When you’re growing a small business, your phone system can either be a huge liability or a significant asset. When your phone strategy works well, you ensure great conversations with your customers, who perceive you as a dedicated, professional entity. When your phone system functions poorly, you struggle with everything from confused customers to dropped calls. A VoIP phone system is one of the most attractive ways to upgrade your telecoms strategy today, offering the freedom and flexibility of the internet for your employees. However, just like any business strategy, it has its pros and cons.
Today, we’re going to look at the good, the bad and the ugly of VoIP phone systems for SMBs.
Often, the main reasons that companies switch to a hosted phone system is to cut costs. If you’re currently using a PSTN network and connecting with people around the world, you might be spending a lot of money. However, VoIP minimises costs by making use of your IP connection.
On a standard phone line, only two people can speak at any given time. VoIP gives you the power to communicate with an entire team at once through conference calls sent over the internet.
With VoIP, you can invest in a lot less hardware and software for your team. All you need is a computer, internet connection, speakers and microphone. You can choose to purchase desk phones if you want to, but the investment is entirely up to you.
VoIP provides access to endless useful features, all the way from voicemail to call queuing and even recording. You can essentially build the communications strategy you need with the right provider.
The convenience and rich features provided by a VoIP telephone system is something that your employees can take with them wherever they go. Your business number won’t be linked to a specific location, which means that your staff can continue to tap into the tools they need every day, whether they’re working from an office, on-the-go, or they’re logging in at home.
VoIP has grown increasingly popular in recent years, particularly as the end of PSTN phone lines draws closer. What’s more, with support from a company like RingCentral, your VoIP system can go far beyond just voice. You’ll be able to enjoy the flexibility of sending video, images, and text over the internet to aid in your communication and collaboration strategies.
Often, the main issue that companies face when they consider switching to VoIP is that it can be difficult to convince employees to switch. Some people simply don’t like change, and you may need to invest in some new training to help drive adoption. This can lead to disruption while your organisation gets used to their new phone strategy.
Importantly, many of the downsides associated with VoIP are issues that can be addressed simply by choosing the right provider to work with. RingCentral can deliver exceptional quality of service, failover solutions and security support to keep your system running smoothly year after year. Discover the benefits of a virtual PBX phone system from the right provider.
Now we come to the ugliest part of switching to a virtual PBX phone system as an SMB, figuring out who to work with. Clawing your way through endless potential VoIP carriers can be an overwhelming process at the best of times. If you’re new to VoIP and still figuring out what you need from your phone system, then it’s almost impossible to understand what you need from your provider.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do to avoid the ugly side of VoIP is to find out what you need from a phone system and work your way backward from there. For instance, think about:
Finally, remember to make sure that your new VoIP provider can offer the scalability that you need to expand and grow your phone system as your business evolves. The good news is that because it’s based on the cloud, VoIP is far more open to expansion than a traditional PSTN line.
The value of the VoIP market is expected to increase to $204.8 billion in less than 2 years. As companies continue to demand greater flexibility in their voice communication systems, VoIP may well be the best route forward.
If you’re looking for something that’s flexible, affordable, and more powerful than your traditional phone system, RingCentral can show you all the “good” parts of VoIP, while ensuring that you avoid the bad and the ugly.
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