What Are the Advantages of Softphones?

You might already be familiar with desk phones, cordless DECT phones, conference phones and smartphones, but are you familiar with softphones?

While desk phones and DECT phones are pieces of physical hardware that sit on your desks or in your workspace, a softphone is just a piece of software that can be downloaded to a smartphone or computer to make and receive calls. As businesses move towards increasingly flexible working hours and locations, softphones are gaining in popularity with a host of advantages over physical phones sitting on desks.

Webphone, desktop apps or smartphone apps?

Typically a webphone is a softphone, but not all softphones are webphones. Softphones can in fact take the form of a mobile smartphone app, a desktop app for your computer or a browser-based webphone. As the name suggests, webphones are accessible via a web browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge or Safari. Softphones are built for IP or VoIP telephony are sometimes referred to as VoIP apps or calling apps too.

A desktop app can be downloaded direct to your computer or laptop desktop. So it’s always available to access from your dock or home screen without having to open up a web browser. A desktop should be compatible with your operating system, for example Windows, Mac OS or Linux.

Smartphone apps are mobile softphone apps that can be downloaded to your iOS and Android smartphone. Like desktop softphones, there’s no need to use a web browser to make and receive phone calls.

Are softphones a soft option?

From the name you might be forgiven for thinking that softphones are a soft touch when it comes to business calling, but you’d be wrong. The Yay.com softphone app puts the power of our business phone system into the palm of your hand.

Softphones are adaptable in ways that desk phones aren’t. If you travel a lot for work, work from different locations, are a big fan of co-working spaces, or just don’t have a desk job, then softphones offer unrivalled flexibility. Downloading a softphone app to your smartphone means that you can be easily contacted on your business phone number even when you’re travelling. If you’re based over multiple offices, in multiple countries for example, a webphone ensures you only need access to a web browser to start making calls. Working from anywhere you want to has never been easier.

Expense is another area where softphones come into their own. For businesses that are just starting up, using softphones can really lower overheads. Saving on the cost of desk phones can free up budget for marketing and any other expenses needed when kickstarting a new venture. Our softphone app is free to all Yay.com customers, so there are no extra outlay on hardware needed to get your startup up and running.

Softphones also make it easy to switch between devices, which is great if you receive a call before you get in the office and want to conclude it on your office desk phone. Transferring calls to another device or another colleague is something our phone system and softphone take in their stride. The same goes for sharing contacts from your smartphone for use with your softphone too.

With our Cloud phone system, you have the choice of using the hardware or software to meet your needs. Whether that is a softphone on your smartphone, webphone, a physical phone on your desk or DECT phone in a warehouse, it’s all completely up to you and available with us.

The Yay.com hosted VoIP system offers HD calling, more efficient battery and data use than other calling apps as well as a host of features, including IVR call menus, crm integrations, call recording and more. Our softphone was built in-house, from the ground up to be the most reliable and easy to use app around. So, whatever your choice of device to make and receive your calls, we’re sure you’ll find that we’re the only choice as a VoIP service provider.