Many people confuse IP phone systems with VoIP phone systems. Yes, they are the same in some ways, but different in one important factor for large businesses. They both provide voice transmission through Internet Protocol and packages for both provide similar services (such as Text-to-Speech/TTS, Interactive Voice Response/IVR, etc.). So from the outside, they look alike. But they differ in one main way that a large business should consider.

The difference between an IP system and a Voice over IP telephone system (VoIP) is the locus of control - an IP phone system works within a private network, and a VoIP uses public Internet for voice broadcast and receiving. Therefore, quality control with IP telephone systems is greater than it is with VoIP.

IP phone systems offer large businesses a great advantage for their call centers and their ability to network on a global scale. Though there are many advantages to using these telephone systems, a few of them are listed below:

· Unified global communications, for all offices: With IP systems, all branches of a company, no matter where they are located, can be assigned extensions. This turns several offices into one big office, and saves the company long distance charges. It also helps if a customer contacts the wrong calling area - a simple transfer to another branch's extension saves time and headaches.

· Enhance the ability to telecommute, at a cost-savings: Telecommuting can save large businesses money on building insurance costs, and is an easy way to "go green" by reducing traffic from a regular commute. Many companies are switching from traditional call centers to having workers telecommute. By using a "soft phone" - a software program placed by the company on their home computer - the employee can dial in through their DSL or Cable ISP, and receive and place calls. The caller will not be able to see any of the employee's private information, as all of it is accomplished through company software.

· Enable customers to contact the company 24/7: Because of the advantages Internet phone systems have, workers are able to connect with customers in different time zones, on different work schedules, and even remain "open 24/7" through a "global office" that the IP phone provide.

· Cost-effective disaster recovery and business continuity plans: With the traditional phone system, it would cost double to get a redundant system in place in order to keep business continuity during a disaster situation. Internet phone systems are much more cost-effective, and the cost to getting a replacement or redundant system is only and additional 10-30% of the original system. This is certainly a cost-saving measure that is vital for business continuity plans.

Of course, there are plenty more reasons for a company to use Internetphone systems, but these listed above are some of the main reasons a large business should be using IP telephony. Above all, quality control and cost-effectiveness are huge reasons to make the choice.