Working From Anywhere

Using an App for VoIP Telephony

Numerous businesses found flexible ways of working from anywhere (WFA) when the UK entered lockdown for the first time in March 2020. Remote working, home working, and flexible working policies existed long before COVID-19 but the need for their widespread implementation was brought to the fore last year.

Desk phones have continued to be used as the primary means of making and receiving calls despite business telephone systems being converted to voice over IP (VoIP). Platforms supporting this technology have offered other means for carrying both voice and video calls for a long time.

Computer applications, and smartphone applications, offer alternative solutions for making calls. With their popularity increasing, as the UK workforce has to stay away from the company office, it is time to look more closely at the app.

Is it as simple as installing an App?

Thirteen years ago the first iPhone came to market and since then everyone has become familiar with downloading and installing applications on to computers or smartphones. However, building a high quality, and reliable, business telephone service requires expertise. It is not as simple as just downloading an app. Good internet connectivity is a necessary element in the solution but speed is not the only consideration. Whilst IP telephone calls only require a small portion of any high-speed internet service, low latency (delay) and prioritised delivery are key ingredients to reliable and audible speech. Guaranteeing quality of service (QoS) for remote, or home, worker environments is not always easy for a business. Additionally, home broadband providers often implement security features that can prevent the phone application from connecting with the hosted system. There is one common feature which always needs disabling, and that is SIP ALG.

Your local telecoms provider can help you make the right choice and should be able to advise on what to look for before entering in to a lengthy broadband or telephone system contract.

What do each of the Apps offer?

As important as we all find our smartphones, through each lockdown we have all moved back to using larger screens. We have picked up our tablets and laptops again because of the larger viewing area. It is more relaxing for us to do spend more time on these larger format devices than it is on the small screen of a mobile phone. In addition, even moving from the work environment to working from anywhere, many remain desk bound. For those working from home (WFH) the first choice of application would be the Desktop App.

The Desktop App

This is a telephone application running on the desktop of a Microsoft Windows PC, or an Apple MAC computer. All the features of a leading VoIP system are available via the click of a mouse with call handling operating in a similar fashion to using a desk phone. Investing in a Bluetooth headset is advised to allow for high definition (HD) voice quality. Although, if your computer already comes with a microphone and speaker built in, it is possible to use the telephone service without any additional headsets. With, or without, the headset you are still free to speak while you type. Other benefits of the desktop app include:

• Outlook integration – allowing access to contacts already stored in this email client
• Video calling – although full teleconference capabilities may require additional licenses

The Mobile App

An Android, or Apple iOS, based application which provides access to a comprehensive set of telephony features. The ideal solution for people who are regularly on the go with connectivity available over good WiFi, or 4G internet. Changes either Apple, or Google, make to each operating system may affect the way the application works but feature updates are never far behind and your telecoms supplier should be able to keep you abreast of these.

As with the desktop app, video calling works on a one to one basis. If you are after conferencing features these may well be available as an upgrade to the standard app. One great benefit of the mobile app is that it will be able to access your mobile contacts. Offering the ability to call a contact, you have stored in your phone, without the need for other features such as a corporate directory listing.

Do I need a new telephone system to use an App?

If your company has already upgraded to using a VoIP solution then the short answer should be no.

Modern Business VoIP systems are sold on a monthly subscription basis. Regardless of the length of the contract term, you pay a set fee, per user, per month to use it. Access to the system is typically possible via three methods:

1. Desk Phone
2. Desktop Application
3. Mobile App

An individual can use all three solutions when moving from business office, to home office, to on the road. It is even possible to pull a call from one device to another. An example being moving a call from the desk phone, to the mobile app, when you need to leave the office. Allowing a call to be continued whilst you transition from one location to another.

Desk phones will still benefit staff and aren’t expected to disappear completely from any single telephone system. They do not require a computer to be running to make calls. A solution especially useful for heavy telephone users. However, if a member of staff regularly moves from their company location, to working from home, the desktop app is a very good solution. Fitting flexible working environments very well, where staff hotdesk.

Application based telephony is a reliable solution for modern working practices. The key to any solution is good quality internet connectivity; something that shouldn’t be forgotten.