VoIP Texting: How It Works, Best Practices, & Top Providers

When you need to get in touch with customers who don’t answer your calls, there must be a better way to reach them. Likewise, you may need a backup plan to get in front of prospects or notify employees who don’t or  can’t  pick up the phone. 



In these situations, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) texting comes into its own. You can send a text message via your  business VoIP service , get messages to the right people, and stay in compliance at the same time.



Read on to learn about texting from your VoIP number, how it works, and exactly how you can use it.



What Is VoIP Texting?



VoIP texting is a method of sending and receiving SMS messages via your phone number provided by a VoIP provider. This might be a landline or a toll-free number. You can use your existing (or new) VoIP service to send and receive text messages on the same system as your business phone calls. 



There’s no need to pick up a mobile device or have a dedicated business cell phone. You just need SMS and MMS features enabled by your business VoIP service.









How VoIP texting works



VoIP texting works using a virtual phone number. You can assign this number to a user or group of users and enable text messaging over an internet connection, such as Wi-Fi.



When users need to send a text message, they simply open their  team chat app  and add a phone number or choose an existing contact. When someone replies, the same user or group of users is notified.



Behind the scenes, your VoIP system uses the same technology it would use to make a phone call or send an instant message. Packets of information (text messages, images, videos, etc.) are routed from your cloud system to a recipient’s mobile phone number.







Want to learn more about the tech behind VoIP texting? 



Related:  What Is VoIP? The Newbie’s Guide to Voice over IP



SMS and MMS differences