Types of Telephony Software

Telephony is a form of technology that is associated with interactive communication between two or more parties through the electronic transmission of voice and other data. Telephony software covers a wide variety of electronic communications solutions, from the traditional telephony and VoIP services to computer telephony integration (CTI) and business phone systems. The following are some of the main categories of telephony that most businesses and organizations use in their day-to-day call center operations:

VoIP software

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) software is a type of telephony that utilizes an IP network to seamlessly transmit voice calls without needing to connect to a traditional telephone network. A VoIP service is the modern equivalent of a conventional PBX (private branch exchange), which is a broad term that refers to private telephone networks within businesses and organizations.

VoIP providers offer a wide variety of IP PBX services, including cloud-based PBX, virtual PBX and hosted PBX system. The differences among these options are minimal, as each type is categorized by the level of user maintenance needed for utilization. The hardware required for a given VoIP service may vary as well, with some service providers allowing clients to make and receive calls using their personal mobile devices. This is a solution referred to as softphone, which is either an added feature or a replacement for traditional PBX phone systems.

Business phone systems

This category of telephony allows businesses and organizations to utilize multiple traditional phone systems in an interconnected fashion. The software usually provides features like shared and private voice message boxes, conference call capabilities, call metering and accounting, call management, call handling and transferring and more. A standard business phone system can either be a small setup with just a few telephones for smaller businesses or a more advanced PBX system geared towards the greater demands of larger companies.

Business phone systems are designed to operate over the conventional public switched telephone network (PSTN) and over the internet through a VoIP service. The solution may also be delivered as a hosted telephony service, which is designed to help businesses minimize the cost of investing in expensive hardware equipment.

Computer telephony integration (CTI)

Referred to simply as computer telephony, CTI software is a technology that allows individuals to use their computers to manage, enhance and make phone calls. CTI is most often used as jargon that describes the integration between traditional phone systems and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions that have already been implemented or deployed. The integration itself incorporates features that enhance both systems, allowing agents to better handle their interactions with existing customers and leads.

While CTI technology is most often used for integrating phone systems with CRM software, it is also capable of integrating other types of solutions within an organization’s technology stack. For example, a lot of companies are starting to leverage CTI to allow their accounting software to interface seamlessly with their telephone system. This gives agents and accounting personnel the ability to contact customers with unpaid invoices and unsettled accounts directly from the accounting software, using a function typically known as “click-to-dial.”

How to Choose Telephony Software

The following are a few factors you need to consider when choosing or purchasing telephony software for your business operation:

Consider the security and reliability of the software.

When evaluating telephony software solutions, you have to ensure their security and reliability. This goes for any other software you might be in the market for. Security is an important deciding factor when choosing a telephony system since the software and its infrastructure will inevitably be facilitating all your organization’s communication requirements end-to-end. So, go for a solution that utilizes strong encryption to protect your phone calls and text messaging system.

For extra protection, it is also recommended to look for telephony software that offers other security measures besides encryption, such as role-based access and permissions, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and user action monitoring. Any of these can help strengthen the security and reliability of your company’s telephone network.

Consider the level of training and support offered by the provider.

When purchasing any kind of software solution, let alone telephony software, you have to consider the kind of training and support you will be getting from the vendor after the sale. You’re going to need it, especially when dealing with sophisticated systems like telephony, VoIP services and IP PBX. Make sure to check what kind of support options are available or are included in the different software packages the vendor is offering. You may also want to take note of how easy it is to connect with the vendor’s support team, or if they even exist at all.

Consider the comments and reviews of past and existing clients.

When you’re buying any product, you have to learn to value customer reviews and comments. What the customers are saying about a particular product, service or brand can be that deciding factor you’re looking for. When it comes to telephony software, be sure to check the reviews from different review websites and see what past and existing customers are saying about the product, the service or perhaps even the vendor. You can use the information to make your own decision about whether to go on with the purchase or to look for other options.

Benefits of Telephony Software

The following are some of the benefits you can expect from implementing the right telephony software for your business:

Cost savings

Conventional phone systems charge by the minute and you only get to make one call at a time. With telephony software, you can upgrade your telephone network to support internet protocol-based communications like IP PBX and VoIP services for a reasonable investment. A good VoIP service will enable you to make multiple phone calls at any given moment while using the same connection and internet bandwidth. No matter how many calls you make, it won’t affect your monthly broadband bill.

Mobile support

There are telephony software solutions available that offer either mobile accessibility or web-based portals. Any of these options will give you and your team the freedom and the ability to manage your business operations from anywhere at any time. Users will only need to log into their account and they start making their phone call or perhaps receive calls, using their personal mobile device, internet-enabled of course.

Unlike conventional mobile networks, telephony solutions and VoIP service applications are not locked to any single mobile telephone network or service provider. This means you and your company don’t even have to pay extra for overseas calls and international roaming.

All-inclusive services and features

Phone carriers will charge you extra for add-on services such as national and international roaming, group calling, video conferencing, call forwarding, etc. However, with telephony software, you don’t have to make special requests or pay extra just to activate such features and services. All the aforementioned features are already integrated into the VoIP service package. Additionally, telephony solutions can also be used to transfer files digitally, record calls as well as store call data.

Common Features of Telephony Software