In a day and age where communications and collaboration are a key element of business success (mainly due to the increasing reliance on remote and hybrid working practices), choosing the right tools and technology to increase productivity, achieve employee satisfaction and enhance customer experience is vital.
Over the past three years, communications technology has grown and improved exponentially. Comms solutions have gone from a nice-to-have to a must-have in order to continue operations during a time of unprecedented crisis.
As we continue to adapt to this new reality, it might be time to consider whether your tech stack is suited to the demands of the hybrid working era.
In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits of integrated voice solutions. We will also provide tips on how to choose the right solution for your business.
What are integrated voice solutions?
Integrated voice solutions are a type of communication system that allows companies to manage all of their communications in one place – the key is in the name, integrated. This can include VoIP calls, messages, and more. Integrated voice solutions can be part of unified communications software or simply come as cloud-based phone systems (also known as cloud telephony or VoIP).
Unified communications solutions fully integrate all communications into one platform, while cloud telephony focuses on the voice aspects, and delivers telephone calls and other communication services over the Internet instead of through traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) technologies.
While it might seem complicated to understand, UC software is mostly cloud-based and will include a cloud telephony, or cloud voice solution (as well as other comms tools such as chat, video conferencing and file sharing).
In this blog, we will only focus on cloud telephony and its voice features.
How does a cloud-based phone system work?
A cloud-based phone system is a phone system that is hosted in the cloud rather than being on-premises. This means that your business doesn’t need to host the full system on site, but it’s instead hosted on a server with your chosen provider. This has several benefits, including:
- Access your phone system from any computer or phone with an internet connection
- Easily add or remove phone lines and extensions
- Reduce Capex costs
- Manage your phone system from anywhere in the world
How to choose the right solution for your business
When it comes to choosing the right integrated voice solution for your business, there are a few key factors to consider. The first is the size of your company. If you’re a small business, you may not need all the features of a larger system. You’ll also need to consider your budget and what features are important to you.
Another important factor is the type of phone system you currently have. If you’re using a traditional landline phone system, you may want to consider an integrated voice solution that can work with your existing system. If you’re using a VoIP system already, you may want to look for a solution that integrates or has full feature parity with your existing one.
The benefits of an integrated voice solution
While we’ve listed a few benefits of moving your phone system to the cloud, there are plenty more that will directly impact your workforce, your productivity and therefore, your success. Here are the top four benefits of deploying integrated voice solutions:
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Enhanced communication
Enhanced communication has quickly become one of the most important features in today’s society. With the development of new technologies, the way we communicate with each other has changed dramatically.
By hosting your phone system on the cloud, your employees will be able to make calls wherever they are, without having to rely upon your office system to do so. This will help them feel more connected, efficient and collaborative. This is particularly efficient when paired with an instant messaging solution.
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Increased scalability and flexibility
Cloud-based voice solutions are much easier to scale up or down depending on your business needs. This is particularly important in times of uncertainty, crisis, or simply for seasonal businesses that see an increase in demand over certain periods.
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Reduced carbon footprint
Cloud-based phone systems can help reduce your business footprint in a number of ways. As communications are more seamless and available anywhere, on any device, employees don’t have to travel as much for meetings. On top of that, as the software is upgraded automatically and it’s hosted on the cloud, your company doesn’t have to purchase new hardware and any existing doesn’t have to be replaced as often.
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Improved customer experience
Last but not least, integrated voice solutions can benefit your customer experience. This is particularly effective when your phone system is integrated with other collaboration and communications platforms, or better when it’s all part of the same platform – as it’s the case with unified communications solutions.
These solutions allow your agents to access back-office staff and information in a matter of minutes, delivering a seamless experience to your customers.
Embrace the future with integrated voice solutions
If you’re not already using cloud telephony in your business, it’s time to start exploring the options. The benefits are clear, and the future of business communications is clearly cloud-based. Discover more on our dedicated page today.
