Virtual call
Virtual phone systems use cloud-based VoIP to provide flexible, scalable, and affordable communication solutions that grow with your business.
What is a virtual call?
A virtual phone call is any call made using a virtual phone number. Unlike traditional phone systems and their associated phone numbers—which were designed to work over one physically connected phone line in one physical location—virtual lines aren’t linked to individual landline phones or any specific device.
Instead, a virtual phone number can be routed and redirected between multiple devices and IP addresses. Your virtual telephone number is essentially an online number that can be used alongside personal numbers on any device—even your personal phone.
You can make and receive phone calls from your virtual phone line whether you’re using your desktop app, iOS, Android, or any other internet-enabled device. That’s what makes virtual phone calls so convenient for on-the-go workers and geographically dispersed teams.
Virtual telephone lines combine Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology and cloud PBX (private branch exchange) to provide flexible business calling solutions for you and your business.
Often, virtual calls are used to forward calls to a business’ other destination numbers (over business landlines and VoIP phone systems) in accordance with set call routing rules.
How does a virtual phone call work?
Making a virtual call is just as simple as making a traditional phone call. The only difference lies in the technology powering the connection.
1. Internet connection
The foundation of any virtual call is a stable internet connection. Instead of relying on copper wires, VoIP technology transmits your voice via WiFi, 4G, or 5G networks. As long as your connection is secure and reliable, you can place a call from anywhere.
2. Software or app
To bridge the gap between your device and the internet, you need a virtual phone system. This is typically a dedicated app installed on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer that acts as your interface for managing communications.
3. Account setup
Once your software is installed, you simply log into your business account. This account links your specific virtual phone number to your device, ensuring that when you make a call, the recipient sees your professional ID rather than your personal data. This setup is the core component of a modern virtual call center, allowing teams to work from anywhere.
4. Contact list
Virtual systems let you sync your existing contact lists or build new ones in the app. This makes initiating a call as simple as tapping a name, removing the need to manually dial numbers or maintain separate address books.
5. Initiating a call
When you start a call, the software begins converting your voice into data. From the user's perspective, this feels identical to using a standard phone—you dial, the phone rings, and the recipient answers.
6. Audio and video transmission
This is where the technology shines. VoIP enables the real-time transmission of voice data from caller to receiver by converting voice signals into digitized data packets. These packets are transported over the internet via IP transmission and then decoded back into clear audio (or video) for the recipient.
7. Quality of call
The quality of a virtual call is directly tied to your bandwidth. With a strong WiFi or data network, the transmission is so fast that you won’t notice a delay, resulting in high-definition audio that often sounds clearer than traditional landline connections.
Why do businesses use virtual calls?
There are a variety of reasons why businesses use virtual phone calls:
1. Reduce expenditure on long-distance calls
With so many businesses now having a geographically dispersed workforce, long-distance calls are a necessity to keep employees connected. Virtual calls make this possible at a fraction of the cost of traditional long-distance calls.
2. Keep personal phone numbers hidden
A virtual caller can use their own devices without having to reveal their personal cell phone number to whoever they call. Typically you’d use an app on your phone to make that call. That app is associated with a virtual phone number that’s separate from your phone’s number, which was assigned from your own telecommunications provider (like AT&T or T-Mobile).
3. Stay connected at all times
Virtual calls are crucial to business communication today because they make it possible for your employees to speak to colleagues whether they’re in the office, at home, or on a train.
Benefits of virtual phone calling
Because virtual calling can be done from anywhere and on any mobile device, businesses enjoy tremendous flexibility. Beyond simple convenience, let’s delve into the specific advantages that modern virtual phone systems provide:
1. Convenient and time-saving
Virtual systems eliminate the need for manual setup and hardware maintenance. Features like auto-receptionists and AI-driven voicemail transcription allow you to process information faster. Instead of listening to long recordings, you can read transcripts on the go, saving hours of administrative time every week.
2. Cost-effective
Virtual phone systems are significantly more affordable than traditional landlines. With RingCentral’s pricing starting at just $20 per user (billed annually), you avoid high installation fees. From a cost perspective, your business can also enjoy greatly reduced utility bills and take advantage of very affordable international rates for both voice and video calls.
3. Improved collaboration
Virtual calls are a huge reason the switch to remote work was possible. When your team is set up with a virtual phone system, it doesn’t matter where your employees are in the world; collaboration is as easy as if everyone were in the office. This is especially effective for facilitating flexible working options for customer support teams who need to stay synced in real-time.
4. Enhanced flexibility
A top benefit of virtual calling is the ability to work from just about anywhere. With the flexibility to pick up calls on any device—be it a cell phone, a softphone on your computer, or a tablet—you won’t have to be in the office to answer client calls. You can take up business opportunities without worrying about missing important calls or text messages when you’re away from your desk phones.
5. Environmentally friendly
Switching to a virtual system helps reduce your business’s carbon footprint. By eliminating the need for bulky physical hardware and copper wiring, you reduce electronic waste. Additionally, because you won’t have to travel as much to meet with clients in person, you significantly cut down on the emissions associated with commuting and business travel.
6. Easily scalable
Virtual systems don;t need complex hardware installation and implementation You don’t need a technician to come to your office to add a new line; you can activate your virtual business line, create local numbers, and make business calls to over 100 countries in minutes. This scalability makes international expansion much more affordable and allows you to establish a global presence instantly.
- Algeria
- Angola
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Benin
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Brunei Darussalam
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- French Guiana
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgystan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Phillippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Reunion
- Romania
- Russia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
The best virtual phone service
For the best virtual phone service, look for providers that go beyond basic features.
RingCentral offers an industry-leading unified communications solution designed to solve most, if not all, your business communications needs.
Aside from telephony and PBX capabilities, the RingCentral app features advanced virtual communications and collaboration tools like video conferencing with screen sharing and team messaging with file sharing and task management.
The best part is that all of these powerful tools can be accessed from a single platform, which means you won’t have to constantly switch from one app to another.
Try it now with a free trial.
Get an agile, flexible, and affordable virtual call solution
Virtual phone calls use Voice over Internet Protocol technology to transmit multimedia data via the internet, making business communications much easier than before.
You don’t have to be stuck to the office desk all day or near an analog phone to make essential business calls. With a virtual phone, you can make and receive virtual calls no matter where you are.
Virtual call FAQs
A virtual phone call is a call that’s much like a traditional call that you’d make on your landline or cell phone, except that the connection is made via the internet rather than physical cables.
Virtual phone calls are more cost-effective than calls made using a landline or cell phone, making them ideal for long-distance calls as they cost a fraction of the price of traditional long-distance calls.
|
Virtual calls work using an internet connection, software, and devices you probably already have, like a cell phone or laptop.
Of course, the exact process of making virtual calls varies according to the service provider you’ve chosen. But, in general, the first thing you need to do is ensure that you have a reliable WiFi or mobile data internet connection.
Then, download the relevant software or app provided by your chosen company. Each virtual calling app will offer its own unique set of features.
Once you’ve installed your app or software onto your device, set up an account, and you should be able to make virtual calls straight away. Add your contact list to make it quick and easy to call people you need to stay in touch with.
When you make a virtual call, the call will be connected via your internet connection, and you’ll be able to speak to your chosen contact. Remember, if you’re calling from an app on your personal cell phone, it won’t be your personal phone number that shows up on the phone of the person you’re calling—it’ll be the phone number your virtual calling provider gave you. If your app or software offers video calling, you’ll be able to see the person you’re speaking to as well.
|
- Sign up, then log into your RingCentral account.
- Navigate to “phone system” and select “phone numbers” on the sidebar.
- Under “phone number,” navigate to the assigned tab, and select “add number.”
- Select your country location or area code.
- Choose whether you need a local phone number, toll-free number, or vanity number.
- Choose a number from the list and select “add numbers,” then “next.”
- Assign your new number to any of the following:
- Auto-receptionist
- Extension
- RingCentral audio conferencing
- RingCentral meeting
- Click “next.”
- Finalize and confirm your order.
- Save your receipt to keep a record of your order.
Yes, you can keep your old number. With a virtual phone, you can convert your existing phone number to a virtual phone number via a process known as “porting.” Porting generally takes seven to 10 business days.
With RingCentral, the cost of negotiating the transfer of your number from your existing phone carrier is shouldered by us.
We can port most toll-free, wireless, and landline numbers in the United States, Canada, and many other countries. You can also port your prepaid cell phone number. All you need is your wireless account number and PIN.
|
Virtual phone numbers are designed to be usable internationally. You can get a virtual phone number almost anywhere in the world—just check which countries your phone provider covers beforehand.
Typically, phone service providers have virtual phone functionalities available in 50+ countries. But some offer even more.
With RingCentral, you’ll be able to create a local call presence in over 100 countries and place unlimited outgoing calls to the US and Canada. You can also place outgoing calls and faxes to international destinations and use your international number as your caller ID.
|
- Local numbers: To establish a presence in specific geographic areas.
- Toll-free numbers: To allow customers to call you from anywhere in the US at no cost.
- Vanity numbers: Custom numbers (like 1-800-FLOWERS) to boost brand recognition.
- International numbers: To allow global customers to reach you via a local-to-them digits.
- Existing numbers: Most landline and mobile numbers can be ported over to your virtual system.
- Download the app: Install your provider’s app (such as the RingCentral app) from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store.
- Log in: Use your business credentials to sign in.
- Dial the number: Use the keypad within the app or select a contact from your synced list.
- Place the call: The app will use your internet connection (WiFi or mobile data) to connect the call, displaying your business number as the Caller ID instead of your personal mobile number.