Could a VoIP telephone system help you to work remotely?
Posted 06 Aug 2020
Over the last few months, businesses have adapted to working
from home. For many firms, this process was relatively simple to implement,
thanks to cloud-based technology. Many of us are used to working directly from
the cloud – with no software to install and automatic updates and backups, it’s
easy to see why so many businesses choose to make the most of cloud services.
But it’s not just your computer systems that should be working in the cloud;
your telephone system should be as well.
Let’s find out why…
What is a cloud-based telephone system?
Traditional landline phones work via an analogue or ISDN
phone line. Although they are reliable, they can be costly to run (with calls
charged per minute) and they lack the flexibility to scale up or down as your
business demands.
In recent years, cloud-based telephone systems (known as
VoIP systems) have been developed to offer greater flexibility and
affordability for businesses, whatever their size and sector. These telephone
systems use internet connections rather than analogue lines to manage the
connection. This means that they are easy to use, low cost, and adaptable to
your changing business needs. For example, if you have taken on new staff
members, you can easily add new direct-dial extensions without being tied into
any lengthy contracts.
Why VoIP telephone systems are better for your business
We believe that VoIP telephone systems are the best
cloud-based telephone systems for most businesses. This is a multi-faceted
phone line connection which not only transmits calls via an internet connection
but also incorporates a wide range of other features. These include call
forwarding, company diverts, conferencing capabilities, voicemail services, and
even TPS screening solutions.
In our view, not only can VoIP telephone lines offer
additional professionalism and capability, but it’s far easier to manage your
telephone budget. Rather than paying for every minute of call time, your phone
conversations will be included within your business broadband service.
Can VoIP phone lines give you greater consistency when staff work from
home?
As businesses scrambled to adapt to home working, one of the
biggest challenges was establishing how to maintain consistent phone lines for
employees. A benefit of VoIP phone lines is that as the connection takes place
via the internet, you can access your phone lines from anywhere in the world.
You can use a headset plugged into your laptop; an app installed onto your
smartphone. Or, you could simply take your handset home with you to use.
This is possible because the phone line is managed entirely
in the cloud. It means that your staff can retain their existing extension
numbers wherever they are working, offering greater consistency and reliability
for clients and customers trying to contact you.
Our Managing Director Craig Debenham tells us why this is so
important for businesses:
“We know that businesses are primarily working from
cloud-based solutions. They understand the importance of being able to access
work from anywhere in the world, but many have neglected the investment into
their phone lines.
The last few months has shown that whilst it is easy to
simply ask clients or customers to call a mobile phone, rather than a landline,
it’s not always a practical solution. There are many questions that you need to
ask yourself. For example, what happens if you’ve forgotten to tell a customer
the new number? Is the new number listed on your website or your email sign
off? Will you need new business cards printed? How easy is it to dial in and
check your landline voicemail services if you are working from home and unable
to go to your office?
With a VoIP telephone system, all of this is taken care
of for you. For businesses where employees are mixing home and office-based
work, or employees are travelling between different offices, having a
consistent contact number is vital. It improves productivity and reliability,
as well as giving clients or customers peace of mind that they always know how
to get in touch with you.”
Lucid Systems specialise in hosting VoIP telephone systems.
This means that we can manage and maintain your phone system on your behalf,
ensuring that your phone lines are fully integrated with your business
broadband connectivity and your wider IT solutions.
To find out more about our work with businesses across Suffolk, Norfolk,
Essex and London, please get
in touch.
by
Amy Dawson
