Along with the cloud revolution, which has caused companies to switch much of their IT infrastructure to cloud-based applications, has come the move to cloud based VoIP phone systems.

While, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) may have been too immature for business use back in the early 2000’s, the last 10-15 years have changed all that, and internet-based phones are becoming the standard in organizations around the world.

In 2001, less than 5% of all business calls in North America were made using VoIP, but less than a decade later, 80% of all new corporate lines being installed were VoIP phones.

By 2021, there are projected to be 3 billion VoIP users

Why the big switch from landline company phone systems to cloud based systems?

Cost and efficiency are two of the biggest drivers.

Costs are significantly lower for VoIP, both operational costs and the cost of phone calls, and VoIP offers cloud-driven features that landline systems don’t, like automatic transcription and the ability to answer your phones from anywhere.

How Can VoIP Enhance My Business? 

If you’ve worked with a traditional phone system at your office for years, the thought of switching to VoIP can be daunting. Some questions people ask include: Will call quality be the same? Can we still use handsets with intercoms? How will this impact our customers?

(The answers are, “yes (or better),“ “yes,” and “positively.”)

But once they get beyond the initial fear of change, many business owners find that there is a freedom that comes with not being chained to landline phones and that there are several operational benefits to be had when they make the switch.

Business Mobility

One feature of cloud computing that’s had a big impact on how businesses operate is the ability to use applications from anywhere and any device. The same is true for VoIP phones.

Say there is a wildfire that makes it difficult for most of your team to get into the office safely. If you have landline phones, you may have to resign yourself to the fact that your office will be essentially closed because no one will be there to take the calls.

But if you use a VoIP phone system, your employees can login from home (or anywhere else) using their computer or mobile device and your office is open for business, even if you can’t make it to the physical building.

VoIP gives your office full mobility to operate from anywhere.

Cost Efficiency

One of the biggest factors that attracts companies to VoIP is the significant cost savings over traditional lines, while gaining more features. Companies can typically reduce their overall phone costs by 50% or more by switching to internet-based VoIP phones.

Cost savings comes from several areas including:

• Set up costs ($0 with VoIP compared to starting at $20,000 for landline systems)
• Long distance calls are significantly less
• No add-on taxes and fees
• No expensive equipment to purchase
• No regular maintenance needed
• You can add or subtract users any time, paying only for what you use

Time-Saving Features

Because VoIP is a cloud technology, you gain additional features that can save time and boost employee productivity.

These include:

• Voicemail being automatically transcribed and delivered by email or SMS
• Ability to quickly read through voicemail without having to listen to them all
• Voice attendant that can automatically route callers using a phone tree or pre-programmed rules based upon the caller’s number
• Call screening that can be done automatically before a call gets to a live person

Improve Caller Experience

If someone calls your office and the person or department that they’re trying to reach rings busy, they will generally either be routed back to the main menu or have to leave a voicemail if you’re using a landline phone system.

You have more options to improve your caller’s experience and route them to a live person quickly using VoIP. These include features like ring groups that ring all phones in a department simultaneously and setting up calling rules that forward a call to another person automatically if the one called does not pick up.

You can also set up company directories that let callers find the extension they need themselves. VoIP services also include hold music and allow you to choose from a library of different music types.

Get Calls Anywhere

You’re expecting an important client call, but you also need to leave for a meeting. Do you wait for the call and be late or do you resign yourself to missing the call while you’re away from your desk?

With VoIP, you don’t have to make that choice because calls can follow you anywhere you go and easily be answered on your mobile phone.

This also means you can give contacts just one phone number to reach you instead of having to give out your cell number along with your work line.

Keep Track of Calls More Easily

VoIP is easily integrated with a CRM program (such as Zendesk), which allows you to keep all calls organized with each customer file for easier tracking.

With a landline based system, you don’t have the same integration ability and one department, such as Accounting, can be in the dark that a customer they’re about to ask for a payment, just called the sales team with their credit card details.

With VoIP, tracking and reporting of all call activity in real-time is easy and makes your operations more efficient across the board.

Transform Your Communications with VoIP

Neuron Computers helps companies in Southern California transform their business through unified communications that streamline operations and reduce costs.

Contact us today to learn more about upgrading to a VoIP phone system. Call 1-833-4-NEURON or reach out online.