VoIP switch can 'massively boost productivity and customer service'

Small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from moving their telephony services to VoIP as it can greatly increase productivity, it has been suggested.

In addition, companies are increasingly being attracted to cost-savings and the convenience of use on the move, according to the Communications Management Association.

Forum leader for the independent professionals' body, David Brunnen, said: "The three most significant [benefits] for smaller enterprises are integration, mobility and quality.

"VoIP functionality is far easier to integrate with other computer applications - for example in customer service systems.

"With your VoIP telephony capability embedded in your computer or lap-top you also get a new sort of mobility - the freedom to operate from anywhere that is broadband enabled in exactly the same way as you would in a conventional office."

And on quality, Mr Brunnen said that new customers were often "really surprised" by the reliability and clarity of the connections formed over the internet using VoIP.

"This quality also means that audio conferences are far more acceptable, easier to manage and come with lots of extra functions like instant messaging and file transfer to make collaborative working an everyday reality," he added.