Why should I upgrade my phone system

When it comes to PC's and IT equipment for business we're often very good at upgrading to the latest technology to ensure we can run the best programs at the fastest speed and gain a competitive edge over Fred in the shed down the road.

Phone systems on the other hand are often seen as a tool that simply provides dial tone to the desk and therefore doesn't need upgrading until it goes wrong. However when it does go wrong it can be extremely costly. Henley Management Institute discovered that 60% of companies that experienced a loss of normal telecoms for a period of 10 days, ceased trading within a year.

Extensive research and development has meant that technology that was previously only available to large enterprise businesses is now available to the small or medium business. The price tag for this technology has also fallen as the big players start to enter the SMB market space. Features such as mobile twinning, video conferencing, VoIP and text to speech are all accessible.

This may all sound like overkill for a small organisation but as customers become more demanding, business needs to evolve to meet their expectations. If you haven't considered making improvements to your communications systems then your competitors will have.

So what can a new phone system do that your old system can't and how will this benefit you and your customers?

Mobile Twinning

This feature has proved extremely popular. It bridges the gap between your phone system and your company mobile phones. Most of us have at least two numbers that our customers can contact us on often with two different voicemails. This can be a little frustrating for customers as important messages may be missed.

Research has shown that some customers are unwilling to call a mobile number due to either the cost of the call or they feel it is an invasion of privacy. By twinning your mobile with your direct landline number you avoid these problems and protect your mobile number.

There are also cost saving benefits of mobile twinning. Some manufacturers offer an application that can be run on most new mobile phones which means all calls made from the mobile devise are routed through the phone system. As calls to the office number are normally free this can reduce the number of bundled minutes required on a mobile contract.

Remote Working

Remote working is becoming more popular as it offers flexible hours and saves money spent on office space. Using an IP Phone allows remote workers to connect back to the office phone system over their broadband connection. They have an extension number like any other office based worker and can be contacted on their office direct dial number.

IP based remote working means an end to phone expenses claims and customers calling workers on their home numbers. Now you can work from home or in a branch office with the same extension features and number as you have at head quarters.

Unified Communications

The world of communications is changing and the ways we communicate are broadening. Our friends, colleagues and customers are now able to reach us by phone, mobile, email, instant messenger and other methods. The best way to be contacted depends on what we are doing, how urgent the communication is and the type of communication required.

Unified communications is the concept that by using standards based protocols multiple platforms can provide an aligned, presence based communication method. Your telephone system is just one cog in the machine of unified communications but it's the most important cog.