{"id":5027,"date":"2023-06-09T01:34:47","date_gmt":"2023-06-09T05:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/2023\/06\/09\/why-the-future-of-work-depends-on-voip\/"},"modified":"2023-06-09T01:34:47","modified_gmt":"2023-06-09T05:34:47","slug":"why-the-future-of-work-depends-on-voip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/why-the-future-of-work-depends-on-voip\/5027\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Future of Work Depends on VoIP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Reilly Nolan, Content Marketing Manager,\u00a0Webex by Cisco<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Now that employees are splitting time between home and the office, distributed workforces are doing their jobs more flexibly, happily, and efficiently than ever before. According to research from Owl Labs,\u00a062% of employees<\/a>\u00a0feel more productive when working remotely. In fact, people love hybrid work\u00a0so<\/em>\u00a0much<\/em>\u00a0that 1 in 2 are even willing to take a pay cut of 5% or more just to maintain their flexibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Suffice to say, hybrid work is here to stay. \u00a0But with all it\u2019s benefits, hybrid work still presents plenty of challenges, too. \u00a0Many businesses are struggling to communicate and collaborate as they would in a typical work environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where cloud calling comes into play. But first, let\u2019s dig deeper into the technology that makes cloud calling possible: VoIP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

What is VoIP?<\/h2>\n

VoIP stands for\u00a0Voice-over-Internet-Protocol<\/a>. In simple terms, VoIP allows you to place phone calls over an internet \u00a0connection instead of a traditional landline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how it works: When you make a call, a VoIP system synthesizes your voice signal into smaller data packets and ships them over the internet to an awaiting IP address. If you\u2019re calling a regular telephone, the solution converts the digital signal into a traditional format before reaching the recipient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Unlike a traditional PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network)VoIP systems don\u2019t use physical phone lines or cables. This means businesses can deploy a full phone system for both internal and external calls, entirely in the cloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

And the best part? All it takes is an internet connection. That means\u00a0anyone<\/em>\u00a0can use VoIP from\u00a0any location<\/em>\u00a0on\u00a0any device<\/em>. That\u2019s flexibility you just don\u2019t get from a traditional PSTN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Why VoIP is a must-have solution<\/h2>\n

The adoption of VoIP for business has been gaining steam for well over a decade. As a matter of fact,\u00a0cloud calling licenses have nearly doubled<\/a>\u00a0from 47 million in 2018 to more than 90 million in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The U.K. is even planning on\u00a0shutting down<\/a>\u00a0its entire PSTN by the end of 2025. Once its aging infrastructure has sunset all calls will become digitized through VoIP calling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Of course, some forward-thinking businesses are ahead of the curve. During the pandemic, when countless organizations shifted toward remote-first policies, several identified cloud calling as a necessary upgrade from costly on-premises solutions. Fueled by the continued use of hybrid work, the\u00a0global VoIP market<\/a>\u00a0will more than double in size to roughly $100 billion in 2032.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

So, why VoIP? Well, consider the drawbacks of legacy infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Traditional systems are inflexible in terms of adequately supporting a distributed workforce. Worse yet, they\u2019re exceptionally complex and expensive to install, manage, and maintain. As phone systems age, older hardware becomes obsolete, requiring recurring upgrades and potentially costly overhauls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Benefits of VoIP and cloud calling<\/h2>\n

VoIP systems aren\u2019t restricted by the \u00a0on-prem limitations of PSTN and Public Branch Exchange (PBX) systems. \u00a0By enabling comprehensive\u00a0cloud calling<\/a>\u00a0solutions, VoIP offers a range of advantages, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n