Though high-speed internet seems to have taken over communication methods, be it in private life or businesses, when it comes to the professional arena, an effective office phone system remains indispensable. The right office phone system will ensure that all customers can contact the businesses they are working with more effectively and efficiently.
However, with the multitude of options available, choosing the right office phone system for your enterprise can be a little confusing. There are several things to consider before making your choice:
- Whether your enterprise requires a full phone system including physical desk telephones or whether a virtual phone service relying on mobile devices suffices.
- If it is a desk telephone that your enterprise requires, what is the sort of service that you are looking for - a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system running over the internet and available from multiple providers, or a traditional landline telephone service provided by a local or regional phone company?
- In the case of VoIP, would the system be on-premises or cloud-based?
However, whether yours is a small startup or a massive conglomerate, there are an array of solutions to meet every need that a modern business requires. Keeping in mind the following factors can prove to be truly beneficial in making the right choice:
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Reliability
Business phone systems of today are less likely to suffer from legacy solutions’ signal congestion. The system that an enterprise chooses must be able to handle several times its peak usage and service disruptions through redundant connections must be rendered to be less likely. When it comes to reliability, hybrid systems that utilize both digital and VoIP (“voice over IP”) technology have been proven to be the best as they can be adjusted to use conventional phone lines and Internet connections as per the demand of the moment.
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Clarity
The greatest setback that traditional analog telephones faced was that of call clarity, as the signal was largely dependent on the copper wiring that carries it. With passing time, the quality of the wires might get degraded and rewiring can cost thousands of dollars. The best way to avoid this problem is to opt for a digital telephone system with VoIP, which can be a major step up in getting the best results.
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Scalability
If the business is a fast-growing one, a phone system based on VoIP would be the best choice. Upgrading the total number of phone connections in a VoIP system is extremely quick and hassle-free. The phone capacity with VoIP is dependent only on the total bandwidth of the data connection it uses, which is shared between the VoIP usage and Web connections. It is also the best choice for companies that desire mobility in their connection as transferring a VoIP phone and its associated services to a new location is a truly simple procedure that does not require much effort.
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Affordability
When getting a telephone system for a business, there are main factors that ought to be considered: upfront investment and cost of ownership. In the case of digital systems, though the upfront cost appears to be low, they require additional expenditures when it comes to expanding in the future and also for international calling. Though VoIP is considered to be a strategic investment that delivers the highest returns in time. Being backed by the Internet, the VoIP system allows many calls, including international calls, to be free of charge.
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Flexibility and Functionality
It took analog telephones ages to provide diverse functionalities like speed dial, hold, mute and three-way calling, and the advent of digital systems has added features like caller ID, call forwarding and call waiting. An array of advanced features are available with VoIP business telephone systems that make them one of the best options. Businesses that use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) suite can easily integrate the software into their phones, making keeping track of customer interactions faster and easier.
Not all features align with the interests of all offices, and therefore working with a trustworthy full-service business telephone provider can help you choose the best option for your brand.
