The internet must surely be the biggest trading platform the world has ever seen. Even better, it allows even very small companies and entrepreneurs to compete across borders. However, modern business is characterised by very merciless competition. Only those that can satisfy the increasingly sophisticated demands of consumers can hope to prosper. Highly efficient business telephone systems such as is now commonly used by Vancouver BC businesses, are crucial to on line success.

Telecommunications service providers have come a long way since those primitive days when it required an operator to establish a connection between exchanges. Modern PABX installations offer efficient communication. They can manage a large number of extensions and they offer users a wide variety of useful features such as call holding and voice mail. Many of these features have now become minimum requirements by those installing new exchanges.

PABX installations were revolutionary in their day but for many companies they simply do not offer a communications edge any longer. Its singe biggest drawback is the fact that users must be available at an extension in order to communicate. This means that users away from their desks are also out of touch. Callers are forced to leave messages and, of course, messages are not always correctly delayed.

It is also true that PABX installations are very expensive, especially for large organizations that need separate installations at every branch and site. Maintenance is also costly and time consuming. Downtime occurs when installations break down or when routine maintenance is conducted. This can disrupt the business and result in unhappy customers. Costs are further raised because so many calls have to be made to react to messages that were left because the employee was not at his desk at the time of the call.

VoIP service providers say that their solutions overcome all the drawbacks of PABX and that they offer features previously undreamed of. VoIP uses the internet as a communications platform and can therefore be used anywhere as long as there is access to the internet. The platform is hosted by the service provider, which means that the client always has access to the latest upgrades and features. Only one installation is required, regardless of how many remote sites the client have.

VoIP also offer significant savings. Many users have reported that they have saved up to fifty per cent of their previous communication bills. The cost of maintenance is also drastically reduced and even more money is saved by the fact that there is no need for an operator at every site or branch. Users are delighted by the fact that they can use a wide variety of devices to access the communication network.

VoIP has also proven that it can help companies to improve productivity and to increase their levels of customer satisfaction. This is because users are never out of reach, regardless of where they find themselves geographically. Calls can be forwarded to remote sites, helping to ensure that a caller will be assisted with a single call.

VoIP will no doubt continue to make inroads against traditional communication systems. It offers superior features and it is cheaper. It may be possible for this service to become the standard communication method of the future.