SMEs get smart about VoIP

Small businesses are learning to love VoIP for reasons other than potential cost savings.

In a recent survey of small and medium-sized enterprises, 28 per cent cited reduced costs as a reason to switch to IP telephony while nearly as many - 24 per cent - said they are attracted to voice over IP because of the increased functionality it offers.

Attractive features include receiving voicemail messages as email attachments, dialling numbers from your digital address book and easily setting up conference calls.

Another plus for SMEs is that, because internet phones aren't dependent on area codes, numbers can be retained after an office move and local codes can be used to reach offices located elsewhere.

Want to know more?

Take a look at our handy VoIP Cheat Sheet.

Other factors which drive small businesses to migrate to VoIP include outgrowing the current phone system (12 per cent), difficult management of the current system (eight per cent) or ending a maintenance contract (seven per cent).

The poll also found that in nine per cent of SMEs, it's the company CEO who is pushing for internet telephony.

The survey questioned executives from more than 100 SMEs and was carried out by IP telephony hardware manufacturer Swyx.

A separate survey released today shows public sector organisations are taking a cautious approach to VoIP migrations.