Business today has been enriched with a lot of technological advancements that make work easier. From communication solutions to cloud computing, business today has been transformed into a spectacle of the future. This advancement has seen businesses embrace these technologies so as not to be left behind in reaping the benefits that these solutions pack. Businesses report increased productivity while using tech than when they didn’t.
Computerized systems at work have seen software compatible with any device emerge. Phones, for example, have advanced both in capacity and design, meaning they can be incorporated into the office interface as a working device.
Why Do You Need a Phone System?
Installing a phone system makes your business look professional. Yes, you can have your local number up and work, but the risk of having to lose potential clients just because they don’t like your phone-it doesn’t look professional. Integrating your computers, mobile phones, and any business gadgets available into a phone system allows you to have a business number, meaning you can create business trust. Customers will have better chances of coming to you.
- You can track your calls (usage of the call system)
- It comes with extra features that are not available in conventional phones, i.e., call forwarding, call recording, call waiting, call holding, caller identification, routing inbound calls, etc.
- Your business can share a single business number with the other business users/workers and use them simultaneously. This makes your office setting very planned, in that anyone can answer the call as the first available attendant.
- Most phone systems are compatible with existing and readily available infrastructure with minor tweaks-if any. The installation is in existing computers, landlines, wireless phones, among others. These are things that you already have, thereby reducing the cost of purchasing new equipment.
- These systems are easy to use, and you can manipulate them autonomously with little help from the IT team. Functions like adding callers are light by just following the menu dropdown, and viola!
- Voice over the Internet Protocol allows for the virtual phone systems to function anywhere so long as there is a strong internet connection.
Types of Phone Systems Available Today
There are three types of phone systems that are there today:
1. Key System Units(KSUs)
These were the first generation of phone systems solutions for businesses. They encompass the management of calls using landlines through a central switching unit. The operator can check the line status, transfer calls to various extensions, and select and facilitate call connections. The downside of this system is that it is limited to basic voice telephony and a limited number of phone lines.
2. Private Branch Exchange (PBXs)
This is a private phone network used by an organization to connect internal phones, allowing sharing of several external lines for external calls. Today, PBX systems operate digitally connected to computers for autonomous management and switching calls.
3. Virtual Phone System
With the connection Voice over the Internet Protocol (VoIP), PBX systems can do much more. They can make calls over the internet to any part of the world provided there is a strong internet connection. They support video conferencing, video calling, voice calls, instant messaging, and data sharing. These systems are very affordable to start and do not require any great additions since most operations are in the cloud.
Selecting the Perfect Phone System for Your Business
- Step 1: Identify your business needs- number of employees, number of phones you need, etc.
- Step 2: Do you have the required infrastructure-internet connection, space to house any physical equipment, etc.
- Step 3: Can you afford it?- Check for prices of repairs, maintenance, etc. Ask the service provider to customize an offer for you that suits your business
- Step 4: Security- the network must be secure against hacks so that confidential business the information doesn’t leak to unintended parties
- Step 5: Scalability and flexibility- the system should have provisions to cater for growth, increase in needs etc.
- Step 6: How is the customer care of the service provider- there needs to be a quick response help desk in case of any maintenance or clarifications with the system.
A business phone system is the backbone of communications and can determine the success or failure of the business. Any organization with a working system experiences tremendous growth in its business. To fully benefit from the goodness of having a phone system, you need to select a good one that integrates well with your business needs and budgetary provisions while considering its scalability and flexibility to handle business growth and future needs.