That’s one option. The second option is to invest on Uninterrupted Power Supply units for hand handset. Also to invest on a mobile fail-over data provider to fall back in the event of your primary internet goes down. On a traditional phone system working with PSTN / ISDN (old copper), you flexibility to move is quite less. When you have a power failure or hardware failure, you are dependent on a technician come visit you to resolve your issue. Could be hours or days.
It’s important you to signup with a local IT Company that provides VoIP Hosted Phone Systems. Someone who can come visit your premises to set up the phone systems for you. Average non IT related business world not have the technical know-how to do it by themselves. Also you don’t want to ring a call center where you’d be just another subscription and the person at the other end looking at a computer screen “script” to answer the problem you have.
Signup with a local IT company to get your Telephony VoIP service, so you have someone directly to talk to and ask for assistance, come visit you immediately if required.
“Support Local Business” – I’m sure anyone would agree on with me on that topic.
Checkout this Example Phone System setup.
Let’s have a look at some of the key topics.
1. Control your calls the way you want
When your customers calls during your opening hours, you can automatically get the system to play a welcome message and then either direct them to SALES, ACCOUNTS, TECHNICAL SUPPORT or pass all your calls to the RECEPTION. Then you can internally transfer calls. During after hours and non working days, you can get the phone to play after hours message or closed message and direct the call to an after hours call center or collect a voicemail get emailed to you and also can be listened on a handset.
2. Flexibility of acquiring more resources
You may have started with one line (we call it a SIP Trunk). With traditional phone systems, you are bound to purchase more telephone lines and create a hunting group when you want to have more than one call. The cost is significant. But not with VoIP systems. You only have one SIP Trunk, but you can increase or decrease the number of lines a SIP Trunk can have immediately. Makes the system capable of making and receiving multiple call while using one SIP trunk.
Same goes for increasing the number of extensions/handsets. You don’t need to invest on all handsets right at the beginning. Simple add more handsets as you need them. Usually, a VoIP Hosted PBX can have unlimited / reasonable number of extensions attached to one system.
3. It simplifies device setup
In the event of you require to be connected multiple sites local or over seas, VoIP business phone system provides the most reliable, fast deploying system possible.
Sometimes it’s difficult to let go your old infrastructure due to financial, commitment or emotional 🙂 reasons. VoIP helps you simplifying your telephony infrastructure. Instead of paying for expensive PSTN lines (not to mention, soon to be obsolete), you can invest on a VoIP ATA (Analogue terminal adapter) and Hybrid your system come onboard VoIP until you are ready to move into a complete VoIP system. Although your facilities are limited, it could be a good starting point of reduce cost calls and maintaining multiple PSTN lines.
4. You are not locked down to one location
One of the key point of a VoIP based Hosted PBX System is mobility. Moving business simply means you get your Internet connection up and running in your new premises, move the equipment to the new building and setup. No number porting, no new heavy infrastructure setup.
It’s entirely possible to move your VoIP Hosted PBX overseas. Same way, it’s entirely possible to have one or more extensions in overseas locations, while your primary business is located locally.
5. Easy to install, signup and operate
VoIP systems are one of the easiest Telephony Systems to install. Because of most the setup is done on the cloud, system administrators has the flexibility to make necessary setup changes immediately and test, saving lot of time deploying a new VoIP Business Phone System.
The operation of the system does not differ much from a Traditional Phone System. One theoretical difference of a VoIP PBX System from a Traditional Phone System is you are no more bound to phone lines. You are working with phone extensions where each phone extension can handle multiple concurrent calls. You no more have multiple physical phone lines. With SIP Trunking, you have one DID (The phone number customers call you from outside) and that DID is capable of having as many as number of lines you want.
About us
Now, this discussion is based on a Small Business Telephone Systems in mind. It does snot mean the concept will not work on a large corporate business telephony requirement. Us, Mifone are experts in small business hosted PBX phone system and we have the trusted client base to prove it. We love to hear from you, your business communication requirement and we drive with challenges we get solving / deploying VoIP Systems. Every business needs it different, hardware requirements are different. Feel free to give us a call or come visit us for a DEMO to discuss you business phone system requirement or that upgrade to the phone system you have been waiting for a long time.
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Guy PERERA, MiFONE | ExSET Holdings Pty Ltd | 03 9005 2010