Predictions regarding the impact of the pandemic and its aftermath paint an increasingly complex picture. Business resilience and continuity could include complicated planning to determine, for example, how many people spaced six feet apart will fit in an office, what modifications are needed to restrooms, lunchrooms, and entrances, and what interventions are needed to address the physical and mental health of employees. Budgets need to be adjusted and companies will be looking at various options to rescue the bottom line. These are critical efforts to absorb uncertainty and return the business environment to some semblance of normalcy.
McKinsey and Company reports that “to renew and refresh their connections to the people they serve, companies need to recognise what’s happening now, and respond in three ways: digital excellence, safe and contactless engagement, and dynamic customer insights.” All three proposals in some way underpin the importance of technology in preparation of the long-term impact of the pandemic.
An often-overlooked area that could address some of the crucial aspects mentioned above is business communications. Voice over IP (VoIP) can be a great option for small or medium-sized businesses in these challenging times. There are several potential cost savings in a VoIP system and particularly a hosted or cloud-based solution vs. traditional phone systems, some of which include:
1 Hardware
With a traditional phone system, companies may need an auto-attendant, and must purchase auto-attendant hardware and pay for installations. With VoIP, companies have the freedom to change or update their systems in real time without additional purchases or installations. VoIP thus offers increased scalability and redundancy since no rewiring and reprogramming is necessary. You can instantly add users or phones, update Interactive Voice Responses (IVRs), and route calls to any device and location without any added expense or hardware.
2 Maintenance
System hardware fails and the resultant downtime can cost companies thousands. By deploying VoIP in the Cloud, hardware failures and other maintenance issues can be eliminated preventing loss in revenue. Older phone systems require costly and increasingly scarce technical expertise to maintain the system.
3 Calling fees
IP telephony connects calls over the Internet, and businesses using VoIP avoid paying any long-distance fees. International calls can be made at half the cost of traditional landline-based communications.
4 Free upgrades
Phone systems require intermittent updates as is the case with most forms of technology, which is the responsibility of businesses using a traditional phone system. Upgrades of VoIP software are covered by your provider, and you should always have access to the best quality and available equipment.
5 Mobility
With traditional landline phones, employees are deskbound and must manually reroute phone numbers to a new location. If you have an IP connection at a new location, a VoIP system recognises it as a handset. By utilising smartphone apps, VoIP increases mobility by making your mobile phone an extension of your network and enables making business calls on a smartphone regardless of the location.
6 Advanced Features
The majority of VoIP providers offer advanced features such as auto-assistant, call routing, music on hold,, find-me-follow-me, and many others to help smaller businesses appear more professional and capable of exceptional customer service. These features also allow businesses to create unified communication platforms for increased customer engagement.
Conclusion
These six cost savings features represent just a few of the ways VoIP can assist companies. It is important to select a VoIP provider with services and equipment that are the best match for your specific business needs.
