Choosing a Future-Proof Business Telephone System
Published on 06 March 13
Jamie
1
In the age of the internet, video conferencing, instant messaging and even e-mail, it may be easy to overlook the importance of a business telephone system.
This ageing type of communications technology can seem very 'last millennium', so with the array of modern alternatives you might wonder whether it is even necessary to update your existing business phone infrastructure, because it might end up becoming obsolete.
However, the reality is rather different, since modern telephony technology is evolving faster than you might imagine and so it is necessary for companies to choose a future-proof business telephone system if they want to keep pace with the rest of the market.
Systems can certainly be rendered obsolete by the passage of time, but if you make sensible decisions you should be able to use a platform that offers immediate benefits in the short term as well as long-term compatibility with any upgrades that may be made available.
But how do you go about choosing a future-proof business telephone system and what are the options available on the market at the moment to companies that are in a position to adopt a new platform? Here is a quick overview of the main considerations that will help to point you in the right direction.
PBX Solutions
If your company is large enough to require its own internal telephone exchange, then you have a number of options available to you.
Should your PBX still be based on analogue telephone services, it may be time to make an upgrade and integrate IP-based hardware so that voice communications can run over digital connections.
In some instances you may be able to retroactively upgrade your older PBX so that it can cope in an IP environment, although it might be worth investing in an entirely new bit of kit if you are using a particularly archaic solution at the moment.
VoIP Hosting
Businesses of all sizes can take advantage of telephone systems which are based on VoIP rather than analogue landlines.
VoIP operates over the internet and you can either choose to host the service locally, provided that you have the resources, or take advantage of the remote hosting offered by a large number of competing providers.
VoIP gives you access to much more bandwidth for voice calls, which means fewer lines can bear a greater load. As such, you can actually save money when you upgrade, as well as reducing call costs thanks to the affordable nature of IP-based communications.
When it comes to future-proofing, a business telephone system that is based on VoIP technology and hosted remotely is probably the most resilient of them all.
Because most the complex hardware and software are handled at the provider's end, it means businesses do not need to worry about maintenance or paying for upgrades. This simplifies the usage process and minimises costs, meaning you will never be lumbered with an outdated platform again.
VoIP has the added benefit of being much more scalable than a fixed internal solution. When you need to add new services or cater to additional users, you can add these on demand, as opposed to being limited by the physical properties of a PBX.
The only problem facing businesses that are adopting a new, future-proof phone system is that there is quite a bit of choice on the market at the moment.
Many different providers will be looking to meet your needs with a variety of products and services. You need to be savvy enough to identify the system that will serve your company well and live up to the expectations you have without stretching your budget to breaking point.
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At present, telephone is the most important part in the business. I want to say it can finish 60% work of a business. Through a mobile phone you can do most of your work by sitting in your room. We can consider it that it is one of the part of online marketing.