What is a Softphone and Why does it Matter?
- July 1, 2022
- Author: Keith Young
A softphone is a program (software) that allows you to use a device in the place of a phone – whether that be a laptop, tablet, call phone, or anything else.
Also known as a web phone, softphones allow for simpler setup and more versatility, as well as ease of use.
Advantages of using a Softphone
There are plenty of benefits to using a softphone system over a regular phone system. It’s flexible and versatile.
Keep your personal info private
If you’re worried about privacy when using the softphone on your personal cell, there’s no need to worry – your personal info and work info are kept completely separate, as your business calls are made via the softphone application rather than your default phone app. There’s no risk of leaking your phone number or any other sensitive info.
Usable on any device – from anywhere
Every business wants a versatile system, and in this regard softphone systems blow physical phone systems out of the water.
As a software, a softphone can be installed in minutes on any device that is supported. (for UC softphone, that’s just about any device you can think of!)
This alone makes a softphone system far more versatile than a regular phone system.
On top of being installable on any device, the fact that it operates via the internet makes a softphone usable anywhere. You can make office calls from a cafe and you won’t even have to use your personal phone line.
If a customer calls you while you’re somewhere outside the office – at the gym, for example – they won’t know the difference!
How Softphone Makes your Life Easier
Versatility is amazing, but it’s even better when coupled with ease-of-use.
Complicated, non-user-friendly systems are oftentimes more trouble than they’re worth. Not so with an intuitive system like this!
By keeping your solutions simple, your business will be healthier and more efficient in the long run.
No long-distance fees
Since softphones operate over the internet, they aren’t subject to long-distance fees. This makes it easier and less costly to reach out to clients around the world. If they’re using a softphone as well, long-distance fees are eliminated completely!
Use this advantage to branch out and make international customers!
Keep organized with visual voicemail + voicemail transcription
Even if you only have a few messages, voicemail menus are a headache to navigate since you can’t see anything.
Visual voicemail displays all your messages on your device’s screen, complete with the contact info of the people who sent them.
UnitedCloud offers an even faster feature: voicemail transcription!
All incoming voicemails are automatically turned into text and sent straight into your email inbox. Shave a 20-minute voicemail listening session down to 3 minutes of reading with this feature.
The audio file is also attached to the email in case of a low-quality call or another issue causing an incorrect transcription, so you’re guaranteed to get a clear message no matter what.
Drag-and-drop calls to transfer
Handle calls with ease. No need to memorize digit combinations or anything fancy. See everything from one screen and simply drag calls from one place to another.
If you’re interested in our softphone, read Everything You Need To Get Started With A Cloud Phone Solution here.
Add phone lines to your system easily
Adding new phone lines to a physical phone system requires hardware setup which will cost you time and money.
In contrast, adding a softphone is a hardware-free process (apart from the device being used, of course) and requires no physical setup. The time and cost savings are huge!
Check out Comparing Costs of a Premises-Based Phone System & A Cloud Phone Solution for a full breakdown.
Integrate with other business tools
Integrations increase the value of a softphone system tremendously.
Physical phone systems aren’t able to integrate with other apps, but with a softphone system, there are a variety of different applications and software that you can use to make your daily activities much easier.
CRM
When you’re on a call with a client – especially for customer service – you’ll need to pull up their info from your CRM system. This can be time-consuming if you have a lot of customers, and your caller won’t want to wait too long.
With CRM integration, anyone who’s in your CRM system will have their info pulled up on your screen automatically as soon as the call connects. This makes for a smoother call – for both you and the client!
Video Conferencing
Sometimes a phone call needs to transition into a video conference. Ordinarily, to do this you’d be forced to hang up, get on your computer, send a link to connect via email, and connect that way. But if you’re both using softphones and have a camera set up, you can transition into a video call with a few clicks! No need to switch devices.
Presence – see who’s available at all times
When reaching out to a colleague for assistance, it gets frustrating to be met with a busy tone for every person you call until you find someone who picks up.
What if you could call the person who’s actually available without having to try everybody first? That’s what presence does. You’re able to see the status of each one of your team members, busy or available – as well as whether they’re on a call, on break, etc.
Save yourself time and frustration by using this feature.
And to learn about even more of softphone’s benefits, check out 8 Ways a Cloud Phone System Improves Business Communications.
The Best Phone System for your Business
A softphone system can massively benefit your business. UC softphone offers all these features in one great solution.
For more info on this solution as well as the other tools we have to offer, contact us today!
