Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) is a big boon for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) because of how much more affordable it is to deploy, use, and scale compared to traditional telephony. By using digital connections over the internet instead of analog lines, firms can establish distributed offices and enable work-from-home arrangements, further bolstering productivity. And because it’s digital, VoIP can be complemented with other tech innovations, such as voice-to-text encoding functionality.
However, all of these benefits also come with major drawbacks: the internet is rife with security risks, and call quality is dependent on the quality of your internet connection. To mitigate these, follow these golden standard practices:
Implement access controls
Sophisticated VoIP solutions such as those provided by XBASE Technologies grant incredible granular control. That is, by requiring VoIP agents to have user profiles, you gain visibility into their online activity. Data security and call quality protocols are more easily implemented when you have logs for when calls were placed, where these were initiated, who received the calls, what the calls contained, and which devices were used to make the call. A side effect of your vigilance is improved performance: employees generally work better when they know that they are being observed.
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Furthermore, you can authorize and rescind user rights individually. Entry-level agents could be limited to making local calls only, while more senior ones can place overseas calls. This helps control telephony costs. And when an agent is let go, his or her access rights can be revoked immediately to ensure security.
Encrypt your data
Data travelling through the internet can be intercepted by hackers. By encrypting it prior to transmission, data is made unintelligible to unauthorized eyes and ears, thereby keeping it secure.
It’s for this same reason that the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) is highly recommended for organizations that deploy mobile phone users.
Always be up to date
Cybercriminals are always looking for a weak spot they can break into to gain access to valuable data such as proprietary files and sensitive client information. Don’t let VoIP be that weak spot — always make sure to download the latest security patches and software updates.
Make sure it’s the right fit
While most VoIP systems come with many advanced features and benefits, those features may not all be equally valuable to SMBs. As with anything IT, always look at what your business needs first, then find the solution that is most aligned with those needs. The “latest” and “greatest” technology is nice to have, but it isn’t always necessarily the best fit for you.
Use analytics tools
Reliable VoIP providers include analytics tools in their service packages. Certain tools monitor bandwidth levels, examine traffic flow, and prevent the formation of congestion points. Other tools measure quantitative data such as broken call count and call duration, as well as call quality metrics such as jitter and mean opinion scores for voice quality.
Beyond allowing you to look at historical performance, analytics let you conduct site surveys and diagnostics tests as well. Quality of service tests scan for network system errors, while ping tests measure key performance indicators of phones.
By regularly monitoring VoIP system data, you can discover opportunities for better customer satisfaction and user experience, plus address existing problems and prevent new ones from occurring.
Need help in choosing, implementing, or maintaining your VoIP system? Toronto businesses trust XBASE Technologies to provide them with the best-suited internet telephony solutions. Contact us to learn more about how your firm can outperform your competition with the right VoIP package.
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