Technology can – and should – improve business communications. For SMEs in particular, modern communications technology can enable you to compete on equal terms with much larger businesses and grow without having to invest heavily in new offices, resources and equipment.
The arguments in favour of replacing an out of date phone system have often focused on the direct costs, however the real costs to a business struggling on with an outdated phone system are much greater than the direct costs.
Moreover, times have changed and technology has advanced at a rapid rate – traditional phone systems exist largely in isolation from IT systems: one was about making and receiving phone calls; the other was about digital communications and managing information. The fact that both were essentially about communications was ignored. The worlds of telecoms and IT have converged to deliver seamless Cloud Communications which means that traditional PBX systems are now hindering, rather than helping, today’s digital businesses.
Now more than ever, your choice of telecoms solution could inhibit business performance and restrict your business growth. If you are still relying on traditional ISDN, here’s why you should consider a hosted phone system for your business.
Did you know that your choice of telecoms solution affects:
› Business growth potential
› Operational costs
› Flexibility and capacity for change
Choose the wrong solution and your business could be at a competitive disadvantage.
Business growth factors
While traditional fixed line solutions have been relied on by businesses for years, technological advancements have meant that they may no longer offer your business the best value and could even be restricting your business growth.
A traditional on-site PBX can be:
› Limited in expansion potential
› Reliant on expensive ISDN lines
› Subject to expensive annual licensing and maintenance
› Inflexible
In fact, pretty much everything a growing company doesn’t want.
Supporting business growth
Choosing a phone system that can grow with your business is important. Traditional ISDN can be limiting to business growth, particularly if you have more than one site. Next generation alternatives to traditional telephony can help.
Moving your PBX to the cloud with a hosted phone system:
› Allows for the easy management of extensions and system features
› Has no limitations in terms of scalability
› Can unify disparate sites more easily
Without the limitations of traditional fixed line solutions, a hosted phone system can help you to achieve your business goals.
Driving cost-effectiveness
Cost can be a key factor when considering new systems for your business. With improvements in accessing high-speed connectivity in recent years, hosted options can offer your business greater cost advantages than retaining your traditional fixed services.
With a hosted phone system:
› Change to an opex-based price model with limited upfront capital expenditure
› No requirement for costly ongoing maintenance fees
› Pay-as-you-go model ensures you only pay for what you use
Improved flexibility
As a growing business you need to be able to respond more quickly to changing business demands. Supporting more flexible working practices is important to maintain staff productivity and meet the expectations of your customers.
A hosted phone system allows you to:
› Roll out new sites quickly and easily, integrating them into your existing system simply by connecting an IP-enabled handset
› Make and receive calls any time, any place with smartphone and softphone apps
› Integrate your cloud phone system with your company CRM for improved customer service delivery
› Access detailed call reporting to help improve business performance
Takeaways:
For businesses that want to grow, only a hosted phone system can provide:
› Unlimited growth potential
› Significantly reduced telecoms costs
› Flexible technology to support business change
