As technology becomes more sophisticated, businesses are gravitating toward softphone apps instead of landline phones to ensure their business phone systems are accessible and cost-effective. But softphones may not be the right choice for every business. Here’s everything you need to know about softphones and how to determine if they’re the right solution for your organization.
Despite its name, a softphone isn’t actually a phone. A softphone (or softphone app) is software that lets you use a computer, phone or tablet to place internet-based calls.
A voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider typically offers softphone software. Softphone apps have user-friendly interfaces and operate like traditional phones: Users can dial numbers and access features such as voicemail, auto-attendant, and do not disturb. You can also mute calls, place callers on hold and transfer calls.
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To use a softphone, you need both of these:
Although an internal speaker and microphone will work, a proper VoIP headset ensures the best possible sound quality by diminishing ambient noise.
Choose a business phone system provider that offers a softphone app. For the best results, ensure you’re in an area with robust internet access.
Keep the following considerations in mind when you’re choosing a softphone app for your business:
Many of the best business phone system providers include softphone app options. Consider the following top-notch platforms:
Softphones provide many benefits for businesses that need robust, flexible and reliable communication solutions. However, they also have a few drawbacks.
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Softphones function much like traditional phones, with features that allow you to do the following:
VoIP is the service that enables you to make and receive calls; the softphone is the software that provides a user-friendly interface on your smart device.
If you use a softphone app on your mobile device, making or receiving calls or texts through the app will not affect any talk time or text message limits on your plan. However, as the calls and texts are routed through the internet, the softphone app may affect your mobile device’s data usage.
While VoIP services differ, you can typically use one softphone account on multiple devices. You can send and receive communications through the same number on a mobile device, tablet or computer.
Many softphone apps provide status options that allow you to indicate your current availability.
Softphone apps provide significant business benefits that may make them an excellent option for your organization. For example, they’re a great productivity-boosting solution if you want a phone system that integrates better with your CRM software or if you have team members in multiple locations.
Still, before you decide to implement a VoIP system and use softphone apps, consider your business’s unique needs to determine if this communication option is right for you.
Jeremy Bender contributed to this article.