Does a Virtual Phone System Have to Use VoIP?

 

Virtual phone systems for business are steadily becoming more popular and more accepted, but they are still vastly misunderstood. This article is an introductory attempt to dispel some of the misconceptions that people have about virtual phone services.

When you, as a business, set out to find the perfect virtual system, you might assume that you will be looking only at VoIP services, but today there are more options than that available.

 

Defining the Terms

One of the main issues seems to be that people use the terms, “virtual” and “VoIP” almost interchangeably. To a consumer, the perceived definition of a thing tends to take precedence over the actual definition, which is why many businesses think a virtual phone service is automatically a VoIP service. That’s why it’s important to understand what “VoIP” actually means.

 

What is VoIP?

VoIP literally stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. When a service utilizes VoIP technology, it means that the actual phones used are connecting calls over an Internet connection. This means that the system relies on the Internet connection of the user(s) for all calls.

The technology has been around for quite a long time now and predates “virtual” phone service. Many of today’s virtual phone services just happen to employ VoIP to connect calls.

 

How do Non-VoIP Services Work?

Recently, a new kind of phone system has been emerging—virtual systems that do not utilize VoIP. No new phones or other hardware is needed for these systems to work because they work with whatever phones you already have. Calls are connected using the networks of your existing phones.

For a deeper explanation of how it works, check out this post:
How Does a Virtual Phone System Work?

So, the short answer is: No, a virtual phone service does not have to be a VoIP service. This is a crucial point for businesses because they can pay significantly less for service, but not only that, it’s a more reliable connection because it doesn’t depend on the user’s Internet connection.

And with a service like Talkroute, no new hardware is needed and no changes need to be made to the business’ existing service.

If a VoIP service is what you’re looking for, then there are plenty of options out there. If you would just like to use a virtual phone system, however, it’s important to understand that it doesn’t have to be VoIP.