Save on your phone bill by using your PC to make phone calls
By Bill Jenkins
The very idea of an "adventure in technology" probably doesn't sound especially appealing to most agents.
"The server has crashed."
"The Web site is down."
"That file can't be found."
"The backup failed."
Any of these things could be cause for an "adventure in technology." Not a pleasant thought!
This is a true story of a different sort of technology adventure--one without a lot of angst and a happy ending resulting in clear and ongoing cost savings.
It starts with the arrival of our telephone bill and a moment of clarity: "$400! How can we be spending that much a month?"
At ASCnet, as the user group for agents and brokers using Applied Systems technology, we're making calls all over the United States and Canada. While we occasionally make calls to our members in the United Kingdom, we rely much more on e-mail for communication with our members in that part of the world.
Since we make so many long distance calls, we already have about the best rate the phone company offers--but still, the charges add up quickly, especially with all those add-on charges to our bill.
Agents and brokers find themselves in similar circumstances for a variety of reasons and often their biggest costs are for those expensive intrastate calls made to neighboring towns and communities. Because we've all dealt with these expenses for years (changing carriers with sometimes mixed results), cost control is an ongoing battle.
So where's the adventure in all of this? It comes from one of today's fastest changing technology frontiers called "Voice over Internet Protocol" or VoIP for short. Put simply, VoIP sends telephone conversations over the Internet. While the technology behind this and the solutions offered by a variety of providers can be quite complicated, there are some simple solutions.
I had heard about this technology earlier from several colleagues who were using it. So, I gave them a call with some questions. Is it really simple--just plug a box into our network and plug an ordinary phone into that same box? Is the voice quality good? Is it really flat rate billing? The answer to all of these questions was yes. It's simple and it works fine, with simple pricing. Ah, but does it tie up our Internet access and slow down our computerized processes?
So, considering the results others were experiencing, we decided to subscribe. The service provider we chose is Vonage, which can be found on the Internet at www.vonage.com. While Vonage is the example in ASCnet's technology adventure, ASCnet is not endorsing this provider in any way. As the accompanying sidebar shows, there are other providers in the marketplace. Vonage is simply who we are using right now.
One of the reasons we chose Vonage was that we could order the service on a month-to-month basis. If we weren't satisfied, we didn't have any type of long-term commitment and could simply stop using it. That was very appealing.
When we first started using our VoIP phone connection, the first of our staff to use it was the person making the most long distance calls--to our chapters and members all across the United States and Canada. It worked fine. Except for the occasional hiccup, it was difficult to tell the difference between VoIP and a regular long distance phone connection.
Continuing our adventure in technology, we experimented with using a standard household cordless phone, instead of a corded telephone. We discovered we could pass the cordless phone around the office and anyone could use it to make long distance calls. With Vonage, we are paying a basic flat fee of $49.99 for unlimited long distance throughout the United States and to Canada with only a small amount added in taxes and other fees. That's quite different than the additional fees with our traditional phone service.
Passing the phone around the office worked so well that we've recently purchased a new cordless phone that allows us to add additional cordless handsets which can stay on a number of desks in our office. The model we have has a privacy feature which prevents anyone from picking up the line when the phone is in use.
"Voice over IP is certainly something to think about. The investment is small and the cost savings could be substantial."
--Bill Jenkins, Executive Director, Applied Systems Client Network
All in all it's been quite an adventure. So far, there has been nothing but positives--complex technology made simple and used in a simple straightforward way.
No doubt there are many agency owners and principals who are in a position to take advantage of the true cost savings offered by Voice over IP technology. While there are many complicated VoIP solutions in the marketplace which might be right for some, there are other simple solutions like the one ASCnet selected that could be right for many agents and brokers.
Voice over IP is certainly something to think about. The investment is small and the cost savings could be substantial. Do some research and find a solution that works for you in this hot new area of VoIP.
Have your own "adventure in technology." *
The author
Bill Jenkins is executive director of the Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet) based in Altamonte Springs, Florida. He has been involved in the insurance industry for more than 17 years in the areas of marketing, advertising, communication and technology.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS
Here are some service provider sites:
http://www.vonage.com
http://www.iconnecthere.com/
http://www.packet8.net/
http://www.usa.att.com/callvantage/action/smp
http://www.broadvox.net/
http://www.voiceglo.com/
This site explains the technology:
http://www.fcc.gov/voip/