A wide majority of businesses, regardless of size, location, or industry, have eagerly adopted technological solutions like the computer, or high speed Internet. Telephone systems have been largely ignored, mainly due to the fact that they still appear to work just fine. While traditional systems still work, they do break and fixing them can be incredibly costly. One solution to this is to upgrade to a VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol – system.
VoIP, is a digital telephone solution that replaces traditional systems with a digital alternative that utilizes broadband Internet connections and transmission lines. Here are five reasons why your company should upgrade to a VoIP system.
- Remote phones. Working remotely has become a viable alternative to a desk in the office. One of the major issues with remote workers however is that that they can be hard to get a hold of; often using their homeline for both work and personal calls. With a VoIP solution, employees connect to the office over the Internet and their computer becomes the phone. They can get an extension, or use their office direct dial number, thus reducing the need to pay for potentially costly phone bills.
- Mobile office number. Mobile phones are a prominent part of business, most managers have their mobile number written down on their business card. While this is a good idea, customers are often hesitant to call mobile numbers because they feel they may be intruding. With VoIP, there’s no need to have a mobile number as there are apps that will route calls through the office’s phone system, meaning no missed messages and lower mobile bills.
- Lower calling rates. Many small businesses now operate without borders and if you’re making a lot of long distance calls, you’ll notice that the bills using a traditional system can be outrageous. VoIP providers often offer substantially lower rates, or the same rate regardless of the location the call is placed to.
- It grows with you. If you plan to expand your business in the near future and have a traditional phone system it will cost you to upgrade your system, lay new phone lines, and purchase new equipment and numbers. With VoIP systems, it can be as simple as assigning a new number, which often costs nothing, and that’s it. In short, VoIP is highly scalable, whereas traditional systems aren’t.
- More useful features. Some features offered by telephone providers are essential for business, yet companies are charged for these additional benefits, often on a per number basis. Many VoIP providers bundle the features businesses use the most into the monthly costs, usually at no extra cost.
While it’s not a requirement, companies that don’t upgrade their phone systems to VoIP, or other similar systems, are missing out on some great benefits and may, in the near future, find themselves left behind by competitors who have upgraded. If your company uses a traditional phone system and you’d like to find out how to upgrade, please contact us.