Need help installing the new CallHarborUC, or migrating from the existing CallHarbor Mobile app? Contact our support team today for assistance in the migration and installation. Setting changes may be required for users that are currently utilizing CallHarbor Mobile.

support@callharbor.com or 833-363-VOIP

The best features of CallHarborUC:

The new and improved CallHarbor Mobile App is available for iOS & Android, and can be used to do so much more than call. CallHarborUC allows you to take your business extension with you. With just a few taps, login using your CallHarbor credentials to instantly access your extension. Stay connected and in control of your professional communications effortlessly with CallHarborUC. With our application, you can enjoy more than just the standard VolP features. You can place calls, receive calls, reorder answering rules, check voicemail, and send chat + SMS. You can also view the presence of your other staff members right from your mobile phone. 

Inbound/Outbound Calling Utilizing Business Phone Number

Having the simple ability to receive and place calls utilizing your business phone number on your mobile phone is big enough of a perk in itself to convince you to utilize CallHarborUC. Employees can truly go mobile without having to be tied down to a desk, or a physical wired device. You can even set up your Answering Rules to ring your desk phone, for example, 4 times before it begins ringing your Mobile App. Even if you’re in the vicinity of your desk phone, you still don’t have to be tied to it. Making calls to colleagues, clients, and partners without having to share your personal information or cell phone number makes sure that you keep things professional.

with CallHarborUC, you also have the option to adjust settings to use either WiFi or mobile data to conduct calling. You are able to switch between the two so, you won’t use up any data if you are on WiFi, but you also have the option to continue to use the mobile app wherever you go!

Text Messaging & Inner-Office Chat

Team messaging is a big pillar of how many teams work together. It’s a foundation for a strong culture of collaboration. You can utilize inner-office right from our mobile app to stay in touch with coworkers easily and conveniently. Instead of paying for other services to chat, you can cut costs by utilizing our messaging that is included in your CallHarbor package.

Many customers like having the option to text a salesperson, whether it’s to ask a question or confirm an appointment. A great part about utilizing SMS and MMS with CallHarbor is that you can get started immediately. You don’t need any additional downloads or heavy integrations. Simply log in to our online portal and start communicating with your customers.

SMS also works well on its own as a marketing channel, and it also works to enhance other channels such as email, social media or calling. Many businesses are finding that SMS is a good way to send appointment reminders, organize food pickup and delivery notices, and send event invitations and confirmations. It’s a great way to provide your customers with a quick and easy customer service experience, while keeping the conversation on track and organized.

By listening to our partners & customers we have been able to completely redesign our app from the bottom up. With new and improved built-in diagnostic tools and all the same features you love from the old app (visual voicemail, answering rule management, greeting management, and so much more!) CallHarborUC is here to help your company move forward with more efficient mobile communication. Now available to download for both iOS and Android.

The post Enhance Your Communication with CallHarbor UC: Explore the New Mobile App! appeared first on CallHarbor.

A softphone is a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) application that lets users make and receive business calls via a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone using internet connectivity — whether through a browser, a desktop client, or a mobile app. Unlike a traditional phone with a physical dial pad, softphones rely on your device’s speaker and microphone or a headset to transmit voice data over the cloud.

This flexibility makes softphones an essential component of modern business communications — especially in an era where hybrid and remote work are standard operating models.

Why Softphones Matter More Than Ever

The shift to VoIP and softphone technology isn’t just a trend — it reflects broader changes in how teams communicate and collaborate:

• VoIP adoption has surged as businesses transition away from legacy telephony; in fact, VoIP usage has grown by more than 200% since 2020.
• Over 60% of businesses have already switched from traditional phone systems to VoIP solutions, driven by cost savings and flexibility.
• Around 74% of employees use VoIP mobile apps for business calls, indicating how softphones are powering mobile and remote communication.

These numbers demonstrate a clear trend: modern businesses are ditching hardware-centric communications in favor of software-centric solutions that travel with employees — wherever they’re working.

The Benefits of a Softphone

Softphones offer a range of advantages that make them a compelling choice for teams of all sizes:

Significant Cost Savings

Softphones eliminate or drastically reduce costs associated with traditional telephony. Because calls are transmitted over the internet:

• Long-distance and international calling costs drop substantially.
• Businesses can save up to 75–80% on phone bills compared to legacy systems.
• Operating expenses for call infrastructure shrink due to reduced hardware needs and maintenance.

This makes softphones especially attractive for small and medium-sized businesses looking to stretch their budgets without sacrificing communication quality.

Unmatched Portability & Mobility

Softphones allow employees to connect from anywhere with an internet connection — whether they’re working from home, a café, or on the road. Unlike traditional desk phones, softphones work across:

• Desktop computers (Windows & Mac)
• Mobile devices (iOS & Android)
• Browser-based clients

This mobility supports remote work, enhances agent responsiveness, and reduces dependency on physical infrastructure. For teams embracing hybrid work schedules, this flexibility isn’t just convenient — it’s essential.

Enhanced Collaboration & Productivity

Softphones are more than call tools — they’re collaboration platforms. Modern softphones often include features that support unified communications, meaning voice calls, messaging, and CRM integrations all live in the same ecosystem. This boosts productivity by letting teams:

• Make and receive calls from within CRM or helpdesk applications
• Share voicemail, call logs, and messages across teams

Softphones make it easier to streamline workflows, reduce context-switching, and keep teams aligned.

Better Privacy & Professionalism

By using a softphone, employees can make business calls using a company number — not their personal cellphone number. This separation enhances privacy and maintains a professional brand identity, even when calls are placed from personal devices.

Fast Setup & Ease of Use

Softphones require minimal setup. Because most of the heavy lifting happens in the cloud, there’s no physical installation, wiring, or on-site support needed. This drastically reduces deployment time and administrative overhead — especially valuable for businesses that need to scale quickly.

Key Softphone Features to Look For

When evaluating softphone solutions, here are important capabilities that improve usability and business impact:

• Audio conferencing
• Call recording and transcription
• Voicemail-to-email features
• Custom call routing and ring groups
• Remote call forwarding
• CRM integrations and screen pop features
• Advanced call monitoring (barge, whisper, take over)

These features turn softphones into more than phone replacements — they become communication hubs that work across devices and teams.

Softphones and the Future of Business Communication

As unified communications continue to evolve, softphones are positioned at the heart of business communication infrastructure. They integrate smoothly with AI-driven tools, support analytics and reporting, and scale effortlessly as companies grow.

With remote work becoming a long-term reality for many organizations, the ability to stay connected — without cords, hardware limits, or geographical boundaries — gives businesses a strategic advantage in collaboration, responsiveness, and operational agility.

Final Takeaway

Softphones represent a fundamental shift in how businesses communicate. They replace traditional hardware with cloud-based connectivity, empowering teams to make calls, collaborate, and serve customers from virtually anywhere. With strong cost savings, improved productivity, and advanced feature sets, softphones are not just a technology upgrade — they’re a business imperative in the digital age.

The post Softphones 101: Connectivity Uncorded appeared first on CallHarbor.

It can be a tough decision to make when you’re thinking about upgrading or getting new phone equipment. This article will help you out if you’re not entirely sure which features, type of phone, or VoIP phone system will work best for your business. 

What is VoIP?

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows voice to be transmitted over the internet. VoIP enables people to make and receive phone calls through their computers or smartphones. It’s also an excellent way for businesses to keep costs down by using one number for both business and personal use. (1) Read our blog post about why your business should use VoIP.

An Introduction to VoIP

Think of VoIP as the feature that carries the sound component of phone calls over the internet. VoIP is also a lot cheaper than traditional landline telecommunication, so businesses can save money while still offering exceptional phone services to their customers.

VoIP technology makes leveraging smart devices such as tablets, smartphones, desktops, notebooks, and even some office phones, nice and easy for businesses. Customers and clients can make and receive VoIP calls using these devices from wherever they might be.

Traditional telephone service has been around for decades, but it was discovered way back when that this type of telephony could be transmitted through an internet protocol network in order to offer more flexibility and reliability. (1)

Whether it’s a local call or an international one, VoIP has you covered (in most circumstances). The overall idea is that a user’s call is digitized into data packets then sent through the network using different media (phones, laptops, office phones, etc). Once these data packets reach a certain location, they are re-assembled into the original call so the recipient can receive the information passed along in its intended format.

VoIP is undoubtedly the future of communication technology. In order to fully understand it, it’s important to know how it works in its entirety and how you can take advantage of its benefits for your business. 

VoIP Phones, Devices, and Equipment

VoIP equipment is generally much cheaper than traditional phone lines. This is because they rely on an internet connection rather than a physical wire to connect you to your call recipient. There’s also better security with VoIP technology, as the calls go through an encryption process before being sent out over the internet. In addition, VoIP offers many features that can make your workday easier such as conference calling and automated attendant services.

With a VoIP phone system, calls originate from your local area code, so callers do not need to pay for long-distance calling. Having a business VoIP system can actually save you up to 70% off traditional phone services because of reasons like this.

Additionally, softphones will work with virtually any VoIP service provider you decide to use and are usually free of charge. Check out our other blog article about the advantages of utilizing a softphone to get more information.

There are many options for hands-free devices, and many VoIP phones give users the ability to use wireless headsets because of Bluetooth connection capabilities. If that’s not an option, there are attachments available at most electronics stores that can allow anyone to go hands-free.

Video Conferencing Features

VoIP isn’t just about making voice calls over the internet. Video conferencing with Skype, Google Talk, or any other video conferencing apps available on the market today is seeing a higher integration rate as well.

Video meetings have been a great way to help teams and companies across regions and geographies connect. It allows coworkers to work together as if they are in the same room. Companies have seen that this allows projects to move along faster, and enables teams to have concise discussions. Video is the best way to connect when in-person interactions are scarce for reasons of location or sickness.

CallHarbor’s video conference platform is more robust and integrated than ever. On top of that, it’s a browser-based video conferencing platform. This means you don’t have to spend time rushing to download a specific platform before meetings.

CallHarbor video is fast to launch, so you don’t have to wait for three different windows to open. Our video conferencing platform has great capabilities for every business scenario. From sales calls, to interviews, to large web conferencing, we’ve got you covered. You can fuel multiple business scenarios with simple, modern CallHarbor browser video meetings. 

Types of VoIP Phones

It’s true that VoIP phones are the most popular form of phone system in modern offices. As mentioned earlier, they’re inexpensive, simple to set up and maintain, and can be used with an internet connection. This makes them perfect for businesses that rely on the web for their day-to-day tasks and operations. However, it can be a little overwhelming with all the different options of phones available. So, where do we even start?

Physical Desk Phones & Hardware

Many people prefer to use a physical desk phone for many reasons. It is something familiar that they are already comfortable utilizing. Almost all business phone users are used to having a phone on the desk. It is the typical set up for most offices and businesses. It’s a nice, physical hardware that is always there and easy to use. There is minimal to no training required since it functions a little bit like your old telephones.

Especially if you are switching from a different VoIP provider, most IP phones have similar features and capabilities. They’re incredibly easy to use, especially for those already familiar with the phone system. Tech-savvy users will find softphones easy, but there is always onboarding training involved in the use of the web softphones.

CallHarbor holds a partnership with Yealink and Poly – two of the largest business phone system hardware providers. We truly take pride in the hardware we supply our customers. We always like to keep up with the most current versions and best products.

Softphones

A web softphone is a phone or feature for making telephone calls over the Internet using a computer rather than dedicated phone hardware. Employees can utilize the softphone through our internet web portal on a desktop, mobile device, or other computer. This also functions in the same way as our web softphone on the mobile app. It allows the user to place and receive calls, see their coworkers’ online status, and engage in chat and SMS.

By using a web softphone, employees don’t have to be tied to their desk to utilize their work phone number or all the other great VoIP phone system features. Web softphones are a great feature to utilize for flexible or remote workers.

The features within the web softphone in the CallHarbor portal are helpful to office workers and remote workers alike. You can start new phone calls right from the web softphone or begin a new chat conversation with your coworkers. You can also see your coworkers’ availability statuses, view your settings and toggle answering rules and greetings, and even more. (2)

Softphones are typically preferred over hard phones. This is partially because they don’t take up desk space, and they take full advantage of video calling options like Skype calls. Hard phones won’t support features like this. If privacy is an issue for you, make sure to research what data is being sent over the internet when you’re inactive or when you’re making calls. (1)

What Type of VoIP Phone Should Your Business Get?

VoIP is a great option for businesses of all types and sizes. Whether you’re a small business just getting off your feet, or a large company that’s been in the game for a while, VoIP can make it easier to connect and collaborate with colleagues from anywhere, provide your business with the latest in communications technology, and save you money on long-distance phone calls. 

VoIP Telephone for Your Business

VoIP phone systems are a cost-effective and simple way to replace your out-of-date phone system with a brand new one that makes more sense for you and your business. For more information on the numbers, data, and statistics of VoIP, check out our blog article, 10 Useful VoIP Statistics for Small Businesses.

With all of the many benefits of VoIP systems, it’s no wonder that many businesses have made a switch over to VoIP technology in recent years. Is it the perfect time to update your business phone system? If you’ve been considering investing in VoIP, now is a great time for it!

Sources:

1. https://www.nirvanix.com/what-type-of-voip-telephone-should-your-business-get/
2. https://callharbor.com/2021/02/11/desk-phones-web-softphones-pros-and-cons/
3. https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7149-business-phone-system-guide.html
4. https://www.techradar.com/how-to/choose-a-small-business-voip-phone-service

The post What Type of VoIP Telephone is Best For Your Business? appeared first on CallHarbor.