VoIP Resources VoIP Fundamentals Introduction to Business VoIP

Think You Don't Have Time to Switch to VoIP?

by Kevin Bartley

Switching to a cloud phone system—like OnSIP—is much faster than you may think, thanks to many user-friendly and time-saving setup features.

The incentive to switch to a VoIP phone system is always there. After all, businesses see average savings of between 50% and 75% after making the transition.

Perhaps you're already convinced that cloud VoIP will offer superior pricing, features, and flexibility. But you're also thinking that you simply don't have the time to get a VoIP phone system up and running.

That's the myth. Here's the reality. If you're a small business, you can set up your entire phone system in less than an hour with a provider like OnSIP. This is a result of certain time-saving features unique to VoIP phone systems that actually accelerate the setup and configuration process.

Configure Phones Easily


Most VoIP deskphones require only a few steps to start making calls with your VoIP service. First, you'll need to ensure that each phone can be plugged into your office Internet via an Ethernet cord. Next, you'll want to give each employee access to an outlet for the phone's power adapter. After that, all that's left is the phone registration process.

The process for registering phones to your VoIP service will vary by provider. In general, you'll need each phone's MAC address and IP address, along with your VoIP user credentials. If your provider has a boot server, you can take advantage of IP phone booting to speed up the process.

With OnSIP, you can register phones and assign to users completely on your own, without help from a support agent. Typically, the entire setup should take no longer than 15 minutes per phone.



Many VoIP services now also offer softphones for users. Softphones are phone applications that run on your smartphone, mobile device, or PC. Softphones can connect to your business VoIP account and make and receive all the calls that your deskphone can. For example, the OnSIP app is a business-grade softphone that that runs on Mac, Windows, Chrome, and Firefox. You can use the OnSIP app to completely replace your desk phone. 

Setting up a standard softphone takes only a few minutes. They're great when you're out of the office, traveling, or just need to get phones up and running during the transition to your new VoIP provider.

Make Calls Instantly

Make calls instantly with business VoIP phone service

Temporary numbers are generally provided for businesses porting their phone numbers over to a new VoIP provider. This ensures that there is no disruption during the transition process. When a caller dials the established number, she will be routed to the temporary number until the port is complete. Porting a local phone number typically takes 2 to 4 weeks, while porting a toll-free number typically takes 6 to 10 business days.

With OnSIP, you can add a phone number to your account in a matter of minutes. There's no red tape that keeps you from making calls as soon as you have a deskphone or softphone configured. You can also instantly assign phone numbers and extensions to anyone on the phone system through our online Admin Portal.

No Internet Upgrade Required

A persistent myth is that you have to upgrade your Internet bandwidth to implement VoIP. This simply isn't true. Almost all business Internet connections can handle an enterprise VoIP phone system.

A standard VoIP call uses at least 100Kpbs of bandwidth. A 720p YouTube video uses at least 1000Kpbs of bandwidth. In other words, watching a YouTube video is roughly the same as making 10 concurrent VoIP calls. An Internet connection of 5Mbps or more is ideal for VoIP. The minimum should hover around 3Mbps.

Try our VoIP Test to verify that your Internet is ready for cloud VoIP.

VoIP: How Much for an Hour of Your Time?

Is a few hours of your time worth the potential 50% - 75% in savings that VoIP offers? Only you can answer that question. But go into your decision knowing that most of the fearful preconceptions about setting up a VoIP phone system are myths.

With OnSIP, VoIP phones can be configured in a matter of minutes. You can make phone calls as soon as you register your deskphones or login to the OnSIP app. All your calls can run on your existing office Internet connection. And with our online Admin Portal, you can configure all the technical settings you need, without going through a sales or support rep.

VoIP is a lot of things. But it's certainly not time consuming.

Learn more about VoIP Fundamentals