Many companies looking to upgrade their phone systems may not be aware of the benefits a VoIP softswitch can offer. What is a VoIP softswitch? The biggest difference between traditional phone systems and a VoIP softswitch lies in hardware vs. software. A VoIP softswitch is a software-driven phone system.

In the past, phone systems used physical switchboards to route calls; the VoIP softswitch offers a different delivery method. With a VoIP softswitch, software is used to control connections at the point where circuit networks and packet networks meet.

Today, a single device—coupled with VoIP softswitch software—can be used to handle both switching logic and switching fabric. These two VoIP softswitch components can be broken down as follows: a call agent to perform billing, routing and signaling functions and a media gateway to connect digital media streams (voice and data) into a single path.

For businesses, there are a number of advantages to using a VoIP softswitch. Perhaps the biggest advantage of a VoIP softswitch is cost. Being able to route calls over IP networks is cheaper than traditional telephony, and a VoIP softswitch, being software-based, is less expensive to buy and maintain.

Another advantage of a VoIP softswitch is ease of use and administration. A VoIP softswitch greatly simplifies administrative tasks associated with managing a phone system. In fact, most VoIP softswitches are so easy to maintain that IT staff can perform administration. The admin simplicity of a VoIP softswitch saves a company money it would otherwise have to spend on telephony experts.

For users, too, a VoIP softswitch offers advantages. Employees using a VoIP softswitch may be able to perform basic administrative tasks (like changing voicemail forwarding options) on their own, using a browser-based interface. A VoIP softswitch also may offers users the ability to remotely access the office phone system when traveling or working in the field.

Clearly, introduction of the VoIP softswitch is a positive event for businesses. If your company hasn’t considered picking a VoIP softswitch yet, now might be the time to do so!

Mae Kowalke previously wrote for Cleveland Magazine in Ohio and The Burlington Free Press in Vermont. To see more of her articles, please visit Mae Kowalke’s columnist page.

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