However, legacy business phone systems (PBX) are a standalone system, meaning the management, maintenance and upgrading of that system is separate from every other piece of workplace technology today, and that’s in a world where cloud computing and unified communications is taking over organizations’ communication.

A voice-over-IP (VoIP) system packs a load of returns on its investment: it centralizes communications, is scalable, allows organizations to better centralize their communications and provides a phone system for end users regardless of where they are.

A unified telephony ecosystem

According to Alex Puorro, vice president of IP endpoint development at commercial audio solutions manufacturer AtlasIED, VoIP allows organizations to create a communication ecosystem rather than separate standalone communication systems.

“With VoIP, you’re connecting a lot of different systems, software and hardware all together on one network and it all plays nicely together,” Puorro says.

For example, schools can tie several systems into one VoIP system using switches, routers and handsets. Emergency notifications, bells, tones and phones would all live on the same network.

“All of that works in one big ecosystem instead of just buying and maintaining 10 different standalone systems,” Puorro says.

That means the maintenance, support and upgrading is done on just one network and one system, making the job much easier for IT staff.

Scalability and flexibility

VoIP is also extremely flexible, so all endpoints – regardless if it’s a physical phone or a soft phone – live on the same network, so users who feel comfortable with a physical phone can get what they want, says Luca Jacobellis, president and chief operating officer of AV and IT provider OnePath.

“Organizations can flex to different business needs all in one system, and without big expensive upgrades and lifts,” Jacobellis says.

But for organizations with large call centers, the cost to outfit customer service agents with physical phones might be too prohibitive. In that case, soft phones and headsets would be the right call to help your organization save money and work more efficiently.

VoIP also allows organizations to deploy mixed, multi-location environments that include an old legacy PBX system in one location and a cloud-based system in another that are both routed through one unified call routing system for all of the normal capabilities of a VoIP system, like recording.

If the power or internet is down in a building, VoIP and soft phones allow employees to either go home or find another place to work – as long as it has a stable and secure Wi-Fi connection, Jacobellis says.

Read Next: The Business Case for VoIP

A remote work tool

In 2020 and beyond, there will be a greater emphasis on being able to connect with employees, customers and clients regardless of if they’re in the office or working from home.

If the employee actually wants a physical phone, they can connect to their company’s VoIP system within seconds, Puorro says.

“You can plug into a switch and have full dial capability,” Puorro says.

However, since VoIP is literally an internet-based phone system, all you need is an internet connection for some VoIP systems. Soft phones, a rising feature of unified communications platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, don’t even require any additional hardware.

This takes the hardware cost out of the equation, Jacobellis says.

“With soft phones and apps on cell phones … the biggest cost component could go away if the culture of the business allows it,” Jacobellis says.

Fewer headaches and easier maintenance

Upgrading legacy PBX systems can be prohibitively expensive since there’s a large hardware component in those systems.

According to Puorro, it’s like trying to keep an antique car up and running. Finding hardware and components can be as challenging as finding a service provider to do those expensive upgrades.

“The latest and greatest technology is always very, very easy to fix,” Puorro says. “Keeping things up to date and changing new things out is so much cheaper than trying to keep an old limping PBX system up and running.”

The post The Potential Returns on a VoIP System appeared first on My TechDecisions.

This is an important question to answer. In the following paragraphs, we’ll look at why VoIP is becoming increasingly popular with business owners, and how and when you should install a VoIP phone system for your business.

When Your Landline Bills Become an Issue

The single biggest reason for installing a VoIP network is the cost of landline calls relative to a VoIP call. In almost every instance, a VoIP service plan will almost always be cheaper than traditional phone line bills.

There are 3 reasons why VoIP is cheaper than traditional telephony:

• VoIP utilizes your existing internet connection to channel your phone calls. This removes the need for a dedicated landline.
• You can make VoIP calls, which are cheaper. There can be significant cost savings for international and long-distance calls.
• Your service provider can offer a package that includes landline calls, and internet at one price point. This reduces the hassle of dealing with different service providers while lowering the cost.

Of course, you need to use your phone lines to see the cost-saving benefits. However, if you are reading this article, then you almost certainly fall into this category.

Telecommunications providers see VoIP as the future of telephony. Telecommunications providers are upgrading their old infrastructure to 5G. In this sense, the transition to VoIP is inevitable. For example, in the UK, BT plans to move 16 million phone lines to VoIP by 2025.

So you will inevitably move to VoIP phone. When you do so, you will almost certainly benefit from cost savings. But that’s not the only benefit, which leads us nicely to our next point.

Related: RFP Template for VoIP

When You Need Additional Functionality

When you change to a VoIP network, you’ll have a streamlined, all-in-one network. Everything will be running on the same system, and communication between platforms is incredibly simple.

But it is also incredibly flexible. Third-party software and suitable extensions can be integrated with just a few clicks. Below is a quick overview of some of the benefits you can get from transitioning to VoIP:

• Call forwarding
• Auto-attendants
• Call analytics
• Call recording
• Voicemail to text
• Voicemail to email messaging

In addition to this, VoIP can integrate with third-party tools like sales software and CRM integrations. This is just as useful for call centers that handle high volumes of calls, but need to analyze their data, as it is for small businesses.

When You Need a Reliable Connection

One of the major benefits of moving to VoIP is an improvement in reliability. There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, telecommunications companies are investing heavily in digital infrastructure. This has resulted in considerable improvements in reliability and call quality.

Meanwhile, traditional landlines, the technology is over 100 years old at this point, are becoming obsolete. Consider this statement from AT&T:

“Our current infrastructure has served us well for almost a century but it no longer meets the needs of America’s consumers. The transition to broadband and IP services that has already begun is driven by consumers who are moving to the Internet and choosing to connect in ways not imagined just a decade ago.”

As a result of all this investment, VoIP systems offer 99.9% uptime. On top of this, a VoIP phone system requires very little maintenance. So you’re not going to experience issues with your phone system going down.

When You’re Looking to Expand

We’ve already mentioned the savings on monthly bills and maintenance. So how does the installation of a VoIP system compare to a landline platform?

Again, it compares pretty well. If your business is expanding and you’re frustrated by the constant cost of adding new telephone lines, then installing VoIP could present a great opportunity.

We say that because the installation costs of VoIP networks are remarkably low. After all, you only need a broadband connection, handset, and a computer. There are very few hardware requirements.

Besides, new lines can be added and removed with no hassle whatsoever. Whether staff are joining or leaving your team, configuration won’t be a headache.

When Calls Need to be Made Out-of-Office

It’s amazing how far your work can take you from your office. What’s not surprising is the complications that generally arise when you try to work remotely.

With traditional landline arrangements, each line has a unique phone number. That number is assigned and permanently fixed to the line within the office.

With VoIP, that’s not the case. You can assign contact numbers and contact lists to a user profile. These can even be transferred from your old landline system. Just as importantly, you can assign these same numbers on a mobile application.

That app can be used on your smartphone from just about anywhere that has an internet connection.

Your staff will be able to make VoIP calls with their smartphones when they’re working remotely and out of office. And it won’t cost a thing.

Making Sure VoIP Phones are Right for Your Team

There are a significant number of VoIP capabilities that your business could benefit from. Before you sign up for the first contract you find, make sure that you have a broadband connection that can handle the increased workload.

Check that your business will benefit from VoIP, and that the savings are clear.

If you’re satisfied on that front, then VoIP should present a great way to reduce business costs. You’ll have more advanced technology, a streamlined operation, and a telephone platform you can count on.

The post When Should You Install a VoIP System for Your Business? appeared first on My TechDecisions.