Ever since WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic, we’ve had to adapt to stringent working measures. One of them being that most employees now have to work remotely to satisfy social distance measures and avoid unnecessary movement. All this is in a bid to curb the spread of this highly infectious virus.
In fact, as of now, every 6 of 10 knowledge workers now work remotely, and the trend points upwards. If you’ve been mulling over getting a small office telephone system, then the opportune time to do so is now.
In this piece, we’ll look at how to upgrade your phone system for your remote workers and your company’s benefit. That way, you can keep it business as usual, despite your workers having to work remotely.
Table of Contents
1. Upgrading Your Small Office Telephone System for Remote Workers
3. Benefits of VoIP for Remote Workers
4. What Do You Require for a VoIP Telephone System?
6. Are Cloud-Based Telephone Systems Any Different From VoIP?
7. Upgrade Your Telephone System for Better Productivity
Upgrading Your Small Office Telephone System for Remote Workers
Using an outdated telephone system is one way to drift behind your competition. A modern telephone system like VoIP can dramatically change how you conduct your business for the better.
Now, more than ever, getting a VoIP system or a cloud-based telephone system is essential for businesses across the country. With these modern telephone systems, workers can work remotely from their homes, but still retain the effectiveness of working at the office.
Let’s delve into the details of VoIP and cloud-based telephone systems and see why they are essential for businesses with remote workers
VoIP Phone Systems
A VoIP phone system uses the internet to connect phone calls. It’s a huge leap from traditional switching devices in KSU and PBX systems. Since VoIP uses the internet to connect callers, you can communicate with clients from all over the globe.
The system also allows users to transfer telephone functions to their computers, which makes it easier for workers to work from their homes.
Benefits of VoIP for Remote Workers
Provided you have a stable internet connection, working from home with VoIP is a breeze. So even though you’re miles away from your office, VoIP still enables you to:
- Retain the same phone number you use at your office
- Transfer and receive calls using your office phone number
- Dial extensions and page fellow workmates from home
However, for your VoIP to do all this, you need to take your office phone home. If, you can’t, then you should consider a second IP business number. This phone will function as your office phone, even though it’s a different number. If someone calls your office phone, your new home phone also rings.
What’s more, you can transfer calls on your VoIP phone directly to your smartphone. Some smartphone apps can emulate an IP phone so that you can receive calls directly to your smartphone. Think of it as having your desk in your pocket, just without the paperwork.
What Do You Require for a VoIP Telephone System?
Most small businesses have a lot to gain from VoIP, especially since it’s more cost-effective than PBX systems. You also don’t require a lot of infrastructure to set up a VoIP system. For a VoIP system, you’ll need the following.
- An IP phone and a power adapter- You can’t forget your phone, but also remember you’ll need a phone power adapter for the phone to work at home. You can also use a power over ethernet switch in place of an adapter
- A stable internet connection- You need an internet connection and a stable one at that. If you don’t have a stable, high-speed internet connection, you’re likely to experience call interruptions. You can do an internet speed test to gauge the reliability of your internet.
Benefits of VoIP Over PBX
The first advantage of VoIP telephone systems is their portability, which gives workers the functionality of their offices at home. However, there’s much more a VoIP system has to offer. Here are a few benefits of a VoIP phone system.
- Cost-effectiveness- You don’t need copper wires for telephone lines and switching devices, which significantly reduces installation costs. Plus, it also reduces your monthly telephone bill by a significant margin.
- Better voice quality- Provided you have a stable, high-speed internet connection, voice quality with VoIP should be crisp and clear. That’s because faster internet speeds nowadays have enabled high-quality sound transmission. Plus, nowadays, we also have condenser microphones and noise-canceling headsets for optimum voice quality.
- Increased scalability- Scaling up your business can be overly expensive. With VoIP telephone systems, you can easily scale up your operations to meet the new demands without spending a bundle. That’s because you don’t have to buy any expensive hardware and pay for skilled installation labor.
- Extra features at no cost- You can get additional features with VoIP like call transferring, conference calls, and IVR for free. With other telephone systems, you’ll have to pay for these additional features.
Are Cloud-Based Telephone Systems Any Different From VoIP?
The short answer is no, but there are some very slight differences between the two. Think of cloud-based telephone systems as an extension or a subset of VoIP systems. Both use the internet to shuffle calls between callers.
However, for cloud-based phone systems, data is stored in the cloud and transmitted from there. A VoIP system, on the other hand, is a complete professional system.
Upgrade Your Telephone System for Better Productivity
Your business could take a hard hit if you fail to adapt to the current changes quickly. A small office telephone system upgrade is just what you need to keep your business up and running and even make it more productive.
Hopefully, you’re well-acquainted with VoIP telephone systems, and you also know how your business can benefit from upgrading to one.
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