Download Softphone
Marylee Guffy
A softphone runs on most devices and platforms. You can get softphone software that runs on Macs, Windows devices, Linux devices, desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones and more. Most softphones can also run from a web browser. As long as you have a microphone and speaker, you will be able to connect from wherever you are.
Another important advantage of softphones is that they empower your team with all the expected tools of a modern workplace. Technology is advancing rapidly. And our expectations as consumers is that we should be able to access everything at our fingertips from the convenience of our smartphones. Your employees of all ages are most likely expecting more from their workplace and want a solution that allows them flexibility in the way the communicate with each other and with clients.
You have a team of smart people working for you. Empower them to work efficiently with a softphone that allows them to get an instant access to all their office communication tools and collaborate easily. Modern cell phones and laptops are tools we carry with us wherever we go and softphones allow you to bring your work phone along with you, wherever your travels take you. In short, providing softphone systems allow your team to work the way they expect to.
Inspired to create a modern workplace? Start by future-proofing your business communications with Bria Teams. Leveraging the award-winning Bria softphone technology, it offers a complete VoIP business phone system that enables your employees to access all the communications channels in one place. From high quality, secure voice and video calling to private and group chat, real-time screen sharing, presence and tons of other features, Bria Teams enables your employees with more dynamic ways to communicate. Setup is easy and you can manage your team from one convenient dashboard. Competitively priced starting at $3.95/month per user, you can try it free for 30 days!
A softphone is a software program for making telephone calls over the Internet using a general purpose computer rather than dedicated hardware. The softphone can be installed on a piece of equipment such as a desktop, mobile device, or other computer and allows the user to place and receive calls without requiring an actual telephone set.[1] Often, a softphone is designed to behave like a traditional telephone, sometimes appearing as an image of a handset, with a display panel and buttons with which the user can interact. A softphone is usually used with a headset connected to the sound card of the PC or with a USB phone.[2]
A typical softphone has all standard telephony features (DND, Mute, DTMF, Flash, Hold, Transfer etc.) and often additional features typical for online messaging, such as user presence indication, video, wide-band audio. Softphones provide a variety of audio codecs, a typical minimum set is G.711 and G.729.
Bandwidth issues manifest themselves mostly through jitter and latency (which sounds like skipping or garbled speech on the phone) and dropped calls. However, these issues can be eliminated with careful planning. QoS (quality of service) adjustments can be made to your router to prioritize voice packets over other less time-sensitive information. Most VoIP softphone services can do this for you remotely.
One of the key features of softphone solutions is their capability to deliver next-level customer experience. This is due, in part, to the level of personalization you and your team can put into the system.
No one likes to be left on hold, but with softphone providers, you can take the pain out of the process and customize call queuing, including personalized messages and even hold music. You can also bring this level of customization to your voicemail setup, too, creating bespoke greetings for your customers. Meanwhile, visual voicemail allows your team to quickly scan the content rather than listen to the whole message.
The newest innovation in softphone technology has been the cloud-based VoIP phone system. Cloud-based solutions completely eliminate the need for onsite servers and physical phones. These business phones are downloadable software applications that can run on multiple devices, creating more advantages than other phone systems.
Adjustments to call routing structures (how incoming calls are categorized and whose phone rings in what order) were extremely difficult with legacy phone systems. On virtual softphone systems, this process is as easy as adjusting your email inbox settings. Additional customizations, like an IVR system or personalized voicemail messages, are achievable through the admin dashboard.
It might be a case of not running before you can walk, but when your team is ready, the possibilities of softphone solutions can help them develop new skills, bring autonomy into their performance, and share skills with their colleagues.
Ask yourself about scalability too. It could be that the phone lines your softphone provider offers from the start is just what you need, but what about in the future? Picture where you want your business to go and ask yourself whether this softphone provider can get you there.
As the world goes virtual, flexible communications solutions are becoming more and more important. You might have heard of softphone systems when it comes to business communications, although that terminology is getting replaced by other, more modern categories of tools like unified communications.
Generally, softphones are software-based phone systems that offer internet-based calling with other additional features. (Gone are the days when business phone calls could only be made from the desk!)
Basically, a softphone is a type of software-based phone. It allows you to make phone calls over an internet connection without needing designated physical hardware, and it can be installed on desktops and mobile devices. In short, softphones help you make telephone calls without an actual telephone.
All you have to do is speak into your phone normally (or connect a headset and a speaker to it). The softphone then mimics desk phone functions by using VoIP phone technology (aka voice over internet protocol) to facilitate internet-based voice calls.
Because all of its features are written directly into the software, softphone applications tend to offer a very intuitive user experience, making call transfers, holds, and voicemails simple and easy to navigate.
RingCentral provides all-inclusive desktop solutions that include softphone, fax, text, video calls, and many more additional features. RingCentral transforms computers into powerful telecommunications devices with RingCentral Phone software.
Softphone applications make it easy to connect with colleagues and teams via conference call on their work phones. And for even more flexibility, softphones tend to have both desktop and mobile apps, which means that you should be able to flip a call between your computer and cell phone in the middle of a conversation (just in case you need to step away from your desk quickly):
When choosing a softphone provider, the most important thing is to hone in on features that matter to you and your organizational culture. Look out for the key features first (voicemail, call forwarding, transfer, redial, hold, etc.) If the provider has the basics down, then check out their additional features. Be sure to look into how many phone lines you need and how many the provider is able to support.
Finally, VoIP (voice over IP) services can operate under multiple different protocols. Because of this, be sure to check that the softphone system you choose uses the same protocol as your VoIP provider. Make sure you know what your softphone provider covers. Things that you might need include:
See how telephone-dependent real estate firm Dancik Capital Group uses RingCentral softphone technology to connect with partners and clients from anywhere, whether in the office or on the road. (Founder Matt Danik communicates with partners across Southern California and New York constantly!)
Decide how many phone lines your business will need in operation at any one time and make sure that the softphone provider you choose can give you that many lines. Find out how flexible they are: Can you scale during busy periods? Do they provide custom phone numbers, and can you easily create a single business identity?
Want to work from anywhere? A softphone will let you make phone calls from your computer or mobile device through an app. No desk phones needed. Sign up for a 14-day free trial to see how Dialpad's AI-powered collaboration platform works! It takes just a few minutes and you'll be set up with a virtual number too.
That means you need a cloud phone system or collaboration platform that lets you make VoIP calls (aka. Voice over Internet Protocol) using a desktop or mobile app. These are also called softphones or softphone apps, and they're pretty much essential for any remote or hybrid team that needs to stay in touch with clients, prospects, and teammates outside the office.
Not all softphone apps come with these, so make sure to try the features out in a sales demo or free trial. For example, Dialpad comes with a video conferencing feature that has robust security controls. Hosts can mute participants, remove unwanted guests, and even admit people into the meeting from a virtual waiting room:
Zoiper is a flexible softphone app. It supports many types of codes for VoIP calls, making it a versatile choice for businesses of all sizes. It requires IT pros to set up and deploy across your company.
The new softphone experience will allow users to manage their calls from a dedicated softphone window rather than the main desktop or web app. The window will stay on top of other windows, making it easy to find your call.
To use the Cardinal Voice Softphone (either via Webex or Jabber), you must have University IT activate the service with your Stanford phone number. If you do not have a Stanford phone number, contact your department administrator and have them complete a request via OrderIT. If you already have a Stanford phone number, simply submit a Help request to activate the softphone feature.
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