Organisations can gain a number of benefits by implementing VoIP but these will depend on the requirements, the situation and the type of organisation.
If an organisation is moving to a new office without a telephone system already installed then it may make sense to implement VoIP immediately rather than investing in a traditional Private Automated Branch Exchange (PABX). It is possible to then save money on cabling because both data and voice calls can use the same infrastructure, rather than having two sets of cables, one for voice calls and one for sending emails.
If organisations have a small office without a PABX but with only one or two incoming lines, and already have an internet connection, it would be wise to approach your Internet Service Provider in order to see what they offer. At this stage you may find that there is very little price difference between using VoIP and a traditional phone system on the basis that the major telecommunications companies, or carriers as they are often known, are reducing their prices and becoming extremely competitive.
Having multiple offices or working remotely is where the benefits of VoIP can be really achieved. Normally each office will need a PABX system, which will no longer be required as all calls can be routed or directed across one internet connection. This means that internal calls across the company can be free, helping you make considerable cost savings.
VoIP can have an impact on improving work within an organisation and improve efficiency. This is because VoIP treats voice as if it were any other kind of data such as email, documents or presentations. This means that users can, for example, participate in online meetings via high-quality video whilst working on the same material, going through the same presentation or revising the same document, simultaneously. An example of this is people working in different parts of the world, collaborating on a particular project by using VoIP as a low cost method of communicating ideas regularly without worrying about the cost of calls.
Using VoIP can potentially lower the costs of managing your overall network because you only have one system to support and manage.