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Virtual call
Flexible virtual phone solutions for your business
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Written by Eric Kenney
Director, Product Marketing
Reviewed by Esther Yoon
VP, Product & Industry Marketing
Updated: 20 July 2024
With cloud-based phone system technology rapidly advancing, it’s now relatively easy to get virtual phone numbers in minutes, which gives small businesses more flexible, scalable, and affordable business communication solutions.
When you’ve got your own virtual phone number, you’ll be able to make and take a virtual call anytime, anywhere.
These virtual phone call solutions are perfect for remote teams and companies with numerous office locations. For example, they make it possible for companies to have a virtual call center that enables reps to provide the best possible customer service regardless of their location.
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?
Phoning a contact using the traditional method is simple, but is making a virtual call just as easy?
Yes. The only difference with making a virtual call is in the technology powering the call.
All that’s required to make a virtual call is business VoIP software and a secure internet connection. VoIP technology facilitates the transmission of voice data from a caller to receiver over the internet in real time. That could be over WiFi, 4G, or 5G networks.
It does this by transforming voice data inputs into digitized data packets. These digitized data packets are transported over the internet via an IP transmission and then decoded back into voice data for the recipient.
As long as your WiFi or data network has a good connection, you won’t notice a delay.
Why do businesses use virtual calls?
There are a variety of reasons why businesses use virtual phone calls:
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.
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).
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. That’s just one of the many benefits of virtual phone calling.
Let’s delve into some more advantages that virtual phone systems provide:
1. You’ll be able to work from anywhere
A top benefit that comes with virtual phone calls is the ability to work from just about anywhere. With the flexibility to pick up calls on any device (cell phone, softphone on computer, tablet), you won’t have to be in the office to answer client calls or do your work.
You’ll be able to take up all those business opportunities without worrying about missing any important calls or text messages when you’re away from your desk phones.
2. You won’t have to travel as much
As well as making it easier to work on the go, sometimes having a virtual phone is great for the opposite reason. Virtual phones mean that you won’t have to travel as much in certain scenarios.
For example, you won’t have to travel to another location to meet with a client. Instead, you’ll be able to make a very affordable international call (or video call).
3. Virtual phones make remote team collaboration easier
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 in the workplace is as easy as it would be if everyone was in the office.
That’s great for facilitating flexible working options for customer support teams, and from a cost perspective, your business can also enjoy greatly reduced utility bills.
4. You’ll be able to establish a business presence overseas
Compared to traditional telecoms, virtual telephony providers offer business phone systems at competitive international rates. And if you want to meet face to face, that’s no problem. Many virtual phone services come with great call quality and video conferencing capabilities.
Virtual calls make international expansion much more accessible and affordable too. With RingCentral, you’ll be able to activate your virtual business line, create local numbers, and make business calls to over 100 countries:
- 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.
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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.
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Ready to set up your very own virtual phone number? With RingCentral, you can get a virtual number by completing an easy setup process:
- 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.
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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.
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Virtual phone systems are relatively inexpensive. With RingCentral’s RingEX pricing plans, monthly fees start at just $20 per user when paid annually—this gives you a virtual phone service with messaging and video call functionalities, among many other features like call forwarding and call routing.
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