What is a Virtual call and how does it work?

A virtual call is a phone call made through the internet instead of traditional phone lines. It uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to transfer voice data via the Internet and facilitate phone calls across devices such as smartphones, computers, and VoIP-enabled phones.

Virtual calls are beneficial for both businesses and individuals. Since they use the internet, you can make calls from anywhere. Additionally, they don't require costly setups and often come with lower calling prices than traditional calls.

Virtual calls use VoIP technology to make a connection. When a call is initiated, it first transforms voice signals into digital packets and sends them over the Internet. These packets travel through the network and are routed to the recipient’s smartphone or computer.

The software on the recipient’s device reassembles the packets into clear audio. This process facilitates a smooth, real-time conversation regardless of the distance between the two callers.

To make a virtual phone call, connect your device (mobile, laptop, or desktop) to the internet, install a VoIP app, create your account, and initiate the call through the app.

Connect your device to a dependable internet connection with enough bandwidth, whether Wi-Fi or cellular data. Remember, a weak connection can result in poor audio/video quality, dropped calls, or even the inability to connect.

The various types of VoIP software or apps are easily available online. Select your preferred one and install it on your device.

After installing the app, create an account on your chosen platform. During the setup process, you may need to provide your basic details, such as an email address or phone number.

Add contacts to the app's address book. You can either import contacts directly from your device’s existing contact list or manually enter contact details into the app.

Select a contact from a list and choose between a voice and video call. After selecting the contact and type of call, press a ‘call’ button or icon.

Virtual phone calls are made over the internet, while traditional calls require copper wires or mobile networks.

Explore the differences in detail in the table below:
 

Virtual calls are less costly than the traditional phone system for international calls. Moreover, it also lowers operating expenses and provides flexible remote work alternatives.

Virtual call service providers offer lower international call rates than traditional providers, making global communication more affordable. This helps your business to reach customers worldwide. Additionally, the virtual calls made using a virtual phone number can help establish a local presence in a specific country. For instance, you can use US virtual number from the UK to create your presence in the United States.

Virtual call service providers often include additional features like video calls, screen sharing, and group conferencing with their service. These tools enable team members to share information and collaborate in real-time, regardless of where they’re working from.

Virtual calls allow teams to work from anywhere with a stable internet connection, improving productivity. This improves work-life balance, reduces commute time, and gives employees more control over their schedules.

Using virtual contact numbers, you can keep your personal phone numbers confidential. This is particularly useful in the scenario when you’re required to make a call but do not want to share your private phone number.

Choosing a reliable virtual call service provider is important to ensure high-quality calls. Below are some of the best virtual call service providers available:

Calilio is a cloud-based VoIP platform offering virtual numbers from more than 100+ countries. By getting your preferred virtual number, you can establish your presence in different regions of the world. Additionally, these numbers come with AI-powered analysis features to track call performance, going beyond just facilitating virtual phone calls.

Key features
 

• Call performance tracking
• AI sentiment analysis
• Call Forwarding
• Number Porting

Pricing 
 

• Basic plan: $15 per user per month
• Business plan: $35 per user per month

Google Voice is a popular option for both personal and small business use. To make a virtual phone call using Google Voice, you first need to create a Google Voice account and get your number. Then, you can use this number from your mobile phone via an internet browser or the Google Voice app.
 

Key features

• Integration with Google Workspace applications like Calendar and Gmail
• Voicemail transcription
• Caller ID
• Spam Protection

Pricing

• Starter plan costs $10
• The standard plan costs $20
• Premier plan costs $30

Sonetel also provides global virtual phone numbers across more than 100 countries, making it ideal for multinational corporations. It allows you to make a virtual phone call using their mobile app or web app. After signing in, you can simply access the dialer and call any number - virtual or traditional.

Key features

• Call recording
• Auto-attendants
• Conference call rooms
• Custom caller ID
• Call Recording

Pricing
 

• Premium Plan: $9.95 per month per user
• Business Plan: $29.95 per month per user

CloudTalk is specifically designed for sales and customer service teams. It is perfect for businesses offering customer support through virtual calls due to its feature-rich phone system and easy-to-use interface. It also integrates well with the different business apps, which further helps to improve collaboration and performance.

Key features

• Call queuing
• Real-time analytics
• CRM integration
• Sentiment analysis

Pricing

• Starter Plan: $25 per user per month
• Essential Plan: $30 per user per month
• Expert Plan: $50 per user per month

MightyCall is popular amongst small and middle-sized businesses. It is known particularly for its intuitive nature, which makes handling virtual calls quick and easy. Moreover, it’s easy to set up and provide exceptional customer service. It also includes various call monitoring tools, including call whispering and barging, to track the call performance.

Key features
 

• Call Whispering
• Auto-dialer
• Live-Analytics
• Call queuing
• Multilevel Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Pricing 

• Core Plan: $15 per user per month
• Pro Plan: $23 per user per month
• Power Plan: $30 per user per month
• Enterprise Plan: $50 per user per month

Virtual phone calls reduce expenses and remove geographical barriers for businesses to reach customers worldwide. Additionally, most of the virtual call service providers offer advanced features like screen sharing, call forwarding, and real-time analytics, which help enhance collaboration, productivity, and customer service. Sign Up with Calilio to make virtual calls using a feature-rich cloud phone system.

To start a virtual call center, you will need VoIP software, reliable internet, trained manpower, and virtual phone numbers.

Most virtual call platforms use advanced encryption to ensure call privacy and security. So, virtual calls are generally safe and secure.

Yes, you can use your current number for virtual phone calls. However, you must transfer your existing number to a VoIP phone system using the phone number porting process to enable it for virtual calls.