Voice over IP (VOIP) is a ground-breaking new technology. Many providers have risen to the challenge of offering compelling and competitive services. But, its advantages may not be apparent to somebody unfamiliar with the technology. If you're curious as to the benefits of business VOIP, read on for just some of the benefits which make this a brilliant idea.

With VOIP, your traditional land line is replaced with specialized software and hardware. These let you make phone calls using your internet connection. Physically, this can take several forms. Phones can be replaced entirely with software, or with dedicated IP phones having complex digital displays and exciting features. You can even hook existing phones into boxes which connect up with your network. Calls can then be made either directly to other businesses using VOIP technology, bypassing the phone system entirely, or to standard land line or cellular phones throughout the globe.

The first clear advantage of this technology is its cost. Many VOIP providers offer unlimited nationwide calling as a standard rather than an exceptional feature. Some even extend their unlimited area throughout all of North America. This can create massive savings for a business who makes a large number of domestic calls. Even for those making international calls, the rates offered by VOIP providers are quite competitive.

In today's business climate, can't survive without an internet connection. While telephones also remain essential, the need for timely access to email and other advanced technologies continues to grow. VOIP services save businesses money by combining phone and internet access into a single, shared connection. And only one bill to worry about. While it is possible to obtain internet access via standard telephone lines, investing in quality broadband makes more sense. As much of this bandwidth typically goes unused, using VOIP technology taps into existing resources to deliver quality service for less money.

As technology advances, there is a growing disconnect between the services available on our computers and those available via phone. In short, while we turn to our computers for email, scheduling and instant messaging, we shift gears many times per day to use functionality only available by phone. Most of us have an inbox full of mail needing our attention, busy schedules and never-ending reminders popping up on our desktops. On the other hand, voicemail is available in an entirely different and disconnected system. VOIP is a bridge that connects those two. By combining telephones and computers, many VOIP providers have brought voicemail and related services to your desktop. Imagine your inbox as a window into your collection of voicemail too, not only email. VoIP saves time and effort by integrating these two separate technologies. This also lets you use existing technologies to open up new possibilities. Imagine, for instance, having the ability to save, organise and quickly search voicemails for related pieces of information. This is not just a pipe dream, as many VOIP solutions provide automatic transcripts of incoming voice mails. This would be impossible using standard phone systems and services.

VOIP technology represents a powerful combination of old and new which offer an exciting set of opportunities. By investing in VOIP, your business can take a solid step to pro-actively cut costs while dramatically increasing productivity.