North American businesses have begun to abandon POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) phones in favor of internet protocol (IP) telecommunications technology, of which voice over internet protocol (VoIP) phones are the most obvious example. The move carries many advantages, especially if your equipment supplier and installer is an experienced Long Beach VoIP provider. Installation, support, and training will be easier. Aside from cost savings, a VoIP system offers businesses flexibility, scalability, and marketing tools that are not available through conventional phone service. Some IP telephone features, like video calling, and file sharing normally require separate software that costs extra and brings extra issues.
Benefits of Using VoIP Service
An IP telephone system offers several advantages over the alternatives. How many businesses still have different tools for email, phone, video conferencing, faxing, and video calling? The main benefit of going to a VoIP system is the cost savings. Take a minute to think about your company’s current phone bill. If IP telephone service saves your business $20 per month, per line, and you have 20 phone lines, this is a potential savings of $400 a month, just on phone calls. You might also be paying for other software that you can drop because IP telephony provides the same functionality.
Other, non-monetary benefits may be just as compelling though. The benefits include:
- Higher call quality – Do not underestimate the value of crisp, clear, and stable calling on conference calls.
- Easier scalability – A fast-growing business can add a new user or two easily and quickly, relative to going through a phone company to get new phones and services. VoIP service makes it quite easy to scale up and go back to a “standard” set of phones and phone lines. Seasonal businesses need that flexibility.
- Mobility – No one has a phone number assigned to a specific device anymore. Calling and conferencing become much easier when employees can use tablets, desktops, or even smartphones.
- Support for remote work – Remote and hybrid work arrangements are hugely popular with employees, and many businesses use freelancers in different states and time zones.
- Access to analytics – Your system will make it easier to track various performance metrics.
- Streamlined operations – Some systems integrate with Outlook, Salesforce, and other CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and email tools. As noted, you can use conference calling, call bridging, and video conferencing with an IP telecommunications system, all of which help employees to be more productive.
Some VoIP systems offer more communication features, like voice-to-email and automated voice message recording. If your business has salespeople who make lots of outbound calls, you can set up automated voice messages that let your people jump right to the next call without delay. This might save a few hours per month, per salesperson.
Remember that IP telecommunications solutions tend to require training, installation, and support. A Long Beach provider can do a better job of helping their local customers get up to speed on their new VoIP system, which undoubtedly has a variety of functions and features.
Benefits of Local Support and Installation
If your team needs technical support or advice, you have local specialists on call, versus dealing with a customer service center located two or three time zones away. On-site support is also much easier to get from a small, local provider. Experience also counts when it comes to getting quality service. The team at DirecTech has over 50 years of combined experience with business telecom services.
About Making a Move
If you are new to VoIP service, you will want to make sure you have a good broadband connection at your office, and high (or unlimited) data usage. The same considerations apply if you have a hybrid or remote workforce. IP telephony offers amazing options for communication and collaboration, but it takes a fast and stable internet connection to get the most out of those options.
Expect to go through a transition period when moving to a new telecommunications system. You may, for example, need to give salespeople some training in the new system’s features and functions. You may also need to tweak your marketing and customer service to take advantage of features like instant messaging, notetaking (in Salesforce), email integration, and so on. A local support person whose done lots of VoIP system installations can foresee some of the challenges and offer advice that will make it easier to begin realizing a return on investment.
Work with a Local VoIP Specialist to Maximize Your ROI
Moving to an IP-based telephone system with features like video conferencing and voice-to-email, brings numerous benefits. The biggest single benefit may well be cost savings, but there are more. If you are a current VoIP user looking to change providers, the benefits may also be compelling. The exact benefits depend on your business and how it uses phones and related telecom services. To help you better understand the benefits, contact the Long Beach VoIP experts at DirecTech for a free consultation.