3 Game-changing VoIP developments you need to know about

March 11th, 2022 VoIP
3 Game-changing VoIP developments you need to know about

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems have been around for years now, but VoIP is still a relatively young technological solution. It is also still evolving, incorporating new capabilities that give users greater usability, convenience, and security. Here are some of the new and game-changing technology trends that can help make VoIP telephony an even better asset for your Vancouver business.

VoIP is still evolving, incorporating new capabilities that give users greater usability, convenience, and security.

5G

The fifth generation of mobile networks, aptly named 5G, promises exponentially higher internet speeds than 4G. Some estimates clock the potential maximum speed of 5G networks at anywhere between 1 to 10 gigabytes per second, which is at least 10 times that of 4G networks'. 5G also boasts a larger bandwidth capacity, wider signal range, and lower network latency than its predecessors.

Congested networks and slow internet speeds can result in several problems in VoIP systems, including unstable reception, packet loss, and call jitter. With its remarkable speed and bandwidth capacity, 5G can resolve these issues and significantly improve the quality of VoIP calls.

Furthermore, 5G can prioritize specific data packets to ensure a smoother VoIP experience. This, along with 5G’s other aforementioned capabilities, enables users to reliably conduct large-scale call and video conferences, which is ideal for companies with distributed workforces.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

AI technology is concerned with developing systems, usually in the form of robots or computers, that possess the capacity to solve problems, make decisions, and adapt to certain situations without human input. Existing solutions, including VoIP, are being integrated with this technology to improve their capabilities. In particular, AI is transforming VoIP in the following ways:

Interactive voice response (IVR)

If your business cannot afford to hire a receptionist to field incoming calls, you can use IVR technology to automate call systems. IVR is an AI tool that can engage callers, make reservations, take appointments, and retrieve information from databases to answer inquiries. It can also redirect callers to the right department without requiring them to wait several minutes and press buttons, unlike traditional automated phone systems.

IVR solutions are crucial for providing excellent customer service. They can assist callers who prefer to avoid speaking with a live agent, as well as communicate through real-time text messaging, which is ideal for hearing-impaired clients. In cases where callers have a complex issue, these tools can forward the call to a human customer service representative.

Voice-to-text

AI has greatly improved voice-to-text technology, making it more accurate despite factors like ambient noise and varying user accents and speech patterns. In fact, AI-augmented VoIP systems are now becoming better at transcribing phone conversations into text files. Written transcriptions use little storage space and can easily be stored and indexed for recordkeeping. This can help companies create paper trails that are vital for ensuring transparency, generating insights, and resolving conflicts, among others.

Analytics

AI-augmented VoIP systems can process and analyze the meaning and tone of words used during a call, as well as transcriptions of previous calls. This way, they can provide insights into customer behavior, motivations, and preferences, and help you determine how you can improve customer experience during phone calls.

Cybersecurity

Like most technologies that use the internet, VoIP systems are a popular target for cyberattacks. For instance, hackers can intercept voice data being transmitted online to listen in on conversations or expose sensitive data. Some cybercriminals hijack VoIP accounts to steal sensitive information or launch social engineering scams against vendors, customers, or your own company.

On top of implementing cybersecurity measures like using strong passwords for VoIP accounts, you need more advanced solutions like virtual private networks (VPNs) and multifactor authentication (MFA). A VPN creates a secure connection between you and your callers and encrypts your voice data, preventing hackers from getting access. MFA, on the other hand, requires users to provide multiple proofs of their identity before they can access VoIP accounts, making account hijacking nearly impossible.

Another way to secure your VoIP systems is to partner with a managed IT services provider like Quicktech. Our experts can monitor your company's various IT systems 24/7 and address any issues that arise, preventing interruptions and ensuring that you can take full advantage of your VoIP system's awesome capabilities.