can be installed on any device, and employees can click to call directly from Salesforce or within the business communication hubs like Slack. This also enables team leads and managers to log all call activities of the team members.

Consistency and brand identity is important in today’s business scenario. Customers these days use nearly six touchpoints to communicate with a company, and they expect the communication experience to be consistent across channels. That’s a challenging expectation to meet for enterprises using traditional phone systems. However, the white-labeling capabilities of cloud–based VoIP phone systems have made this possible.

Shifting to Cloud-based VoIP phones is the future

VoIP technology has come a long way from its initial days but is still far from reaching its full potential. However, to meet the need of more and more employees seeking flexibility coupled with technological advancements the shift to VoIP phones is significant. As per a report “Artificial Intelligence” (AI) will back 95% of customer interactions by 2025. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in unimaginable ways, the most significant being an overnight shift to remote work and hybrid work models. Data shows that cloud-based VoIP phones have played an indispensable role in this transition. See the figures below:

Post pandemic 42% of the U.S. workforce works from home. (Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, 2020)
India witnessed a rise in the usage of VoIP chat applications—from 3.45 hours per week to 5.22 hours per week—in the first phase of the country’s nationwide lockdown. (Nielsen, 2020)
Webex supported 25 billion meeting minutes and half a billion meeting participants in April 2020. These figures are triple the software’s average volume. (PR Newswire, 2020)
In March 2020, Microsoft Teams witnessed a 500% surge in calls, meetings, and conferences. (No Jitter, 2020)

Closing Thoughts

The message is loud and clear. If you as a business have still not made a shift from a traditional phone system to cloud-based VoIP, now is the time to do it. VoIP helps businesses bridge the gap between managers and remote employees. It enables businesses to connect with customers in any part of the world, and enables businesses to make the communications aspect of operations more cost-effective. VoIP systems can easily accommodate voice calls and video calls and some providers can also enable access to instant messaging and built-in SMS.

11Aug

Why Choose Tragofone as Your VoIP SIP Softphone App

August 11, 2021 Maulik Shah 55

With the world turning rapidly digital, flexible communication solutions are gaining increasing traction. And as telecom technology turns sophisticated, enterprises are increasingly using Softphone apps instead of traditional desk phones to ensure their business phone systems are more accessible and cost-effective.

Softphone applications are typically provided by Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, and function as a familiar, user-friendly interface that comes packed with unique features. From an easy-to-use interface to built-in caller settings, users can customize a softphone’s features to fit their business needs. Most VoIP mobile dialers also include standard telephony features like mute, hold, transfer, and flash, along with other unique collaborative communication features.

The Softphone or VoIP mobile dialer is the next new technology in the communication world. A softphone is a software application that duplicates the functionality of a telephone, but on a smartphone, computer, or any other device. Such apps are fast turning into standard equipment for small and mid-sized businesses.

Softphones offer many benefits, especially as modern business owners require flexible, reliable solutions that allow their workers to be available on call at all times, no matter where they are.

Picking the right softphone for your organization determines how efficiently your business interacts with its customers.

Tragofone softphones have been engineered keeping the requirements of enterprises and end-user at the center. They’re easy to use and require no steep learning curve. The calling experience is seamless – with comprehensive features ranging from auto pop-ups on incoming calls, a customized `Get Started’ screen, and a comprehensive home screen that displays the call history, contacts, and settings.

Most importantly, enterprises can breathe easy with Tragofone’s VoIP mobile dialers, as its security features are the ultimate deterrent for hackers and cyber miscreants. Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) is just one of the weapons in its arsenal. Organizations can enjoy end-to-end protection with Tragofone’s superior encryption and secure communication.

In this blog, we will explore the top features of Tragofone, its unique selling points, and why it’s a best-fit VoIP softphone for modern enterprises.

Tragofone Decoded

Softphones like Tragofone are fast turning into standard equipment for small and mid-sized businesses. This is because its functions include a lot more than just making calls. Because it’s a software, the Tragofone mobile dialer app comes packed with a variety of features – including making video and conference calls, sending and receiving files, voicemail management, and chat and SMS capabilities. You can start the app and use your softphone wherever you plug in your device.

Although Tragofone isn’t a physical phone, its user interface mimics traditional phones. The software program can be installed on any mobile device, where it works as a virtual phone. Also, because Tragofone is software-based, it can interact and integrate with many third-party applications and services such as CRM integration.

A Checklist for Businesses: Key Factors to Consider while choosing a Softphone

Businesses are becoming more competitive and are under pressure to streamline their business operations into lean, efficient, and cost-effective entities. softphone solutions are becoming the preferred business phone solution for companies as they are realizing the benefits of having a unified communication portal that comes with the ability to integrate third-party applications.

Softphone applications can benefit a wide range of businesses, from small to mid-sized companies, to global enterprises. Any organization that has to cater to a large number of customer calls can benefit from the accessibility and flexibility of this system.

Softphones help organizations improve productivity, business efficiency, and unified communication.

Softphones are a good fit for businesses that have:

– Telecommuting employees.

– Call centers to handle customer calls.

– Remote employees.

– Need to make frequent long-distance calls.

– Need to record calls for training purposes.

– Customer support staff.

The industries that can benefit from softphone systems include telecommunications, IT, manufacturing, real estate, banking, education, retail, and healthcare.

If your organization has decided to upgrade to a softphone, then here is a checklist of features that you must tick off the list:

End-to-end integrations: The WebRTC based softphone application should be able to seamlessly integrate with varied hardware including Class 5 Softswitch, IP-PBX server, custom APIs, and the auto provisioning system management via REST APIs.

Auto provisioning system: The soft client or softphone should come with an auto provisioning system through which enterprises can provide zero-touch provisioning to their workforce and customers. Using this feature, the soft client users don’t have to memorize the SIP Credentials.

WebRTC Gateway and Push Call Server: The softphone application’s WebRTC gateway should embed highly secure interactive communication like audio, video, and chat. This will enable organizations to incorporate real-time communication for their workforce and customers, even if they use a legacy SIP server.

Operating System Compatibility: All softphone applications are not compatible with every operating system. Check to ensure the software will work on your device. Whether you’re on macOS, Windows, iOS, or Android, make sure the softphone is compatible.

Number Porting: Your phone number is a valuable asset, and you don’t want to lose it. As you seek out softphone applications, avoid providers that don’t port your existing phone number.

Support: Having a reliable support system is critical. Find out what customer support your softphone provider offers. Is it available 24/7? Does it cost extra? Does the support team help you troubleshoot effectively? Are there training manuals or support videos available?

Customization: Are you able to change your voicemail message, or update a setting without any glitches? The softphone application that you choose should be easy to use as well as rich in features.

Security: Security is critical for every cloud-based service that you add to your organization’s tech portfolio. Determine how protected your data is. The application should offer data encryption, and ideally, it should include more than one type. While Transport Layer Security (TLS) protects your phone data, Secure RTP encrypts media. Another form of security to look out for is access control. For instance, administrator-level permissions that only certain employees can access and strict password protocols allow you to maintain the first line of defense against hackers. It’s also important to make sure that the softphone application supports the same protocol as the VoIP provider.

Collaboration tools: Full-featured softphone services offer a variety of collaboration tools your employees can use to meet, interact, and work jointly online. Users can access these features – including SMS texting, video conferencing, and online collaboration – through a range of applications.

Third-party integration: This is one of the softphone’s key draws. Because it’s a software, these systems often have a list of pre-built integrations with whatever apps the vendor believes their customers like. Clients can use these extensions to create customized workflows, and boost efficiency.

Top Features of Tragofone

Tragofone raises the bar in customer communication for enterprises with its customer-friendly features. Let us look at some of these unique features:

Leverages WebRTC to make seamless audio and video calls: WebRTC has started a communications revolution, by making it richer and accessible to everyone. Supported by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), WebRTC allows open standard browsers to communicate with each other and exchange audio, video, and even files that use a simple Javascript-based API. It allows users to make audio and video calls without requiring a plugin or any additional software installation and integrates seamlessly with IP PBX, Class 5 SoftSwitch, Call Center, and Custom APIs. Tragofone is the only VoIP mobile dialer in the market that comes with WebRTC support.

Auto-provisioning: Auto-provisioning enables users to activate their Tragofone service via a web interface without requiring any configuration settings. This makes the deployment and management of installation fast and easy.

Multi-lingual support: Softphone services like Tragofone offers multi-lingual support so that users can converse in a language of their choice, along with embracing the other carrier-grade features of the softphone.

Can be integrated as a white-label mobile dialer app: White-label dialer softphone applications like Tragofone can be integrated under a company’s brand, giving it the brand’s look and feel. Your Tragofone becomes your company’s brand ambassador. Put your logo and brand name on the welcome screen. Customize colors, fonts, and even the user interface if you want. Enterprises can reinforce the power of their brand to users.

Integration with other databases and directories: Some VoIP-based mobile dialer apps like Tragofone implement compatibility with third-party applications like CRM. This feature is especially useful for call centers.

Security and privacy: Organizations are careful about the privacy and security of their communications. These security issues are applicable to softphones, where incoming and outgoing calls are vulnerable to `man in the middle’ attacks, such as wiretapping and eavesdropping. Quality softphones like Tragofone support encryption using Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure RTP (SRTP) protocols, as it reduces these threats.

Video Capabilities and online messaging: Tragofone offers a video call component, providing HD video and the ability to have multiple speakers at once. Online messaging allows users to text people directly from their office line.

How Tragofone Benefits Businesses

Software-centric communication solutions like Tragofone are in demand because of the flexibility, scalability, and security they offer. They also enable organizations to improve their communication processes and boost business efficiency.

What benefits does Tragofone bring to enterprises?

Using WebRTC Tragofone makes communication a seamless process

Tragofone is quick and easy to install, is low maintenance, and provides flexibility to users. Besides, it offers one phone system across multiple locations and scalability as per your business needs.

Provide the benefits of auto-provisioning

With an ability to deploy IT configurations through a web interface, rather than manually, Tragofone saves time on assigning IP addresses, reduces errors while configuring devices, improves the accuracy of creating the right access, enhances user onboarding experiences, increases the productivity of admins and reduces costs on device operations.

Ease of use

To use Tragofone, all you need to do is download it on your mobile device and you’re ready to go. It supports almost all types of mobile devices and thus, provides the same seamless experience on any device.

Rich communication experience

VoIP dialer mobile applications like Tragofone come with varied communication features, including audio calls, video calls, conferences, and chat. Moreover, users can share files and images, transforming regular interactions into advanced business meetings.

Cost-effective

Using VoIP signaling for conducting calls and conferences, Tragofone reduces communication costs significantly, when compared to other mediums like PSTN. Businesses realize significant cost savings in the form of lower long-distance fees and minimal equipment costs.

Personalized branding

Tragofone provides white-label dialer softphone applications that can become the face of a brand, as they can integrate a company’s name, logo, and other branding factors. Enterprises can either keep the app private or make it public. The more people using the white-label application, the more traction a brand gets.

Location agnostic

Tragofone can be used anywhere, providing the flexibility for users to work on the go. This makes them ideal for telecommuting employees.

Diverse tech advantages

WebRTC based softphones like Tragofone provide brilliant audio and video quality, consume 50% lower bandwidth, offer encrypted communication and 99% device support, as well as support legacy SIP servers, 3G, 4G networks, and Wifi.

Conclusion

Softphones are the future of enterprise communication, as they provide more collaboration channels and flexibility to busy and on-the-go professionals. This VoIP-powered communication software has transformed the way people make voice calls, video calls, share their screens, notify their presence, or chat using IM, and redefined communication and collaboration. To top it, they’re low on cost and maintenance and high on convenience and efficiency, making them a must-have in every organization’s communication and collaboration toolbox.

05Jul

7 Reasons Why A White Label Softphone Is Ideal For Your Business

July 5, 2021 Maulik Shah 74

Today’s fast-changing business environment and work cultures have made it imperative for organizations to adopt communication technologies that increase mobility and connectivity. A survey of enterprise IT employees conducted in 2017 found that 99% considered mobility a professional priority.

In keeping with employee expectations, organizations are prioritizing mobility in communication by opting for VoIP-powered mobile dialers and unified communication solutions. Modern enterprises are rapidly moving from traditional PBX phone systems to virtual softphones that can be easily accessed and used by an on-the-go workforce.

VoIP Softphones can be installed either in a mobile phone, laptop, desktop, or tablet to make voice and video calls over IP networks. As businesses increasingly move to this real-time, diverse communication platform, they are seeking to white label their telephony systems in order to retain complete ownership of the solution, without having to build it from scratch.

What is white label branding? White labeling allows VoIP service providers to customize the look and feel or the theme of an existing softphone as per the business needs of the client. Enterprises can brand a softphone solution with their own brand name and logo and use this version to create a greater brand impact in the market.

White label softphones help businesses harness the benefits of a personalized, branded communication system. Also, building an in-house hosted PBX platform from scratch can take years to develop and requires extensive domain knowledge and technical expertise. White label solutions, on the other hand, enable businesses to have complete autonomy and ownership of their softphone systems, without investing in development and support.

Also known as mobile SIP dialers, softphones are a software application that use internet protocol to provide varied communication features to its users. A white label softphone carries the brand name of the client, instead of the company that developed the dialer.

An organization can acquire a white labeled softphone in two ways:

By on boarding a third-party softphone app developer (like Tragofone) and customizing the solution as per their specific requirements.
By opting for a software multi-tenancy contract, where the core softphone application remains the same, but each user has access to different sets of features.

A white label softphone solution is a complete package that comes with the functionality and personal touches of an application that has been built from scratch. White labeling enables a business to practically own and use the technology without spending hundreds of hours on development and support. It helps an enterprise carve its unique identity in the market by delivering exceptional user experiences. In today’s tech-driven and hybrid work culture, the benefits of white label softphones are too lucrative to be ignored by businesses.

It is always better for businesses if they can customize and brand their ITSPs SIP Softphones, as it helps in building their own brand identity and visibility in the market, saves time and money and enhances customer loyalty.

In this blog, we will look at how enterprises can gain by investing in white labeled softphones and how personalized communication solutions enable them to build better businesses.

A Macro look at how White labeled Softphones can benefit your Business

From basic aesthetic and logo changes to a fully overhauled user experience with customized features and specific settings, white label softphones can be developed as a solution that meets the unique needs of every enterprise. It provides businesses with the power of the best softphone applications, along with optional service additions for messaging, collaboration, and video conferencing, to meet their communications needs.

Let us look at the benefits that businesses can avail by opting for white labeled softphones:

#1. White label softphones provide functionality, flexibility and control

When opting for a white label solution you only pay for the features you want. Businesses get the required functionality and they can put their brand name to it and resell it further at a price they want. With white labeling, the customer information and controls over the softphone stay with the client and are not in the possession of the service provider. To top it, enterprises can carry out all their operations and services exclusively under their own brand name and don’t need to compromise on the autonomy of their business.

#2. Customized softphones help businesses create unique user experiences

With white labeling, businesses can build a phone that reflects their company’s image and provides their customers with unique user experiences. The customization options that white labeled softphones offer are endless:

– Change the product name, logo, or branding.

– They can change graphic and default settings

– Add, remove, or lockdown certain features.

– Specify and apply provisioning settings and custom configurations.

– Add instant messaging features, screen sharing, or video conferencing services.

#3. White label softphones help save time and development effort

Building an in-house hosted PBX platform from scratch requires knowledge, expertise, and experience. It involves years of research to develop a softphone and test it successfully. Even then, there is no guarantee of success. White label softphone solutions, on the other hand, are already tried and tested and save organizations the hassle of developing and testing a Hosted PBX. It thus enables them to get a head start over their competitors, as they have instant access to a fully managed VoIP platform that has been tested and is ready for immediate use.

#4. White label softphones are cost-effective

Developing any product in-house requires huge financial investment and there are recurring maintenance costs attached as well. Purchasing an already established Hosted PBX platform, on the other hand, saves money and enterprises also have the support of a service provider for any maintenance-related issues. Their overhead costs are considerably low and this enables them to start earning profits faster.

#5. White label softphones are easy to use and don’t require any advanced technical know how

Building and managing your own hosted softphone platform is an incredibly labor-intensive task and requires specialized technical skill sets. White label softphones, however, provide organizations with a ready-to-use, fully developed platform that integrates seamlessly with other systems like selling, delivering, and invoicing.

#6. Customized white label softphones provide more privacy and mobility to employees

Any organization’s support staff needs to be in touch with multiple people during a call, as they talk to customers to understand their issues and concerns. In case of a technical issue, a customer support executive needs to contact the concerned technician and be in touch with the customer as well as the technician in real-time until the problem gets resolved. They also have to ensure the customer does not feel ignored or unattended. As a result, the executive ends up juggling several communication applications.

On top of this, there is also a risk of an organization’s data getting compromised. Softphone applications are an ideal solution to address such concerns. Most softphone solutions are designed in a way that they can be installed on any smart device like a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Once installed, the support staff can access the app 24×7 from anywhere.

The VoIP mobile dialer app supports audio calling and chats, as well as app to app calling is free – allowing customer support executives advantage to communicate with several people in one go. It also enables the support team to share images and files which enables them to resolve customer issues on an immediate basis. It also allows them to communicate from a business phone number even while working remotely, without sharing their private contact details with customers. This lends a professional touch to the organization.

#7. Enables businesses to focus on their core expertise

With its communication technologies in place, organizations are able to focus on their core business and competencies, marketing strategies, brand building, and work on strategies for better customer reach. Operating a thriving business needs time, energy, and commitment. With white label softphones, businesses don’t have to worry about building a customized communication tool. They can, instead, focus their energy where it counts and bring their product or service to the market in quick time.

A Micro-Level view: Specific Advantages of Using White labeled Softphones

Besides the broad benefits of time and cost-saving, here are some of the more compelling reasons why a company should opt for a white label softphone application rather than developing one in-house:

White label softphones are easy to use and are often built around user-friendly interfaces. Most white label applications can be customized or be fully featured with calling, conferencing, provisioning, and more.
A White Label application enhances a business’s branding and promotion activities. Clients can change the solution’s name to add their own brand name, and match it with their organization’s look and feel – and all these features are available for a nominal fee.
White label softphone applications come with prior testing and have already gone through multiple layers of technical tests, quality checks, and revisions. This ensures that a client is opting for a sophisticated app on which they can essentially put their name and use without having to invest in any research and development.
By using a third-party white labeled softphone application, even small businesses can be technologically at par with their more established competitors in terms of advanced softphone features. They can do this without incurring heavy expenses involved in hiring a team of software engineers and UX designers.
White Label apps reduce the risk of failure, as third-party developers are responsible for any faults. Your investment is secure and you get to enjoy all the perks of a great tool. It is the responsibility of the third-party developer to take care of the troubleshooting.
There have been rapid changes in the way businesses communicate. Softphones initially emerged as a technology that was an upgrade on traditional phones, as it was an agile platform with highly advanced functionalities. Customer expectations about communication technologies are also constantly evolving and it can get difficult for enterprises to stay abreast of these changes. However, with white labeled softphones, this job is left to the service provider, who helps upgrade the technology and allows enterprises to keep up with changes.
With white labeled softphones, enterprises get to choose features that are relevant for their business and pay only for those. Some businesses may not need certain advanced features. White labeled softphones enable organizations to build a real-time communication platform that’s fully customized to their business needs.

Conclusion

White labeled VoIP mobile dialers enable businesses to leverage the benefits of premium hosted PBX and VIP trunking without spending time or thousands of dollars. It also enables organizations to maintain complete autonomy over their communication solutions. They can use their brand name and logo to project their ownership in front of customers, as well as enable them to provide their clients with outstanding products while maintaining a high ROI, consistently. Most importantly, white labeled softphones save organizations the hassle of developing a highly complex software from scratch as well as allows them to retain privacy and control over their customer communication.

01Jul

What is White Labeling in VoIP Softphones? Why is it Important?

July 1, 2021 Maulik Shah 70

Deploying a unified communication (UC) solution has become imperative for modern enterprises. But is it possible for every business to build a customized communication system that fits their requirements and helps their workforce stay seamlessly connected? The answer is an obvious `No’, as it requires time, money, and technical expertise.

So how do organizations solve this conundrum and level the playing field? By using white labelled softphone applications to provide customized user experiences to their customers, while staying within budget.

In today’s crowded business space, white label softphones help enterprises set themselves apart from their competitors – by using a customized tool to engage with their customers, broaden their audience base, and drive sales. A white labeled unified communication solution offers all the functions and personal touches of a VoIP softphone application that’s been built from scratch, without overloading organizations with high development and support costs.

White label softphones also enable businesses to create and build their unique brand identities and satisfy customer needs by delivering exceptional user experiences. These custom branded solutions come with fully loaded calling, conferencing, provisioning, and messaging features.

The options of white labeling your VoIP softphone solutions are diverse. Organizations can choose from basic aesthetic and logo changes, to a fully enhanced communication experience that offers customized features and unique settings developed to meet their specific needs. Besides all the basic benefits of softphones, white labeled solutions also offer optional service additions for messaging, collaboration, and conferencing, with ultimate control over settings, languages, and branding.

Moreover, as businesses move towards a hybrid work culture – combining office with remote working – organizations are feeling a growing need for a communication solution that is customized for their specific work environments while boosting their brand identity. In such a scenario, white labeled UCaaS (Unified Communications-as-a-service) solutions are emerging as the way forward.

In this blog, we will understand how white labeling works and why it is important for businesses to build unique brand identities:

What is white labeling?
Why is softphone white labeling important?
How white labeling work in Softphones?
Why should businesses opt for white labeled Softphones?
Benefits of using white labeling in Softphones
How to choose a white labeled softphone service provider?

What is white labeling?

To understand white labeling in the context of VoIP softphones, we first need to understand what a “white label” means. In layman terms, when a provider removes its own branding and logo from the end product and uses the logo, brand name and language of the purchaser, it is termed as white labeling.

In the digital services industry, a client can purchase a product and present it to the customer under its own brand name. White label technology is a ready to use licensed software product developed by a company and rebranded and customized for its clients in a way that it appears to be owned by them. White labeling enables third-party companies to do branding in a way that they command complete control over the product’s appearance, policy, and support, along with easy access to the support infrastructure.

Why is Softphone white labeling important?

It’s a highly competitive business environment out there. Developing a product in-house, launching it involves time and resources. When it comes to building products like VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) mobile dialers, or softphones, the costs, technical resources, and time involved are prohibitive. It requires specialized infrastructure, a technical team, knowhow, and expertise. Which is why, most customers who seek customized VoIP softphones leave it to the experts to build it for them.

Real time communication systems have become a necessity – and not just a value add – in the modern, digital business world. Organizations are increasingly opting for white label softphone applications, as it’s an easy and sure-shot way to improve user experience and maintain feature parity while staying well within a budget. It helps organizations carve their unique identity within their industry by delivering the exceptional user experiences that their customers seek.

How white labeling works in Softphones

Let’s look at the A-to-Z of the process of deploying white labeling in softphones.

The OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) development company develops a plug-and-play software product and provides it as a service to businesses. For instance, a VoIP platform is built, white labeled and tailored to suit the unique requirements of a brand. The client then needs to “decorate” the product to match their corporate identity. White labeling enables them to add their company’s logo, name, icons, URLs, corporate emails, text, theme, and other elements of their website in order to align the VoIP softphone with your brand. Once this customization is complete, they’re ready to deploy the softphones, as per their terms and conditions.

Developing a softphone solution from scratch is a cumbersome and expensive affair, making it unaffordable and impractical for most companies. On the other hand, deploying a ready to use softphone software enables partners to launch their own brand based on a product provider’s existing VoIP softphone technology. The technical issues associated with white label platform development and future support and maintenance, are outsourced to the white label company. What the brand receives in return is a product that has been made and implemented in accordance with its technical specifications.

In the real world, white labeled softphones work well for businesses across industries. A business always wants to manage its financial resources, time, and technical platform in an effective manner and a white labeled VoIP mobile dialer solution helps them get there.

Let’s now look at how to configure, build, test, and publish iOS, Mac, Chrome, Android, and Windows softphone apps on their respective play stores, using the cloud base phone system. It is a three step process comprising:

Verification/Authentication
Configuration
Release

Verification/Authentication

Verification refers to the method that platform operators – be it Google, Apple, or Microsoft – use to verify and/or authenticate user access to the development portal or console. The first step is to create an account on the desired platform and complete the process by verifying the account owner and allowing them access to the platform.

Configuration

This refers to the step by step instructions to configure and build the softphone application. Configuration is a prerequisite step that’s needed prior to publishing or releasing the softphone solution. There are instances when the configuration is done on the platform website, but in most cases a manifest or XML file is added to the application directory.

Release

These are the step by step instructions to publish an application in the store. It comprises components like splash screen, app icon, background image, screenshots, etc. Most service providers support cloud softphone white-label application development with minimal or even no coding. All it takes is a few clicks, and you have created a full-fledged white-label application of the cloud softphone SIP client.

When configuring a portal/console you need to choose a white-label feature-set. This feature set allows you to configure all the white-label features, such as the application icon, UI theme and design, and the overall look and feel of the softphone solution. The objective is to configure and publish the solution in a way that the final softphone application looks like it has been created by you. Irrespective of the platform that you’re working on, you can create white-label softphone applications that run on all the supported platforms, with a uniform look and feel.

Why should businesses opt for White labeled Softphones

Businesses opt for white labeled softphones for several reasons. What are these?

Some businesses want to keep their business focus strictly on brand building or developing innovative customer serving strategies. They do not want to risk building a softphone in-house as they may compromise on the quality of the product. Instead, they are more comfortable with the idea of acquiring a tried and tested softphone technology.

Companies do not want to get into the hassle of special registration or licensing of an in-house softphone developed by them.

In order to stay ahead of competition, companies want to integrate certain customized technical features into their softphones that may not be available in generic softphone solutions.

Some enterprises may be looking at entering new markets. They have the vision on how to capture these markets by enhancing on unique softphone technology, but do not have the necessary expertise to develop this technology.

Organizations may not have the right technology, experts and development teams to build a softphone.

During the pandemic most enterprises moved to remote working. Many companies faced communication roadblocks and began looking for softphone solutions to enable their employees to work from any location. Most companies did not have the bandwidth or resources to develop in-house softphone technology. This is where white label softphone service providers saved the day for most companies.

Benefits of using white labeling in Softphones

Providing customers with a real-time communications system is the need of the hour in today’s digitally connected world. A white label softphone solution is a complete package with all the functionality and personal touches of an application that’s built from scratch.

Companies have come to realize that choosing a white label softphone solution is a smart and cost-effective move rather than going through trials and errors of developing an in-house VoIP mobile dialer system. The icing on the cake is that you get to use it with your branding, without spending long hours on its development and support. Listed below are the benefits of migrating to a white label softphone solution for businesses to meet their communication needs. It’s emerging as the most holistic way forward to provide your customers a seamless digital experience.

Enables control and functionality

Enterprises get to choose features that are relevant for their business and pay only for those, thus saving on costs. Some businesses may not need certain advanced features. White labeled softphones enable organizations to build a real-time communication platform that’s fully customized to their business needs.

Allows organizations to stay technologically at par with their competitors

Even a small company can now be at par in terms of advanced softphone features with its more established competitors, without incurring heavy expenses involved in hiring a team of software engineers and UX designers. By licensing a white label softphone app they save money but stay competitive.

Save time and stay ahead

Building an app from scratch is a time-consuming and cumbersome process with no guaranteed success. A mobile communication application is a complex technology and requires substantial investment. However, a white label softphone app enables companies to have a completely customized mobile communication solution up and running within days.

Promote your brand

White label softphone solutions enable companies to rebrand the softphone services under their own label. It helps earn customer loyalty and also ensures high brand visibility without incurring high development costs. The solutions are designed to integrate seamlessly with businesses and although companies are not responsible for creating the softphone, they enjoy complete operational autonomy. The service provider does not access and manage confidential customer data.

Save on support and maintenance costs

Technology keeps evolving. Running a softphone solution smoothly requires maintenance and support because of factors like server hosting, ensuring a stable experience across all supported iOS versions, Windows, and Android devices, surveillance for virus attacks and hackers, renewal of licenses and tech support for customers. A white labeled softphone provider ensures you have a support team without having to hire them in-house.

Easily adapt to change

There has been a huge change in the way businesses communicate. Softphones initially emerged as a technology to upgrade traditional phones. It’s now an agile platform with highly advanced functionalities. Customer expectations have also changed. Your softphone service provider helps you stay abreast with these rapid changes.

How to choose a white labeled softphone service provider

Choosing a reliable white label service provider is critical for businesses. When looking to partner with a softphone provider, opt for someone who provides the richest feature set in the market. Some of the features you should look for are push notifications, rich messaging, file transfer, call forwards and transfers, videoconferencing, API functionality, and smart contacts. Choose a provider who does not push you into selecting features you will never use. What are the other criteria that businesses must keep in mind while selecting a provider:

Look for stellar security and compatibility across devices and other formats.

Choose a service provider that lets you grow at your own pace and not push you too much.

Opt for a provider that helps you stay on top of the latest tech trends.

Your provider should help you create a fully-branded white label softphone application that’s packed with the latest UCaaS and collaboration features.

Gives you a choice to pick and pay for the features you want and enables you to add or remove features at any point.

Your white label softphone solution should improve worker mobility with native apps for mobile and desktop and fully integrate business phone functionality, allowing employees to make calls from any device.

According to a survey report by opinion matters 99% IT enterprise professionals prioritize mobility above everything else. A white label softphone enables you to provide that mobility and flexibility to employees. In a highly digitized, fast, competitive market and a rapid shift towards a hybrid work culture white label softphones offer flexibility and reliability to some very key concerns of a business.

29Jun

16 VoIP Softphone Statistics 2021: Market Share, Growth, Costs

June 29, 2021 Chetan Patel 70

As the world grows increasingly digitized, companies are switching to VoIP-enabled softphones for a more versatile and affordable solution to their unified communication needs. Not only do softphones improve an enterprise’s operating effectiveness, they also cut telecom costs, boost responsiveness, and yield greater profits. According to FinancesOnline, businesses can save $ 1,727 per month on mobile and long-distance calls using softphones.

When it comes to endpoints, businesses have a choice between softphones – that live on their computer desktop and draw from software solutions – or desk phones – the traditional telephony system we are all familiar with. While some phone system vendors are convinced that the days of the desk phone are drawing to an end, others believe that this legacy solution will continue to be a part of business environments for years.

A survey of more than 1,000 IT decision-makers by Frost and Sullivan found that, just like fax machines and typewriters, desk phones are headed towards becoming obsolete. The study found that half the respondents had already deployed softphones to provide telephony and unified communications (UC) services using desktop computers and mobile devices.

Deciding between deploying a desk phone or a softphone solution is a question that many enterprises face. In this blog, we’ll check out 10 statistics that make a compelling case for softphone use.

Phone calls without cables

The number of people using softphones has increased dramatically due to better quality of service, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness.

1. According to MarketResearchStore.com, the estimated global demand for the VoIP services market will be valued at $140 billion in 2021, with an anticipated CAGR growth of at least 9.1% between 2016 and 2021.

2. The number of VoIP residential subscribers in the US grew from 53.4 million in 2014 to 58 million by December 2016, as per Benzinga. Although the latest figures are yet to be released, as per the data company an estimated 60 million users have made the switch to softphones.

Unified communications and collaboration to drive businesses

The future of business communication is the unified model. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is a testimony to the changing conduct of business, pushing organizations of all sizes to adopt scalable, flexible, cloud-based phone systems for unified communications and collaboration.

3. As per the statistics from International Data Corporation (IDC), the worldwide Unified Communications & Collaboration (UC&C) market grew 29.2% year over year and 7.1% quarter over quarter to $13.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2020.

4. Further, in 2021 and beyond, IDC expects worldwide UC&C growth to be driven by customers with interest in video, collaboration, UCaaS, mobile applications, and digital transformation (DX) projects. Vendors and service providers operating in the segment saw phenomenal growth in the number of users who opted for these services.

Significant cost savings

5. As elaborated above, businesses can save $ 1,727 per month on mobile and long-distance calls using softphones. Those moving to other unified models of communication. including the cloud, also reported significant savings.

6. IT World estimates that switching to VoIP phone solutions translates to over 45% savings for businesses per month as compared to traditional phone services.

Facilitates remote work

Apart from operational benefits, softphones offer several advantages for remote working as well.

7. In a study by Software Advice, 72% of respondents ranked softphones higher due to its seamless use for remote working. The future of workplaces is going to be remote where unified communication will play a major role.

8. Gartner predicts that by 2024, in-person meetings will account for just 25% of enterprise meetings, a drop from 60% prior to the pandemic, driven by remote work and changing workforce demographics.

Reduced cost of phone calls

9. VoIP phone call and service costs are expected to fall substantially for both businesses and residential users. Tech.co in a report stated that prices for VoIP can be expected to decline by between 3% and 5% annually.

10. The reduction in cost will happen due to a number of factors including lower call charges, no monthly contracts, no service fees or hidden charges, no need to purchase expensive hardware, etc. This will result in continuous savings and not just a one-time discount.

Saves times and improves productivity

During the Covid-19 pandemic, employers were concerned about their worker’s productivity.

11. A study by Software Advice showed that 74% of employees who had access to softphones spent more than half of their working week using them while telecommuting.

12. The mobile workforce can save 40 minutes each day, which results in productivity gains of 3.5 days per year.

Easy integration and deployment

The ease in integration of softphones with any other software is helpful for employees. Softphones are a better choice for integration with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and office productivity suites like Microsoft Office or Google Suite.

13. The VoIPHub reports that only 14% of companies that implemented VoIP without any full-time IT staff faced technical issues.

Reduced teleconferencing costs

14. A study by Fusion Connect showed that the use of integrated communication, which combined voice and web conferencing, saved up to 30% in teleconferencing costs for companies, and an average of USD 1700 per month travel costs.

Government organizations use cloud services

15. Nearly 50% of government organizations today use cloud-based services. Cost savings and increased efficiency were the main reasons behind the shift, as per a Gartner report. The main driver towards cloud is largely data sovereignty, other than the immediate benefits of costs and innovation.

Collaborative work environment

16. A survey by Lifesize found that the adoption of video conferencing at work by employees increased by 48% as compared to its usage two years ago. This affirms the need for effective video conferencing tools as well as a communications shift toward collaboration.

Softphones are the future of unified communications. Depending on which solution you choose, organizations can operate entirely on the cloud, making them accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. Remote work and work from home are possible with browser-based, mobile, and downloadable desktop phone applications. These statistics make an excellent business case for switching to Softphones.

25Jun

11 Key Features Your VoIP Softphone Must Have

June 25, 2021 Sagar Malam 61

Organizations around the world are in the midst of a revolution – as business operations evolve in response to changing customer needs, market fluctuations, and a transformation that tilts towards remote work.

Forbes predicts that 50% of the corporate workforce in the US will be working remotely in the near future. Moreover, with the rise of co-working spaces, the concept of having an assigned desk in an office has fallen by the wayside. Softphones are emerging as an evolutionary technology for these on-the-go employees, as it enables them to carry their business phones in their pocket.

Professional communication has emerged as a priority for organizations, as they strive to seamlessly service their customers and keep their employees connected. This means their communication channels should be consistent, reliable, secure, agile, and uninterrupted. Besides verbal communication, enterprises are also increasingly deploying video calling, instant messaging, presence, and cloud-based provisioning tools to enable robust collaboration among their workforce, clients, customers, and partners.

In order to meet these multiple communication requirements, enterprises are upgrading their legacy phone systems with collaborative solutions to develop secure, streamlined, and productive communication across the company. VoIP Softphones, or mobile dialers, are emerging as a next-generation solution that is helping businesses to collaborate efficiently.

A softphone is a device-agnostic app that can be downloaded on diverse devices and allows users to make and receive phone calls over the Internet. The interface of a softphone typically looks like a traditional telephone dial pad, besides displaying useful additional information like the caller’s identity, contact information, and history. Other than the calling function, softphones also allow users to access the other features in their VoIP service package – including video conferencing, team messaging tools, and analytics of recent call activity – in a single dashboard.

How Does a Softphone Work?

Softphones are integrated with three key features that are turning it into a must-have solution for enterprises:

– Customization to meet every enterprise’s unique needs.

– Best-in-class user experiences.

– Supports a multi-generational workforce.

Most softphones come equipped with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) that supports VoIP calls and enables networks to send/receive data associated over the internet. SIP softphones make voice calling possible over internet-connected devices, using a softphone client that offers the user interface for VoIP and SIP phone calls.

VOIP is a translation tool that allows audio to be connected over the internet, providing a basic platform that makes softphones possible. A softphone communicates with another device when both endpoints support the same VoIP Protocol. Both endpoints must have at least one common codec.

Being a software, softphones can be installed on desktops, laptops, and mobile phones, or accessed via cloud computing. This makes them fully portable and usable wherever there is an internet connection. Softphones also come with deep integrations with CRM software, thus providing enhanced customer service experiences from a computer.

To use a softphone, you need four basic assets:

– A high-bandwidth internet connection.

– An internet-enabled device, which could be a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.

– A VoIP headset.

– A VoIP service provider/ IP-PBX.

The process of deploying a softphone is simple. You need to install the softphone application on your device, and you are set to use it, if you have a high quality, reliable, and secure internet network. Softphones enable users to from a computer to a phone line, from a mobile phone to a computer, or between any internet-enabled devices that have the softphone app. A softphone runs on most devices and platforms – Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS – as well as from a web browser.

Why do you need a VoIP service provider/ IP-PBX for softphones? It offers the underlying service that carries the calling functionality. Every softphone is registered and assigned a unique number under a specific provider. While the basic softphone functionality remains the same, the extended features vary from provider to provider. So, it’s up to an organization to choose the right VoIP service provider according to their business requirements.

Similarly, softphones can also be used with IP-PBX to access calling and other functionalities. It is configured into the softphone, and the functionalities are inherited and work along with other advanced features of the softphone.

Top 18 Features of a Softphone

No matter which softphone you use, it should come with these essential features:

Contact directory: Every softphone comes with an inbuilt contact directory. A good way to test out a new softphone is to find out how simple it is to import existing contacts and create new ones.
Extension dialing: Business softphones are required to be as functional and easy-to-use as desk phones. One of the features they offer is the ability to connect coworkers via extension dialing. This is an especially useful feature for joining conferences.
Call transfer: What makes a good business-grade softphone stand out is its ability to easily transfer calls, be it to another extension, an outside line, or to the same line on a different device.
Call hold: Besides managing calls, softphones also display how long a call has been on hold so that the end-user knows who to address first.
Caller ID: This is an essential feature, as it lets users know who is calling on their business number. Softphones provide detailed caller ID information – ranging from a number, name, place of call origin, and more.
Three-way conferencing: This is not the same as a conference bridge. With three-way conferencing softphones enable a third person to join a regular call. However, not all softphones have this feature, and all browsers don’t support it either.
Presence: This is a valuable softphone feature, where a user gets to know which co-workers are online and available to talk.
Volume control and mute: Since softphones can be used while on the move, there are times when users are not in an appropriate place to take a call. This makes the volume control and mute options critical.
Dial pad: Although there are some softphones that have done away with using the dial pad as their main interface in favor of a more modern-looking app, it still remains a vital feature for phone menus and conference PINs.
Video calling capability: As the concept of remote working gains traction, video calling has become a crucial communication feature for organizations because it adds a visual element to a long-distance conversation presence and makes collaboration easier. Softphones can enable or disable video feeds during a call.
Online messaging: This feature allows employees to use their softphones to text people directly from their business phone line. It’s become a key softphone feature as messaging evolves as an important means to create personalized customer experiences.

Besides these standard softphone features, some VoIP mobile dialers also offer unique features to their users. Let’s look at what they are:

1. Leverages WebRTC to make seamless audio and video calls

2. Auto-provisioning

Users can activate their softphone service via a web interface without requiring any configuration settings. This makes the deployment and management of installation fast and easy.

3. Multi-lingual support

Softphone services like Tragofone offer multi-lingual support so that users can converse in a language of their choice.

4. Can be integrated as a white-label mobile dialer app

White-label dialer softphone applications can be integrated under a company’s brand, giving it the brand’s look and feel. They have the enterprise’s name, logo, and all other branding factors, and can be represented as their own dialer application.

5. Integration with other databases and directories

Some softphones implement compatibility with third-party applications like Microsoft Outlook. They also enable integration with shared LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) directories, Microsoft Active Directory, and ODBC compatible interfaces. This feature is especially useful for call centers.

6. Multiple SIP Accounts

7. Security and privacy

How Organizations Benefit from using Softphones

Softphones are the future of enterprise communication. Software-centric communication solutions are in demand as they provide flexibility, scalability, and security, improve communication processes, and boost business efficiency.

What other benefits do VoIP mobile dialer applications bring to enterprises?

Cost-effective

Softphones save you money. As softphones use VoIP signaling, they reduce communication costs significantly, when compared to mediums like PSTN. Businesses can save costs in the form of lower long-distance fees and minimal equipment installation.

Work from anywhere

Softphones can be used anywhere, providing the flexibility for users to work on the go. This makes them ideal for telecommuting employees.

Minimal equipment

Softphones require much less equipment than older voice solutions – be it the copper wiring or the costly PBX server installation.

No dedicated line

Softphones use the internet to make and receive calls, negating the need for a dedicated connection for voice communications. This results in cost savings for businesses.

24/7 employee connectivity

You can take your softphone anywhere. You can install it on any computer or add it to any additional mobile phone device – without worrying about reinstalling equipment.

Manage and control your calls

A softphone’s intuitive interface provides you with a single view of multiple calls. Users can easily switch calls, mute calls, or send callers to voicemail. They can also park a telephone call on a virtual location and retrieve it from any other phone or softphone in their system. A call can also be transferred to any phone number or extension.

Get high-quality sound with HD voice

Calls made through softphones are clearer and the voice quality is richer as compared to traditional desk phones.

Record calls

Users can record a single call or change their settings to automatically record all calls. They can also download recorded conversations, store them on your computer, or forward them to others.

Send text-to-speech messages in real-time

When a softphone user is busy, she can send a default message or type a personalized one that is transmitted via text-to-speech technology. These options are useful when employees are participating in a web meeting or are on another call.

Intercept callers leaving messages

Users can listen to voice messages as they’re being recorded by a caller, and can even intervene in the middle of a message and accept the call.

Conclusion

In recent years, businesses have changed the way they work and communicate. And this shift is here to stay. This could mean that traditional phones could soon become a thing of the past.

Softphones are emerging as the new tool that is transforming the way employees make voice calls, video calls, share their screens, notify presence, or chat using instant messaging. All this is done by simply using a software application. This is reshaping how organizations communicate, collaborate, and provide seamless customer experiences.

22Jun

10 Crucial Features of Softphone Solutions for Customer Service

June 22, 2021 Maulik Shah 69

Businesses are constantly looking for ways to provide flexible and great customer service. Using telephones alone can be limiting and inefficient when it comes to accommodating your customers’ needs. While there are countless automation options available now, the human element is still a critical factor in fostering deeper relationships with your clients. This factor is nudging businesses to invest in softphones.

According to PwC, 82% of consumers want more human interactions while engaging with a brand. In fact, 59% of them claim that they are dissatisfied with automation-driven customer services as it takes away the human element from the business interaction. Softphones are helping customer-driven enterprises to bring personalization into their client interactions. Besides, they also offer flexibility, accessibility, and mobility in business communication.

A softphone is not, in fact, a phone. It is a software that allows you to use a computer, phone or tablet to place internet-based calls. This software is usually provided by a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider, and functions as a user-friendly interface that operates similarly to a traditional phone – users can dial numbers and access other VoIP telephony features. Softphones offer all the features of desk phones – and much more.

Softphones can operate entirely on the cloud, making them accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. With browser-based, mobile, and downloadable desktop phone applications, they make remote work seamlessly possible.

Why Softphones are emerging as the future of Customer Communication for Enterprises

Customers today want convenience and accessibility when they contact an organization’s customer service team. Softphone technology has convenience and flexibility built into its DNA. There are many benefits to using softphones within your business. Not only does it enhance customer experience, but it also improves employee workflows.

To give you a better idea of how softphones can raise the bar in customer communication for enterprises, here are some of the key customer-friendly features of the app.

#1. Softphone’s communication tools allow employees to address customer issues in real-time

Besides voice communication, softphones also enable video conferencing and instant messaging. Since they can be installed on diverse, portable devices, they increase an organization’s flexibility in communication, enabling employees to work anywhere, at any time.

Moreover, softphones notify users of incoming calls and messages in real-time. This significantly reduces waiting time for customers and ensures that company executives can immediately address and accommodate their needs. Softphones also provide a user’s presence status in real-time, displaying which executive is available to take a call. Likewise, it informs if a customer is available to take a call as well.

#2. Softphones allow customers to reach customer service executives over diverse communication mediums

VoIP-enabled softphones provide an integrated mix of omnichannel communications that include voice, video, and chat communication via a single, universal solution. This results in workforce optimization and allows agents to provide personalized experiences to customers.

By leveraging the unified communication benefits of softphones, customer service executives can integrate customer communication across channels. Customers can communicate with brands using a blend of these communication pathways, switching from one to another, as they would do with a consumer communication app.

#3. Softphones empower remote customer service employees to stay in touch with their clients using advanced UC tools

Remote working is fast becoming a norm among the modern workforce. Traditional telephony solutions worked well when employees remained on-premise, but fall by the wayside when it came to enabling remote work. Cloud communications have become critical for modern enterprises that are modernizing their operations and adding multiple communication channels to their workflows.

VoIP-powered softphones keep customer service executives to their customers, irrespective of location or device. With mobile applications linked directly to a user’s business phone number, employees can make and receive calls from their personal phone, while using their official phone number, staying connected with their clients even when they are on the go.

Also, cloud-enabled VoIP mobile dialers provide organizations with the flexibility to onboard a remote workforce. Hybrid offices (that work with a combination of remote and on-premise agents) can use softphones to streamline team communications and build a collaborative work culture.

#4. Softphones provide HD audio and video quality to enable quality communication

The quality of your customer service can leave a lasting impression on customers. Choppy audio and lagging video calls can negatively impact your business credibility. Not to mention, it can make your company appear less professional to your customers. Softphone providers understand the importance of high-quality audio and video for businesses.

Nowadays, softphones leverage advanced technology for high-quality audio and video conferencing capabilities. Whether you are using your mobile phones, desktops, or any other device, it delivers consistent call quality. Tragofone, for one, uses WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communications) technology to facilitate peer-to-peer and direct communications between enterprises and their customers. This simplifies and improves customer experiences.

#5. Softphones bring the power of seamless collaboration using the right tools

Another benefit of using a softphone is the access to collaboration tools to streamline teamwork among customer representatives. You can use it to store and centralize your contact directory, call logs, voicemails, and other necessary documents. In turn, all authorized representatives and employees have access to such data from their own devices. You can also add, edit, or remove users and devices from your database to limit certain authorizations and accessibility.

Moreover, softphones provide organizations with automation tools that help reduce workloads. This allows them to focus on accommodating customers’ needs and avoid getting distracted by other menial tasks. Its automation features also streamline workflows by routing calls to available representatives, forwarding calls to the right people, and enabling quick search directory dialing.

#6. Softphones have your security issues covered

You might think that using a traditional telephone is safer than using the internet for communications. However, both are equally vulnerable to hackers, scammers, and fraudsters. But one advantage of using a softphone is its built-in security features that safeguard your representatives and clients.

Popular VOIP software often comes with robust and reliable security features. These include:

– End-to-end encryptions of calls and data

– User authentication upon logging in

– Monitoring and tracking tools

– Management and control features

With softphones, you can add layers of protection around your communications, unlike traditional desk phones.

#7. Softphones power your communication with analytics and reporting

One of the most outstanding features of softphones for enterprise use are its analytics and reporting functions. This allows organizations to collect and analyze data based on the calls and interactions between their representatives and customers. They can use this information to evaluate their employees’ work performance. Likewise, they can also use it to gather critical customer data such as their behavior, demands, and preferences.

By leveraging data and analytics, businesses can identify their customer service strengths and weaknesses, determining specific areas that need improvement in order to provide better customer experiences. You can check out this article comparing different VOIP software systems to find out which ones offer effective and accurate analytics and reporting tools for your business.

#8. Cloud-based softphones can easily integrate with other software tools

The phone has always been a device that was used along with other business tools. Modern softphones enable a wide range of possibilities in terms of collaboration and productivity. Cloud-based softphones can connect diverse business tools to produce faster workflows and less human error.

A customer usually connects with a customer service executive when they face a problem with a product or a service. This means the representative has to have instant access to the customer’s background information.

Softphones enable CRM integrations that give customer executives more context and background about a customer. They can be easily integrated with a company’s CRM to provide complete customer information. This equips executives to provide satisfactory answers to customer queries without any time-lapse. Calls can be auto-logged into the CRM and agents can view customer data while speaking to them.

With integrated softphone software, enterprises can:

– Make calls from directly within their CRM.

– Sync call data and notes between applications.

– Enhance customer surveys.

– Assist with sales automation.

#9. Softphones ensure that customer service executives never miss calls

A VoIP softphone solution ensures that no call is unanswered, as it automatically routes every inbound call to the best representative who can service a customer’s needs. If the first-choice agent is not available, the call automatically goes to the next person who is best equipped to handle the query.

Softphones make call forwarding simple, ensuring that a customer’s needs are always met. With this phone system, no call goes to an automatic voicemail. Customer service executives can ensure that their customers are met with a live person when they call in, thus improving overall customer satisfaction.

#10. UCaaS and IoT is the future of enterprise customer interaction – and softphones are the go-to UCaaS medium

Unified communications-as-a-service (UCaaS) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are the next steps of enterprise-client interaction. Softphones support this by providing a simple, lightweight communication platform across multiple devices and offering most of the features that organizations seek from UCaaS deployments. Softphones are revolutionizing the way customer service executives work and connect with customers.

Conclusion

Softphones are enabling organizations to set themselves apart from the competition by delivering seamless customer service and thus boosting productivity. For customer service executives softphones have directly translated into fewer missed calls, more opportunities to connect with clients, and better customer engagement. Softphones have helped organizations to completely re-imagine their customer relationships – by enabling omnichannel communication and ensuring they are just one quick call away from their consumers.

19May

5 Benefits of Softphone for Telecom Companies

May 19, 2021 Chetan Patel 59

The global telecom industry has been undergoing a seismic shift in the last few years. The technology that has driven this change is Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. VoIP-based mobile dialer phones – or Softphones – are an entirely new way to make voice and video calls. As this technology matured, its impact on the telecom sector has increased. Today, VoIP is the driving force behind many telecom majors and continues to grow in influence.

An important reason for the growth of VOIP technology is the increased global reach of businesses and changing working models. The gig economy is growing, and the changing nature of business requires organizations to retain the ability to communicate anywhere in the world at a minute’s notice.

A report by UK’s Ofcom suggests that “in the coming years’ broadband-based call services will become increasingly common, as PSTN is reaching the end of its life, becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain. Many major telecom providers are offering VoIP products delivered over broadband to their customers.”

How are VoIP-based mobile dialers changing the telecom industry?

A 2021 Global Market Insights estimates that the size of the VoIP market was over USD 30 billion in 2020, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15% from 2021 to 2027. Innovation by the VoIP industry, as well as improved internet connectivity, is driving this trend. Also, with over 80% of global organizations adopting Unified Communications, it is clear that softphones have a booming market.

In this blog, we will look at the VoIP mobile dialer technology and how it has metamorphosed the global telecommunication space.

What is a Softphone or VoIP mobile dialer and how does it work?
Why Softphones are a game changer for the telecom sector.
Benefits that telecom companies can offer global enterprises through VoIP-based softphones.
What advantages do telecom companies get by offering VoIP mobile dialers to enterprises?
The future of a VoIP-powered telecom sector.

Softphone: What it is, How it Works, and its USP for telecom players

What is a Softphone or VoIP mobile dialer and how it works

Softphones are software-based dialers that can be used on any computing device. They are quick and easy to deploy as well as maintain, and system admins can implement and update VoIP software across all machines in one go. Since no new hardware installation is required, they’re cost-effective as well, with organizations needing to pay only licensing and service fees.

VoIP-enabled softphones are the new way of making voice calls – as it revolutionizes the way audio voice calls are transported. In traditional telephony, the sound was converted into electrical signals, which were then transmitted through a network of phone lines. This system is called a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Voice calls work differently with VoIP. Now, the audio doesn’t get translated into electrical signals. Instead, it is converted into internet protocol (IP) data packets that are transported via the internet from one end of a call to the other. Softphone devices include computers, smartphones, or tablets. The software itself is provided by a dedicated VoIP or communication service provider.

Modern softphone applications have an accessible, user-friendly interface that users can navigate with ease. This means an organization’s entire workforce can make calls using their own devices while using simple and familiar dialing and calling experience.

Now that you know what a softphone is, let’s understand how it’s changing or impacting the telecom sector.

Why Softphones are a game-changer for the telecom sector

In an established commercial sector like telecom, not all new technologies capture the collective industry imagination like VoIP mobile dialers have done. Why has this new technology taken such a hold over the telecom sector?

The answer to this question can be found in the number of advantages VoIP offers over the older telephony method.

As VoIP technology gets more mature and better developed, its benefits outrun PSTN on a number of fronts.

Telecoms companies and carriers, then, have little choice but to adapt to VoIP. It’s what customers want, so it is what they must deliver. Also, it is not only customers who will benefit from a switch to VoIP dialers.

The seemingly unstoppable migration to VoIP is good news for telecoms firms, as there are several notable advantages for them too. Let’s look at some of these advantages:

Cost

Making calls via VoIP is more cost effective than doing so via a PSTN. A VoIP mobile dialler doesn’t need expensive hardware installation or phone lines. It can be up and running in the time it takes to install the required software. Since geographical distance doesn’t matter in VoIP calls, long-distance calls don’t come at a premium.

Portability

Modern organizations are no longer restricted to a single geography. Companies work out of multiple premises and even encourage remote working. VoIP telephony is in sync with this modern, mobile style of working.

Unified communication

VoIP mobile dialer systems offer users more than just voice calls. They deliver Unified Communications as a Service. Voice calls, instant messaging, and video conferencing can happen through one system.

Maintenance

The traditional PSTN relied on an aging infrastructure. Telecom companies often ended up providing services using outdated copper wire phone line networks. As these networks got older, the cost of maintaining them rose multiple folds.

Also, a physical network of phone lines is vulnerable to issues like weather or vandalism acts. VoIP-delivered services are much easier to maintain and fix.

Convenience

Across the world, major telecom carriers are already leveraging VoIP technology, building internet protocol (IP) based networks to provide both voice calling and broadband services. Relying on such IP-based networks is far more convenient for carriers as they don’t have to maintain a separate PSTN for call services.

Benefits that telecom companies can offer to global enterprises through VoIP-based Softphones

The move to Unified Communications (UC) by businesses around the world is unstoppable. A Grand View Research forecasts that the global UC market will register a CAGR of a whopping 17& from 2019 to 2025.

Workers are increasingly demanding packaged mobile solutions and organizations are driving softphone adoption in a big way. This means that ignoring the opportunities this market presents is not possible anymore.

As the COVID pandemic unfolded, enterprises of all sizes transitioned their workforce to remote working technologies.

A major challenge for many businesses, especially small companies with limited resources, is to equip their remote workers with the right tools. No business can afford to lose touch with its customers, which makes communication technology a key requirement. In fact, many work from home employees use their own devices, be it a desktop or mobile phone. This makes Softphones a handy tool. What are its advantages for organizations?

Low cost and minimum hardware

Softphones can be downloaded on existing devices, eliminating the need for hardware investment, cabling requirements, or dedicated lines. If a softphone requires a software upgrade, most providers let you upload the latest version for free.

Easy scalability

To make communication quick and seamless for employees, downloading a softphone is the easiest option. That way, new employees can be easily provided with a phone and phone number in no time. In fact, some companies are avoiding landlines altogether by switching to VoIP and taking advantage of softphone options.

Increased privacy

No one wants to give out their personal number for work purposes. Softphones allow employees to hand out one business number through a simple softphone app download on their mobile device or laptop. This way, they don’t miss any calls and don’t compromise on privacy.

Video capabilities

Most softphone applications include video conference capabilities. This is a very useful feature for organizations that conduct frequent meetings with external clients or with overseas teams.

Security

Most softphones come with end-to-end encryption and have systems to detect and stop fraudulent callers, keeping organizations, their employees, and their data safe. They also have firewalls against hacking and making fraudulent calls on a company’s behalf.

Benefits of unified communications

As more and more telecom companies offer a VoIP-powered common communication platform across devices, it makes it easier for employees to communicate with one another and simplifies the way they connect with clients. They can schedule conference calls, send instant messages, converge voicemails with emails, and access several other communication options that PSTN and traditional phones do not offer.

Softphones are future proof

Like any software, a softphone app can be easily upgraded. This enables organizations to have access to the latest features and functionalities when updates are rolled out, without investing in any additional equipment.

Softphones support BYOD policies

A bring your own device policy encourages employees to use their own devices. This works well for remote workers, and employers don’t have to incur the costs of providing equipment. Softphones easily fit into an enterprise’s BYOD policy as users can convert any device into a business communication tool.

What advantages do telecom companies get by offering VoIP mobile dialers to enterprises?

The telecom sector was originally built on the foundation of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). This network required telecom companies to invest heavily in physical infrastructure.

VOIP mobile dialers do not require such an infrastructure, as the entire process of making and receiving calls happens on internet waves. Audio is transformed into data packets whenever a call is made. VoIP technology uses the internet to carry data packets to call recipients anywhere in the world. This process of conversion to data packets happens in the same way that all forms of online information are sent or received.

The benefits of Softphones far outweigh that of PSTN. In terms of connectivity, they do not require public bodies or private companies to establish and maintain physical infrastructure – only an internet connection is needed.

Similarly, expanding and upgrading PSTN requires huge financial investments. For VOIP mobile dialers, the upgrade can happen with a simple software update.

Many of the features that are offered on VOIP mobile dialers, such as call waiting or call forwarding, come as part of a complete package, and at no extra cost. On the other hand, most of these are paid features on PSTN.

Major telecommunication companies are moving to VOIP dialer services because advances in internet technologies, such as 5G networks, remove obstacles for VOIP such as internet speed.

The future of a VoIP-powered telecom sector

What does the rapid advance of softphones mean for the future of the telecom sector? Will it displace traditional telephony and become the communication technology of the future? Current trends and statistics definitely point towards this.

Let’s consider the US market. The shift to softphones is accelerating in North America, and some experts predict that the technology could replace PSTN as early as 2025. To stay in tune with this trend, many leading telecom firms are already moving significantly towards VoIP dialers. Also, many big US companies already power landlines via VoIP.

In a report on the future of fixed telephone services and the growing traction for VoIP, the United Kingdom’s Ofcom observed: “PSTN is reaching the end of its life and becoming increasingly difficult and costly to maintain. We recognize that the migration to VoIP is necessary to ensure the continued provision of reliable landline telephone services given that the PSTN can no longer be sustained in the long term.”

There is growing consensus that VoIP mobile dialers are the future of the telecom sector. To survive and prosper, all telecom companies will have to become VoIP-enabled firms.

Conclusion

The telecommunications industry is changing, and VOIP telephony technology is set to replace older PSTN systems that are currently in place. It is no longer if, but when.

VoIP has been proven to be a more superior and feature-rich technology. For organizations, there are added benefits and significant savings on communication costs. There are already VoIP services in the market that cater to the unified communications needs of businesses. For companies that wish to cut down on expenses and boost communication efficiency, VOIP mobile dialers are the way to go.

21Apr

What is SIP and How Does It Work?

April 21, 2021 Maulik Shah 79

All conversations need an introduction and a reliable framework to initiate them. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) does this job in the digital world. It’s a seamless way to begin and end online conversations.

SIP is a signaling protocol for IP-based telephony applications. It provides the control layer for communications like the establishment and release of a voice call. This communication technology does more than just connect agents to their clients. It allows users to manage and modulate every call that enters their system. What’s more, SIP is content-agnostic. Although SIP was initially designed for voice communication, today it is also used for establishing sessions for instant messaging, video conferencing, SMS, file transfers, and more.

SIP is essentially used for internet telephony and disseminating multimedia between two or more endpoints. For instance, a user can start a telephone call with another user using SIP, or initiate a conference call with multiple participants.

The SIP protocol was designed to be simple, with a limited set of commands. Since it is text-based, anyone can read a SIP message that is passed between two endpoints in a session. The protocol is also flexible and comes with great depth. It was designed to set up real-time multimedia sessions between different participant groups. For instance, apart from facilitating regular telephone calls, SIP can be used to set up video and audio multicast meetings, or instant messaging conferences.

Since SIP is an open standard, it has sparked enormous interest in the telephony market. Marketers of SIP-based phones are witnessing huge growth in this sector.

In this blog, we will get a macro as well micro view of what SIP is, how it works, how it compliments VoIP, and why businesses should invest in this technology:

What does SIP do?
SIP Vs VoIP and how SIP adds value to VoIP.
Features of SIP.
How SIP enables a VoIP session call flow.
How SIP works during a voice call.
Benefits for businesses.

What does SIP do?

SIP is not voice, not video, and not data – the protocol is not restricted to any one media. Also, while it is mostly applied to VoIP, it’s not exclusively a VoIP protocol as well.

SIP launches and ends IP communication sessions that could either be voice calls between two users or a team video conference. It initiates a session by sending messages – in the form of data packets – between two or more identified IP endpoints, also known as SIP addresses. Every SIP address is linked to a physical SIP client – like an IP desk phone – or a software client – like a softphone, for instance.

During these sessions, SIP does not decode or transfer any information. Therefore, the protocol can be used for video conferencing and instant messaging besides making internet voice calls.

SIP’s primary function is to set up calls and end them once they finish. This process involves 5 parts:

User location: This tells the protocol where the end system that will be used for the call is located.
User availability: This tells the protocol whether the party that is being called is available to take it.
User capabilities: This determines the media that will be used for the call.
Session setup: This involves connecting a call from one user to the other.
Session management: This involves the running of the call session – for example: transferring and ending a call.

SIP Vs VoIP: How they differ

Since both SIP and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) are both internet-based telephone service technologies, it is common to confuse between the two. The key differentiator between the two is that while VoIP is a type of telephone service, the SIP protocol is used to commence and end communication through VoIP or any other technology.

If your business only requires voice communication, you might want to invest in technologies other than SIP with your VoIP system. However, organizations are rapidly adopting advanced technologies in order to stay competitive and scale rapidly. With its superior unified communications platform and strategies, SIP provides businesses with this opportunity.

Finally, businesses must consider what solutions work best for them. If an organization is considering consolidating its communication technologies, then integration of SIP and VoIP services would be a high-value option for them.

How SIP adds value to VoIP

A primary reason for SIP’s soaring acceptance as a go-to telephony technology is that it supports a wide range of communication platforms. Besides being easy to implement and manage, SIP builds on an enterprise’s VoIP system strengths and fills the tech gaps, allowing them to turn more productive.

SIP adds value to VoIP in various ways:

If a business needs a network system that will provide crystal clear images in long-distance video conference calls, SIP will do the job seamlessly.

If an organization is looking for an easy way to send files and documents to its employees and outside its office, SIP offers the functionality it needs.

Because of SIP’s flexibility, enterprises, as well as service providers, use it to deliver VoIP services. SIP even builds on VoIP’s capabilities by adding video and data transfer potential to it.

SIP enables network operators to gain more control over their services. For instance, not only does SIP set up the initiation of contact between devices, it also allows users to add more parties to a call, or switch between communication methods.

Features of SIP

SIP can handle a diverse range of media technologies as the protocol is not restricted to any limited media types. Let’s look at some features of this protocol:

Direct connection between private and public telephone networks:

One of SIP’s main benefits is that it provides a direct connection between private or local telephone systems and public telephone networks. This way, individuals and businesses don’t need legacy phone lines to connect calls.

Provides end-to-end authentication and encryption:

VoIP networks opt for SIP as a call control protocol because of its open and extensible properties. However, the integrity of call signaling between two sites is a priority for businesses, to counter eavesdropping concerns. SIP provides this by supporting comprehensive end-to-end and hop-by-hop authentication, as well as end-to-end encryption.

Supports both multicast and unicast communication:

Users in a SIP session can communicate using multicast or unicast relations, or even a mix of the two. SIP supports session descriptions that allow participants to accept a common set of compatible media types. It also facilitates user mobility by proxying and redirecting requests to the location where the user is at the moment. SIP is not restricted to any one conference control protocol.

Additional capabilities can be added easily:

SIP doesn’t make any presumptions about the underlying transport protocol. It can, therefore, be easily extended with additional capabilities and is actively used for many media applications. This also makes SIP an enabling technology for providing innovative new services that integrate multimedia with internet services like e-mail, instant messaging, and the worldwide web.

Asynchronous event notifications:

In addition to real-time services, SIP can be used for asynchronous event notifications, such as automatic callbacks, message-waiting indicators, SIP proxy statistics changes, presence information, session changes, buddy lists based on presence, and more.

Unlike other telephony systems, SIP is non-numeric:

Telephony is usually associated with numeric addresses. In SIP, an end station has a SIP URI (which is a form of URL) that recognizes it and is used in the SIP protocol. Because phones generally have numeric keypads, they translate what you dial into a SIP URL.

SIP is text-based:

The SIP Protocol is text-based and has a notable resemblance to the HTTP protocol. The text-based messages and SIP’s request-response mechanism make for easy troubleshooting. Also, it is easy for anyone to read and decipher the text-based SIP messages passed between the endpoints in a session.

SIP leaves fewer margins for error:

Because SIP isn’t affected by external factors, there are lesser things that can go wrong with it. While traditional phone lines can be affected by bad weather, SIP trunks use the internet and can have back-ups set up to ensure that even if your internet connection goes, you aren’t offline for too long.

Big cost benefits:

SIP works out to be much cheaper than traditional phone lines. Small to large businesses that switch to SIP-enabled VoIP phones reduce the cost of their local calls and save on international calls as well. Once the initial setup is done, the only thing that businesses pay for is the Wi-Fi that you use to place these calls and your unlimited SIP trunk subscription.

How SIP enables a VoIP session call flow

Now that we have understood the dynamics of how SIP works, let’s look at how a SIP call flow establishes a VoIP call. There are four parts that together establish a call:

Registration:

When a user agent – let’s suppose it’s a softphone – launches, it has to register with a SIP server so it can be found by other users. This happens by using the SIP Register request message. The message provides the location details through the To and From SIP URIs. Besides the message, additional binding can be provided through the contact field.

Establishing a call:

This is where the real work happens – in the following steps:

SIP invite request: The SIP invite initiates an attempt to establish a call. This is sent from the caller to the SIP server where it finds the call receiver’s number. In larger networks, the SIP server may need to consult other SIP servers if this user number is not local. Once the number is located, the invite is forwarded.

SIP response 100: A message is sent from the SIP server to the number of the end-user in order to confirm the invite request.

SIP Response 180: This message is a confirmation that the invite has been received and the user agent is alerting the user.

SIP Response 200: A 200 response is sent to confirm a call when it is answered by the end-user. Also, the user agent sends a message with the VoIP call parameters. This message results in an exchange and negotiation of VoIP call parameters.

SIP Ack Request: In the final lap, the caller confirms the call by sending an Ack request to the number he has called.

VoIP Call:

The VoIP call is transmitted between the user agents using RTP (real-time transport protocol), which is also used for sending audio and video data over Internet Protocol networks. Besides this protocol, RTCP (RTP control protocol) is used to provide statistics and control for the RTP transmissions.

Terminating a call:

When a user ends a call, a SIP Bye request is sent. The call can be ended from either side of the line. The termination is confirmed by the other user agent with a SIP 200 status code response.

How SIP works during a voice call

Before voice information is sent over the internet, it needs to be encoded in codecs. This enables audio signals to be translated into data. There are two primary types of codecs that are used: G.711 and G.729. Let’s take a step-by-step look at how SIP connects voice calls:

Real-time transport protocol (RTP) is used to transport packets of encoded audio data. RTP comes with its own protocol application layer which facilitates the movement of audio and video data in real-time.
In the next step, the RTP and SIP packets are transported by protocols at the transport layer. This is done either by using a Transmission Control Protocol or a User Datagram Protocol. User Datagram Protocols are considered to be better suited for transporting VoIP calls.
In the final step, as SIP is a media-independent application, another application layer protocol – known as the Session Description Protocol (SDP) – works with SIP. SDP indicates the type of media that the SIP client sending the call and the client receiving the call can support.

Benefits of SIP for Businesses

Enterprises today are trying to figure out how to support a host of new unified communications applications in an era of new devices, mobile connections, and sophisticated end-users. In such a scenario, how does SIP benefit organizations?

Customer engagement is a top priority for sales agents, and this is where SIP stands out the most. Using a text-based medium to transcribe messages, this VoIP function enables both agents and clients to run through the messages exchanged during every session, and makes it smoother for both developers and network managers to find and correct mistakes.
Whether it’s through their computers or mobile phones, clients can efficiently communicate with agents through SIP. Since its appearance, SIP has played a key role in the success of internet telephony as a critical tool for call centers in providing customer service.
This VoIP function has played a significant role in helping companies become cost-efficient in their communications. You could be located anywhere in the world SIP has made it possible to make free audio or video calls.
Telecom major AT&T has confirmed that SIP “can reduce access costs, improve bandwidth utilization, and bring down operational expenses. Enterprises using SIP can save significant money by converging their voice and data networks, particularly if they are covering multiple locations.” Gartner estimates that SIP trunking will reduce telecom expenses by 50% in the US.
Since SIP has become a well-accepted telephony standard, it has helped enterprises eliminate telecom complexities, accelerate innovation and avoid vendor lock-ins. Using SIP, technology organizations can construct diverse multi-vendor networks that meet their functional and financial needs.
SIP is a valuable tool for companies that have employees working in locations across the world, and need to collaborate over long distances. As SIP facilitates fast and powerful multimedia sessions, it’s an ideal solution for such businesses.
Businesses deploy SIP to boost efficiency and increase ROI within their organizations. For example, instead of having several platforms to manage video, telephony, and other services, they can use SIP to manage them all with one interface.
SIP calling ensures that an enterprise is always available and on-call for their customers to contact them.

Conclusion

SIP has become one of the most common protocols to be used in VoIP technology, as this application layer protocol works in conjunction with other such protocols to control multimedia communication sessions over the internet. SIP is fast gaining momentum as being a protocol of choice to facilitate audio calls, video conferencing, and instant messaging in next-generation networks, to boost efficiency and cost-effectiveness for businesses.

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