One of the most impartial factors in the business environment today is how well a business copes with the demands of new technology. For most businesses this means investing heavily in technology on a regular basis, this cannot be good for the environment or indeed for a business still finding its feet within the market place. Larger companies are able to absorb this cost much quicker in order to retain their position in the race for market domination. Smaller companies and startups however are faced with an enormous task of keeping abreast of new technology whilst still remaining competitive in the market.
The telephone is a vital tool of communication; it is almost defined as a need rather than a want in the modern business environment. Companies are therefore investing huge sums of money to ensure that their telephony infrastructure is the very best as this reflects heavily on the image of the company and the level of service it can provide to its customers. In short, a better phone system portrays a better image with improved customer service levels, which in turn achieves more satisfied customers.
However as you may be aware, good telephone systems can cost thousands of pounds and with the fast changing technological environment, a new system is needed almost every couple of years. So how does a small business or startup deal with the task of being on level terms with the competition without having to fork out the heavy capital investments?
Could Hosted VoIP PBX be the answer for Small Businesses and Start Ups?
As covered in previous articles of newbusiness, VoIP is set to be the next revolution in terms of how we see telephony in the future. The idea of sending calls over the internet is a big bonus that VoIP has over traditional telephony, in effect this means that you no longer have to pay premiums to fixed line operators for good quality phone calls around the world.
What is a Hosted VoIP PBX?
Telecoms companies are now offering a service called Hosted VoIP PBX systems. This is aimed particularly at small businesses and start ups although most larger companies have already adopted this new technology due to its cost saving benefits. Your telecom company will host your telephone system on your behalf and in most cases keep it updated to the latest technology, leaving you with endpoint handsets in your office which are linked to your hosted telephone system over the internet. This option has many benefits especially for SME's as you only pay a small monthly fee for hosting your system and if and when technology changes as it inevitably will, you do not need to make another big investment and yet still enjoy the enhanced features of the new technology.
Enterprise Grade Phone Features
A Hosted VoIP PBX gives you all the telephone features that an high end blue chip company would enjoy such as Voice Menus, Call Queuing, On Hold Music, and many more, but without the high investments involved of purchasing new equipment every so often. This allows you to improve your image as a small business and provide a better level of customer service, with features such as call queuing you never need worry about losing business with your phone giving out a busy tone.
Flexibility built in as standard...
The one most talked about element of VoIP is its mobility. As your calls are connected over the internet, you are no longer bound to your office desk to receive calls. You can be anywhere in the world and with access to the internet you are able to receive calls on your local number. This has certainly made the world a smaller place as a local number is not so local after all. For the one man band business always on the move, this feature is an ideal solution of presenting a professional image rather than advertising a mobile phone number which can at times drive customers away from contacting your business.
Does it really save me money?
The big question in business terms is whether adopting this approach to telephony actually reduces your outgoings, as no matter how good new technology may be, if it does not save on costs it is not of much relevance to a small business in the short term.
In my experience of Hosted VoIP telephony, I have seen a great deal of positive feedback from SME's and startups through the uptake of a hosted telephone system where costs are involved. The idea of not having to pay large amounts of money for a telephone system is the major contributor of SME's implementing Hosted VoIP into their offices and homes although the cost savings of using a VoIP provider rather than a fixed line operator such as BT are also evident as the VoIP providers are able to offer much lower calling rates due to the fact they do not have to distribute the cost of maintaining their fixed line infrastructure as BT or a cable operator may need to.
There are many factors a business may consider before deciding on a telephone system for their business. The benefits of a VoIP system definitely outweigh those of a traditional PBX system although it is important to evaluate your current business position and where you see your business in 3 years time. If you see your business growing and generating a bigger customer base and greater revenue, then you are in need of a telephone system which grows with your business. A Hosted VoIP PBX does just that.
I would encourage small to medium sized businesses and new start ups to shop around and evaluate the features that they s
ee themselves needing in a telephone system on a regular basis and seek further advice and information from Hosted VoIP providers on how best to implement and integrate the system into your current working environment with enough flexibility and scope to evolve with your business activity. With the Hosted VoIP PBX the possibilities are endless.
