What is a Softphone?

Through this article we would be discussing: 

• What a softphone is? 
• How does it work?  
• Top 10 softphone applications

Let's get started. 

Softphones are definitely not a physical phone like your desk phone or your mobile phone. 

It's a software phone or software program that is used to make calls using VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). 

It's typically designed with a UI (user interface) that mimics traditional phones.

There are numerous applications like traditional softphones as well as applications like Google Talk and Skype. 

It's available for various operating systems like Linux, Mac, and Windows. As well as various smartphones (Android & iOS)

A softphone is not a standalone device, You will need a business phone system to connect the software.

All you'll need to do is download a compatible softphone from your App Store, Play Store, or Windows Apps. And connect it to your business phone system and that phone system will provide the extension.

For making calls outside your office WiFi network you'll need access to Internet connectivity, as well as your business phone system should be NATed and made accessible for the outside network. 

The beauty of a softphone is that in the connectivity options you also have unified communication capabilities like internal chat, presence, and phonebook.

And the physical end of a softphone can vary, it can be a desktop, it could be a laptop, or a mobile device. 

And cell phones are the perfect perfect complement to a typical IP PBX like Asterisk.

And if you want to have a softphone and a desk phone and use them together you can do that as well. 

Using a softphone with a mobile device is great for telecommuters it's convenient and you can save calls from traditional roaming charges with your cell phone provider. As well as make sure you don't miss any business calls. 

Softphones are perfect for companies that want to save money on handsets.

Although softphones are great options for a lot of scenarios 

A perfect example would be a call center. 

Call centers take a high number of volume calls but they don't need really fancy features. 

So you get everybody a professional headset and it'll be perfect. 

Let's Conclude 

What do you need to deploy a softphone? 

To deploy softphone communication: 

> Compatible Softphone application

> A Laptop, or smartphone with a compatible operating system

> A computer and microphone with speakers or, a headset 

> An account with a voice for IP service provider or an IP PBX service provider 

All right so now that we know a lot more about what softphones are let us now look at the top 10 softphone applications:

#1 XLite (Now Bria Solo)

#2 ZoIPer

#3 3CX Softphone

#4 Grandstream WAVE

#5 AdoreSoftphone

#6 MiniPAX

#7 FlashPhone

#8 DIAX

#9 T-Max Dialer

#10 FaramPhone

If you have any questions regarding softphones let me know in the comments, I would be happy to answer those questions.

If you found this article informative, feel free to share this with your network.

Thank You - Jasim