Businesses can achieve cost efficiency savings with VoIP

Deploying a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) solution can significantly reduce the amount firms pay on IT and telecommunications, according to new research.

Data published by advisory service smallbusiness.co.uk suggest that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can achieve average IT savings of 13 per cent by using VoIP hardware, while overall overheads also showed a 23 per cent decline.

Colin Duffy, council member for the Internet Telephony Services Providers' Association, recently called on SMEs to take advantage of VoIP.

He argued that the technology could make it easier for firms to maintain contact with both employees and clients when outside of the office.

Mr Duffy said: "With voicemail, your inbound call is answered by the network, the message is left, and then converted to an MP3 file and emailed to you.

"So you can pick up your voicemail wherever you are, so long as you have access to the internet."

A recent survey by T-Mobile found out that four in ten SMEs believe their mobile communication packages are overpriced.