5+ reasons to use VoIP call centers in 2026 (and beyond)

5+ reasons to use VoIP call centers in 2026 (and beyond)

Traditional phone systems are bleeding call centers dry. You're paying per minute for every call, maintaining expensive hardware that needs constant updates, and dealing with rigid infrastructure that makes scaling up (or down) a nightmare.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solves these problems by routing calls through your internet connection instead of traditional phone lines. This gives you:

• Lower per-minute costs
• No hardware to maintain
• Agents who can take calls from anywhere with decent WiFi

The switch isn't complicated. You need internet (which you already have), devices (computers or phones your team already uses), and a VoIP system. 

That's it.

This guide breaks down the five biggest reasons contact centers are ditching landlines for VoIP call centers. If you're still running on landlines, here's what you're missing.

What is a VoIP call center?

A VoIP call center solution uses the internet to make and receive calls, as opposed to the Public Switched Telephone Network, which traditional phones rely on.

If you’ve ever made a call via Skype, Zoom, or Messenger, you’ve used VoIP. But this internet-based phone system isn’t just for personal calls or work meetings. Increasingly, businesses have adopted VoIP systems for call centers thanks to the ease of setup and expanded functionality compared to landline phone systems.

Whether inbound or outbound, call centers using VoIP need only a few elements to work:

• A stable internet connection
• A computer or mobile phone
• A built-in or external microphone
• A VoIP system

This makes VoIP call center solutions more accessible for businesses compared to the complex, costly hardware and infrastructure that traditional phone systems require.

What are the benefits of a VoIP contact center?

VoIP can help you run a more efficient call center and improve the customer experience. Let's dive deeper into the top five reasons to consider VoIP for your contact center.

1. Lower costs

Cost is probably one of the most pressing questions on your mind, so let’s address it first. VoIP calls are cheaper than calls through traditional landlines. For example, with Twilio, it costs $0.0140/min to make local and toll-free calls, while it costs $0.0040/min to make VoIP calls through a browser or app. This means switching to VoIP will save your business money—even with the following associated costs.

Outside of staffing, the main costs of VoIP call center software are the usage fees and a reliable internet service—which you probably already pay for. This means you don’t need to purchase costly new equipment or worry about setting up a wired phone infrastructure. Plus, if you make the switch from a traditional phone system, you may be able to keep using your current phones or headsets, though you might need an adapter for certain landline phones.

Learn more about the equipment requirements for VoiP contact centers.

2. Flexibility

Flexibility is key for contact centers to adapt to evolving needs, and VoIP systems offer this in a couple of ways:

• Devices: You can use various devices to make VoIP calls, including mobile phones, desktop computers, laptops, or desk phones. This means you can get started with your current hardware or give agents the freedom to use their devices as their VoIP call center phones.
• Locations: Your agents can make and receive calls from anywhere as long as they’re on a stable internet connection—which is useful whether you have multiple offices or a remote workforce. Plus, your phone number is virtual, so you can keep the same number anywhere you go.

3. Scalability

Scaling up as your needs grow only requires purchasing additional lines and setting up access for new agents on their devices once your call center VoIP software is in place. In other words, there’s no need to order new equipment or add wired phone lines. This contributes to the low costs, as you don’t need to make big infrastructure investments to expand your program.

With Twilio’s VoIP offering, you only pay for what you use, so it’s equally straightforward to scale down if your call volume decreases.

Plus, thanks to SIP trunking, you can communicate with customers through additional channels like SMS, MMS, and more. Twilio also allows you to expand your coverage globally without having to navigate the communications infrastructure and regulations in each country.

4. Actionable data insights

Analyzing your call data is vital to maintaining and improving your call center performance and providing a positive customer experience. VoIP systems make this data readily available.

With Twilio Voice, users can take advantage of Voice Insights to identify anomalies and call quality issues to address, such as packet loss and latency. Tracking these metrics will help you improve call efficiency, agent productivity, and customer experience.

Plus, Twilio’s Voice Intelligence can help you track more granular call data and personalize customer experiences. Voice Intelligence combines call transcription and AI-powered language operators to give you the full picture of call performance and caller sentiment, helping you to make adjustments as necessary.

5. Advanced features

VoIP systems offer advanced features that a landline system can’t provide. This typically includes all the basics—call tracking, voicemail, caller ID, call forwarding—plus features such as interactive voice response (IVR) and intelligent routing.

Twilio’s CodeExchange library offers quick-deploy applications that allow you to launch a feature in minutes, with no coding required. These features can increase your call center’s efficiency and create a better experience for the customer.

For example, basic IVR lets the user select the purpose of their call and routes them to the appropriate agent or automated message. This allows the customer to get the information they need quickly without inundating agents with basic questions like hours of operation.

Plus, you can integrate your customer relationship management software with your VoIP call center, allowing agents to access customer information, purchase history, and all the context they need to provide personalized service. This is crucial, as 86% of consumers state that personalization increases their brand loyalty.

And while 46% companies claim to provide excellent personalization, our The State of Customer Engagement report found that only 15% of consumers agree. Plus, good personalization is harder to achieve with traditional phone systems that you can’t integrate seamlessly with your existing software and processes.

Build a custom VoIP call center with Twilio

Twilio gives you all the tools you need to transition to a VoIP contact center. First, Twilio Voice empowers you to build a custom VoIP calling solution for your business and add the necessary features as you scale. Plus, the Twilio Super Network gives you a reliable, high-quality connection worldwide.

Want an even more robust contact center solution? Twilio Flex offers everything you need to deliver an exceptional customer experience across platforms, including SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, and more.

And if you already have a call center, you can add new cloud-based channels with Flex without having to replace your existing systems. This allows you to scale and integrate new platforms seamlessly as your needs change.

Check out an interactive demo to discover everything you can do with Flex.

Frequently asked questions

Q. How much does VoIP cost for a call center?

VoIP costs significantly less than traditional phone systems. Your main ongoing costs are usage fees and internet service (which you're already paying for). There's no expensive hardware to purchase upfront and no maintenance contracts for physical phone infrastructure.

Q. Is VoIP call quality good enough for business?

Yes, if you have a stable internet connection. VoIP call quality matches or exceeds traditional phone lines when you have sufficient bandwidth (at least 100 kbps per concurrent call). Issues like choppy audio or dropped calls typically stem from poor internet rather than VoIP technology itself.

Q. What happens to my VoIP calls if the internet goes down?

Your calls will drop, just like they would if your traditional phone lines went down. The difference is you have more backup options with VoIP. You can instantly reroute calls to mobile phones, forward them to another office, or have agents work from a different location with internet access..

Q. Can I keep my existing phone number when switching to VoIP?

Yes. You can port your existing business phone numbers to a VoIP system. The process typically takes 7-10 business days and your VoIP provider handles most of the coordination with your old carrier. During the transition, you won't lose service or have downtime.

Q. Do my agents need special equipment to use VoIP?

No special equipment required. Agents can make VoIP calls using their computers, smartphones, tablets, or existing desk phones (with an adapter). Most call centers use computer headsets since they're inexpensive and work well for full shifts.