Even if you’re not a video gamer, you’ve probably heard of Battlefield, World of Warcraft, Grand Theft Auto, or League of Legends. They’re the most popular video games out there! And, as different as they are, they all share a similar quality (other than being highly entertaining). With each of these games, you can attach a headset and speak to fellow gamers as you play. Whether they’re friends or strangers, exclaiming “yes!” to someone after you shoot them or yelling “I’m coming after you” when another player steals your car is much more exciting than playing alone. How is this all possible though? Through awesome technology, also known as a softphone system.
What’s a softphone system?
A softphone is essentially an application that enables VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and allows you to speak through an internet connection. You may have heard of a few of them, like Viber, Whatsapp, and of course, Skype. In the video game world, some of the popular ones are Dischord, Ventrilo, and TeamSpeak.
But I can just call people from my own phone. Why is this softphone system better?
There are many reasons why a softphone system is better than other phone options. Video games knew what they were doing when they adopted this system.
Convenience
A softphone system offers immense convenience. When you’re playing these games, you’re already connected to the internet, so why go that extra step of reaching out to another device to call someone? Having your cell phone on speaker next to you is not as powerful as wearing a headset. Connecting through a video game also allows you to meet (and maybe trash-talk) strangers, whereas that doesn’t happen through your cell phone. Unless you like dialing random numbers. That’s another topic.
In addition to being easy to set up, softphone applications are compatible with many platforms. For example, Discord is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. And, if you just don’t want to install the app, you can connect to it through a web browser.
Quality
A softphone system also brings in stellar quality. Those virtual sound effects are important! Ventrilo, for example, offers sound positions and special sound effects on a per user, per channel, or per server level and allows the user to customize exactly how they want to hear sounds. How cool is that?
This phone system also exemplifies quality in more ways than just sound. The systems video games use are programmed to use CPU resources minimally so that they don’t interfere with day to day operations on your computer, or during your gameplay. They also have the ability of handling up to thousands of simultaneous users. Virtual party anyone?
And wait, there’s more. This phone system is capable of endless scalability, increased security, file transfer, and going mobile. Mobile applications allow you to text, connect, and keep in contact with your fellow players. And a simple, easy to navigate layout makes all of this a breeze. This way, you can strategize your next attack anytime, anywhere.
Cost
Most of these applications are free! Not much more needs to be said here.
Communicating on a team
Come on, doesn’t it feel pretty cool shouting through a microphone as you’re shooting down those zombies, or robbing that bank? Those kills are just not as satisfying when you’re doing it alone. With multiple minds working together, there’s no force that can stop you.
We’ll get you set up!
This blog has been focused on video games, but you can easily integrate a softphone system into your business to achieve the same benefits. Costs savings, convenience, mobility… what else could you want from a phone system? Contact us and we’ll let you know exactly how this system fits with you.