VoIP Systems in 2021: What you need to know
With a Hosted Phone System, businesses essentially take their phone system off-premises to a third-party provider and let them handle much of the responsibility for maintenance, firmware upgrades etc. What are the benefits of this set up, and what should you look for in a hosted VoIP system provider?
What to really look for in a Hosted System Provider
The biggest benefits are the cost savings and avoiding the network infrastructure issues that arise when a company wants to install a Unified Communications solution. Provided it has the resources, even a small business can put VoIP and UC on their internal networks. Larger businesses may be in a slightly more privileged position however, by choosing a business phone service in the cloud rather than an On-Site Phone System, they are able to dedicate their resources elsewhere, cut costs and have peace of mind with a secure service.
Hosted or Cloud Based Phone System providers can offer the ideal solution. Hosted Systems are a great solution as they do not have any in-house administration to worry about and, if they wish, a business need not be involved in the running or management of the phone system at all. The responsibilities and administrative tasks are passed on to the provider. What’s more, Cloud Based solutions can be quickly implemented, removing the need for downtime and interference with the business’ everyday processes, the transition can be seamless when effectively managed.
The Benefits of a Hosted System
- Cost Efficiency – Only pay for what you use. No initial CapEx. Huge savings.
- Scalability – Instantly adapt your system to the needs of your business and stop paying for unused resources. Perfect fit – whatever changes your business undergoes.
- Integration – Seamless incorporation with existing platforms and systems.
- Future Proof – No need to upgrade, it’s all included!
- Ease of Use – Ergonomic functionality and GUI is intuitive and simple to use. Ongoing training and support is also provided.
- Flexibility – Shape the functionality to match the needs of your business. Complete control.
- Features – A vast number of options to modify and customise the systems features to deliver exactly what your business needs to thrive.
Do Your Research!
As with any product or service provider, it’s up to you to do your research and compare hosted VoIP providers to find the one that best fits your needs.
Initially, it’s key to find a provider that supports mobile integration. With Remote Working becoming such a huge feature of the modern business world, it’s important for the phone system to be able to interact with smartphones or other mobile devices to forward calls, but there are also Mobile and Collaboration Apps available from some providers that will essentially give the user phone system functionality and integration on their smartphone device. This is particularly helpful for businesses that want to give employees the ability to use mobile VoIP clients with all the calling features of their desktop phone system.
It’s also important to find a provider that you feel that you can trust and that can provide you with personalised customer service. For example, your company may want to have different call queues that are dealt with in different ways, or they may want the system set up in way that benefits the business and aligns with other operational necessities. If the hosted system provider can’t deal with those requests because they’re too complex, then it’s time to keep looking. Find a provider that has been around for a while with a good footprint in the market but is still small enough to offer that personable service.
Must Ask Provider Checklist
- What does the quote include in terms of management and maintenance of the VoIP solution?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- Can they offer the features you need?
- Do they support remote/mobile working?
- Do they have positive feedback/testimonials?
- Who are their current customers?
- Can they offer a complete solution?
- What is the exact level of support offered?
- What are the charges or policies if you need to scale up your system/add users?
- What usage costs does the quote include?
- What disaster recovery options do they have?
- Are they up to date with the latest technologies and innovations?
- Are they able to integrate with other applications, such as CRM software?
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