OF ALL the equipment in their offices, insurance agents probably use their telephone systems the most and think about them the least. As long as you can reach the people you want to call and they can reach you, the phone system doesn't get much attention. But maybe it should. The systems have evolved, and today's systems can change the way we think about phone service.

One of the biggest developments is Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, which allows phone calls through the Internet. By itself, VoIP might not seem to offer an advantage over using a conventional telephone line. But after I researched the system's potential, we purchased one immediately.

A VoIP phone system connects all of the phone extensions in an office to an electronic server that is controlled by a PC, as part of a network-much like the office's workstations are networked through a server for data communication. Telephones at an agency's multiple office locations can be connected to the network regardless of their distance from one another-they are integrated as if they were phone lines in the same office. Thus a call from one office to another would be just like a call to an office extension, meaning that long-distance charges would no longer apply, even for offices in another area code. (You would need to identify each office with a “prefix” number, such as 1, 2, or 3, before dialing an extension number.)

This system allows you to forward calls to office extensions, just as you could with a “land line.” You can forward calls to a 24-hour live claim service, or to your cell phone when you're traveling. If you're in transit to another agency office, your “home” extension can be forwarded to your cell number while you're en route, then to an extension at that other office when you arrive.

Setting up a forwarded number is as easy as turning on the “Out of Office” feature in Microsoft Outlook for e-mail messages. While at a remote office, you can use a programs license for a “soft phone” to make what would be a local call from the home office; though you are in another location while calling, the system still treats it as a local call. The soft-phone license is actually a software program for your own telephone system that allows your computer to connect to the rest of the office, just like your computer was an extension phone on your phone server.

The system's potential extends to a variety of additional uses. Employees working at home can use the soft-phone feature as a free extension for their home workstation. Agencies can transfer voice mail messages to their Outlook system as e-mail attachments, which itself has more than one benefit. The wide availability of Internet access means you can check your voice mail while on the road, just by logging into your Outlook account. Using relatively inexpensive computer memory to save all voice mail messages is a good E&O loss-control strategy, and recording incoming calls is also a good way to monitor the quality of your agency's customer service.

The combination of the VoIP, the soft-phone program and a headset lets you call your office from any remote location at which Internet access is available. The soft-phone program displays a list of your office extensions on-screen and indicates which extensions are busy and which are free. A simple double-click on a free-line icon on your screen connects your call. The potential cost savings of this feature are great, in light of the relatively substantial long-distance charges at many hotels.

These systems are becoming as affordable as they are impressive. Ten years ago, a six-extension phone system might cost $6,500, in addition to the cost of a service agreement. Today a six-extension VoIP system can be purchased on a five-year lease for only $200 per month. Even for a small office, VoIP phone systems have created an affordable new way to think about phone communication. One live demonstration is certain to get your attention.

Special Reports /

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