The end is near for ISDN - Why VoIP?

The world we live in is changing at such a rate that it is becoming difficult for people – and especially businesses – to keep up. After all, we are living in a technological age, a time where whole parts of our lives are completely dominated by the capabilities of the digital devices we have at our disposal. With the untold number of possibilities available in regard to communication, collaboration, and productivity, it can be a difficult time to navigate effectively.

Over recent times businesses have been gradually adopting an at least partial remote working team – a transition that was put into overdrive due to the pandemic. Businesses attempted to manage the change as effectively as they could, but, unfortunately, their efforts were only sufficient as a part-time solution. The long-term solution needs to be far more capable, flexible, manageable, and have the ability to stand the test of time.

Why VoIP?

As you already know, ISDN is nearing the end of its life – this, on top of the fact that a traditional phone system has become ridiculously expensive, makes VoIP the cheaper, better equipped, modern option.

> Mirroring of the office setting from anywhere

We all like doing some work from out of the office (especially management) but your clients knowing that you are on the golf course, the beach, or your boat when you answer their calls doesn’t project the image of professionalism that makes your business the success it is. VoIP allows you and your team to appear to be in the office no matter where you choose to work from. For the customer every step of the transaction is identical to previous ones, the number they call is the reputable number they have always contacted, and the call is answered professionally with the familiar company greeting like it always is - these consistencies promote confidence in your client base. We ask you - what evokes more confidence - ‘Hello, Patrick’s painting and decorating, Pat speaking, how can I help?’ or ‘Hi, Pat here, who’s this?’

It is human nature to make a judgement call on our first impressions - you can either start the communication off correctly and evoke a sense of trust, professionalism, and industry knowhow, or you can potentially stop the relationship dead in the water with a lackadaisical greeting; it is up to you.

> Client interaction

VoIP can fill the void that has been left by Voicemail. Understandably, some organisations still use it, but for modern business it is now simply too slow and doesn’t really serve purpose. However, VoIP allows you to choose where your calls ring and how which means you no longer need voicemail. (For example, you can make the first rings take place to your office where you spend most of your time, the second could be at your home, and the last through to your mobile - the possibilities are endless.) You can make a guarantee to your customers that not many can, that you will not, under any circumstances, miss their call.

> Feature versatility

VoIP has many features that make it stand out from the rest, but (following on from the above) the obvious one to also discover is Voicemail-to-text. This feature takes a transcript of your Voicemails and sends them straight to your inbox, giving you the option to miss a call deliberately if you are too busy to answer, or accidently if you are unable to, meaning that you can carry on with your day as normal knowing that there is a log of that call available as soon as you access your Emails.

Explore VoIP in detail and discover its features – some are very simple, but all will have a positive effect on the way you conduct business.

> Reliability

There is, like anything innovative, one flaw. If you lose internet connection you also lose telephony connection. Of course you can’t run a successful business whilst constantly on the edge of your seat thinking that you are going to lose the ability to communicate with not just your client base but also each other and your suppliers. But, if you set up VoIP correctly, this problem will be irrelevant, because with the power of the call forwarding tool we mentioned earlier, everyone can work from anywhere. Office flood? No worries - pick up your laptop, go and relax at home, turn it on and carry on from where you were.

> Increased mobility of service

Traditional phone lines run to a specific number; this made the speedy transition to remote working a tricky one. Employees were forced to remember an assortment of different codes and keys to dial in order for their telephone at home to assume the office number.

VoIP makes service mobility possible to levels at which we didn’t think were achievable. Your entire workforce can be in the office one day and the following at home. It also allows teams to continue working in extenuating circumstances (for example, snow may stop a lot of people due to transport in the winter months). However, with VoIP there is no need to worry.

VoIP – if used and managed correctly – has the power to drive your business to a more flexible, secure, and manageable future.

Bringing ease to your IT team

Our team of specialists at 1-Fix offers an extensive range of business IT services - from desktop and server management to network design and cyber security assistance.

Our experts want to become vital members of your team and help you make a smooth beneficial transition to Cloud computing. In turn, this will boost the levels and quality of communication that your organisation is able to achieve. We can help you maintain a level of collaboration, communication, and productivity that can rival even the office setting, along with security that allows you to feel confident 100% of the time that you are not likely to be a victim of a cyber-attack. Please do not hesitate to contact us to find out how we can help you achieve this.

Please do not hesitate to contact us to find out how we can help you.