You may have heard the acronym "VoIP" used in relation to phone systems, but what does it mean?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. In simple terms, it means using the internet to make voice (or video) calls rather than phone lines. Many people will have used VoIP when using services like Skype.
One of the big advantages of VoIP is that calls made entirely via the internet (i.e. both parties using VoIP) are much cheaper, and sometimes entirely free.
VoIP also makes services like voicemail, music on hold and call diverts much easier to implement and administer.
As VoIP is all processed via servers, it's also possible to use this data to integrate with CRM systems to, for instance, link the current caller to a profile you have stored for them.
Another feature is that the phone number does not neccesarily be local to your area. You can use whatever area code you like!
Many office workers will have used VoIP handsets. The main difference between these and a "normal" phone is that it uses a network wire (the same as a PC) to connect rather than phone cable. However, you may well have also used VoIP on your mobile phone if you use services like Skype and Whatsapp for voice or video calls.
If you think you could benefit from a VoIP system, 3aIT have a long history in providing these to clients.