What is a VoIP app and how does it work for your business?

A voip app is a way to make and receive calls over the internet on your phone. You install the app on your iPhone or Android device, log in with your work account, and use it to call with your business number instead of your personal mobile number.

For a new user, it often feels like this:
You open the app and see a dial pad, just like on your phone.
You can call a customer, a colleague or an external number.
When someone calls your business number, the call comes in on your phone through the app. It looks like a normal incoming call. You answer, speak, transfer the call or hang up.

The only difference is how the call is delivered. Instead of using a traditional phone line, the call runs over the internet using WiFi, 4G or 5G. As long as you have a stable connection, you can make and receive calls from anywhere.

In many cases, you also see extra information, like who is calling or whether a colleague is available. That sounds simple. And it is.
But in a business environment, a voip app is only one part of the setup. You still need to decide how calls are handled. Who answers? What happens if someone is unavailable? And how do you keep overview?

A voip app is not the full setup

Many people think a voip app is the system. It is not. A voip application is just the tool you use to answer or make calls. The actual logic behind your phone system sits underneath it. For example:
A customer calls your main number.
Does the call go to one person? A team? Or several colleagues at once?
That is not controlled by the app. That is part of how your telephony is set up. Without that setup, a voice over ip app is just a basic way to call.

What a voice over ip app looks like in practice

You are not at your desk. A customer calls your business number. The call comes in on your phone. You see who is calling. You answer. That part works.

But now imagine this:

Three colleagues are available.
One is already on a call.
One handles sales calls.
One should not be disturbed.

Who gets the call? A standard voip app does not solve this.

The difference between simple and business use

There are many voip apps available. Some are built for personal use. Others are used in business environments.

A business setup often includes a voip phone application that connects to a central system.

With a voip phone application, you can:

• use your business number on mobile
• transfer calls to colleagues
• see who is available

For example, a voip phone app for iphone works well for answering calls. But without clear rules behind it, calls can still be missed or handled inconsistently.

That is where many businesses run into problems.

Where things go wrong with a standalone setup

Relying on a voip calling app alone, without a properly configured phone system behind it, often leads to situations like:

• calls ringing on the wrong person
• no backup if someone is unavailable
• no insight into missed calls
• no overview of availability

The app works. But the process around it does not.

This is where Xelion comes in

Xelion sits behind your voip application and controls how calls are handled before they reach your phone.
A customer calls your business number.

• you decide who gets the call first 
• you see who is available 
• calls are forwarded if needed 
• colleagues can take over easily 

The voip phone app is simply how you pick up the call, and Xelion makes sure it ends up in the right place. Whether you use the Xelion iOS App on iPhone or the Xelion Android App on Android, Xelion ensures every call is routed correctly.

One setup, one overview

With Xelion, your voip app becomes part of a complete setup.

You manage:

• users
• availability
• call routing
• call history

in one place. 

Employees can answer calls on any device, whether that is a desktop, a voip phone application or a desk phone, all using the same business number.

For businesses and resellers

If you are looking into voip apps, you are probably trying to understand how to organise business calls.

For resellers, this is often the difference between offering just a voip app and offering a way to organise how calls are handled across a team. Xelion helps structure that setup, so calls are handled in a consistent way.