Even as small business phone systems and business communications have changed rapidly in the past years, one thing about business phone service hasn't changed: You still have to pay someone for your service.
However, if you're still on copper wire service, paying one of the traditional telephone companies, it's time to think about an upgrade. Unified Communications have revolutionized how business is conducted on a wired planet, and plain old telephone service simply can't keep up.
For those who haven't changed their business phone service provider in awhile, we've got five things you should be asking them about. If they can't give them to you, find someone who can.
The Five Essential Keys To Modern Small Business Phone Systems and Service
Voice Over IP
More than any other feature, when you next change business phone services, you want to start moving towards VoIP service and a hosted system. Copper wire telephone lines are becoming part of the past – VoIP offers too many benefits for you to stay tethered to copper.
With VoIP, you can start to embrace Unified Communications strategies that bring your entire communication system under central control, and extend your office around the planet.
Simple Feature Changing
Any business phone service these days should make it quick and simple for you to change the options you've subscribed to. A VoIP provider should give you a single console that allows these changes to be implemented in minutes most. Systems that still require you to call in and wait for them are a thing of the past.
Personal IVRs
Today, an Interactive Voice Response system is quick and easy for virtually anyone in your office to create. A combination of smart scripting and voice synthesis systems allow every team member to create their own custom IVR, tailored to their business needs.
This feature is rapidly becoming standard in modern small business phone systems, as it gives workers far more options in working away from the office. These lessen the disruption of vacations, and help customers stay in contact as well.
Full Data Integration
One of the key benefits to VoIP communications is that they simply become part of your business's overall data system. Your VoIP provider needs to provide service compatible with modern Unified Communications systems, to ensure your phone systems are properly integrated into the larger system.
From there, you get a wealth of options for delivering messages and live streams to any device, anywhere in the world. They can even change format. Voicemails can be automatically encoded as MP3s and emailed, or even transcribed to text and sent as simple texts.
Videoconferencing
Even if you do not have the videoconferencing phones yet, be future-focused when ordering bandwidth for your VoIP service. Videoconferencing takes more bandwidth, but it will be growing steadily in use over the coming years. Its days of being a luxury feature are numbered.
In the meantime, by planning ahead when you make these changes to your service, you can save yourself a lot of hassle further down the line. If the upgrades will have to be done sooner or later, doing them all at once is ultimately the most cost-effective option.
Future-Focused Telecommunications Integration Streamlines Your Operation
It can be difficult for everyday business owners to know when a new technology is worth investing in, especially given how quickly products and ideas have become obsolete in the past. The truth is, Voice over IP is the next technology you need to embrace. It is quickly gaining on traditional telephone services worldwide.
So, when it's time to look for your next business phone service, make sure you pick one that has you ready for VoIP and everything it unlocks for your business communications in the years to come.
