Need to record, store, and analyze your business phone calls? In this article we evaluate five different ways to record VoIP calls.
How to Record Your Business VoIP Calls
Call recording is a requirement for companies in a myriad of industries worldwide, including healthcare and financial services. New regulations like HIPAA, Dodd-Frank, and MiFID II now require certain companies to record all customer interactions, including phone calls.
Most businesses choose to record their VoIP calls for a variety of reasons. Some of these benefits include using recordings:
- To make and store a copy of transactions
- As evidence against false claims
- For training and educational material
- As protection against liabilities
- To conduct performance reviews, improve customer relations, maintain quality assurance, and more
5 Ways to Record VoIP Calls
There are a few different ways to record VoIP calls. Here we list the top 5 ways to effectively record calls, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages
1. Port Mirroring
Port mirroring is a traditional recording solution, used on a network switch. Port mirroring works by sending copies of network packets seen on one switch port to another. Network applications that require constant monitoring can make use of this type of recording. Common uses are intrusion detection, real user monitoring, or recording VoIP calls. You can use port mirroring to copy inbound and outbound traffic on multiple platforms.
One of the top disadvantages associated with port mirroring is the fact that it is on-premise hardware. This means it requires installation, maintenance, and configuration. If not operated and managed appropriately, it can result in loss of data and calls.
2. Call Recording Devices
This refers to using a recording device attached to the phone such as a stand-alone recorder. You can purchase a good recording device for as little as $100, connect it to your calling device (computer, desk phone, smartphone, etc.), and click the record button every time you want to record a call.
A disadvantage of getting standalone recording devices is the need for multiple devices if you want to record all calls made by employees. Each employee will need a device and all recordings will be made available separately. Additionally, there is a certain degree of manual use involved. That is, the employee will need to ensure they are recording their VoIP calls and then transfer the recording to the desired folder without fail. Plus, there may be limited storage available with such devices.
3. Local Recording Clients
Local recording allows users to record voice and video calls locally to their computer or laptop. Services such as Skype, Zoom, etc., enable local recording. The recordings can then be uploaded to Google Drive, Dropbox, YouTube, etc. Whether or not you can record VoIP calls this way depends on the service.
Those who need small-scale recording will find this type of call recording useful. However, if you have a large inbound and outbound call volume and wish to record all calls, using local recording can be a bit tedious as recording must be repeated for each call or user. Furthermore, some services require a subscription to enable recording while others provide it for free.
4. Online Recording Applications and Tools
You may also choose to download a recording application, use your desktop recorder, or get an online tool such as a web extension. However, these tools while easy to access, may not produce high-quality recordings and differ in terms of storage capacity and sharing abilities.
5. Hosted Recording
Finally, you may consider hosted call recording from your VoIP service provider that records all inbound and outbound calls automatically. For example, United World Telecom offers call recording as a premium feature that can be added to your VoIP plan.
Hosted call recording enables you to set the percentage of calls to be recorded as well as how long you wish to store the recordings (up to 6 years). Since this works along with your service provider, all business voice-over IP or VoIP calls are automatically recorded within the business’ control panel, which is easily accessible on any device.
Learn about the benefits of hosted call recording in this blog article.
Choosing the Right Way to Record VoIP Calls
The most effective way to record VoIP calls depends on your recording needs and budget. If you have small-scale needs where you only record select calls, then using a local recording client or an online app may seem more suitable. However, if you need to record all calls, then subscribing to your business VoIP provider’s call recording software may seem like a more cost-effective and scalable solution. To learn more about hosted call recording, speak to one of our experts today!
Learn more about VoIP and how it works in this video.