Having strong phone service has been a hallmark of the office for generations now. It enables us to communicate daily with in-house collaborators, outside business partners and our customers, the end users of our products. But what if there was a better course of action than simply talking on old-fashioned land lines?
Embracing VoIP represents a chance to take your company's phone service to the next level.
That's what voice over internet protocol (VoIP) represents. It's a chance to take phone service to the next level, having conversations in a way that's easy, efficient and doesn't "tie up phone lines" like in the old days. All you need is an internet connection.
Actually, you do need one other thing - a reliable VoIP service provider that can ensure you always have access to good phone service. What are you looking for in such a business partner? There are a few key criteria you should probably keep in mind.
Finding the infrastructure you need
Setting up a VoIP phone system in your office can be a great way to make your operations more nimble and cost-efficient. However, according to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, it can be challenging to figure out exactly what sort of phone infrastructure your organisation needs, so some careful planning is required.
The government office noted that first and foremost, your needs depend on the expectations of your end users. Do you expect your employees to be fielding many calls at once from a number of different directions? If so, you'll need a phone system that's robust enough to handle the extra bandwidth. Additionally, it makes sense to discuss with your most valued customers and business partners what their needs are when it comes to communicating with your office. Being accommodating is important.
Thorough VoIP infrastructure planning isn't just about choosing a provider - it's also about mapping out your specific needs in terms of hardware, software and network security resources. You want your system to be affordable and to meet all of your employees' needs.
Developing the business case
Having said that, choosing a provider is still your first order of business. There is no shortage of VoIP providers out there in today's marketplace, eager to serve your company - so how will you choose just one?
Perhaps the best way to decide is to look at your company's current pain points and find a provider that specialises in addressing them. Assess your current phone system and ask why you're determined to find a new one. Is maintenance too difficult? Are calls getting dropped? Do you need more high-tech features like multi-way calling? Whatever your difficulties, there's probably a VoIP provider that knows how you can overcome them.
Once you have a specific reason for going with a new provider, you can articulate the business case for the change and appeal to your company's leadership for funding and additional support for the move. Whenever you make any change in business, you want to be sure you're getting a positive ROI.
How our first-rate system works
There are lots of companies out there claiming to provide quality phone systems for small business owners like yourself. None of them, however, have quite the same level of features and functionality that we have to offer. At Fonality, we deliver a cloud-based phone system that makes it easy for your employees to control their conversations in a convenient control panel.
There's a lot of complicated jargon and "telco speak" in the world of phone service, but pay it no mind. What we do is simplify the entire process and help your company focus on what it does best - having conversations, conducting business and making money.