VoIP phone systems have been known to increase worker productivity and allow for employees to collaborate and communicate more effectively with coworkers and clients. The benefits have helped the integrated communications technology gain attention in recent years, with the market for this technology growing 21 percent in 2012 to more than 30 million VoIP subscribers in the United States.
However, Kolssak listed several considerations companies must make help them choose the best IP phone system.
1. Do you have a sound network? Since communications travel over the internet with VoIP, a company needs to determine its network capacity - can it handle the increase of data VoIP will create? Bandwidth, too, needs to be considered. The company's internet connection needs to be able to handle the new VoIP services while also maintaining current internet usage. Kolssak further says that a company may want to opt for greater bandwidth. This may be a smart decision for any small or start-up company that is expected to grow in the near future, he said.
2. Consider Scalability. Future growth of the business presents another consideration: scalability. Picking a VoIP solution that can be scaled as the business grows will be important, the article stated. A scalable system will allow the company to easily add and subtract IP telephony tools down the line. While considering future growth, business executives need to determine what equipment their employees need at the present time to allow them to use VoIP, the article stated. This includes headsets, software, and business VoIP phones.
3. Onsite or Cloud based? A major consideration will be determining if the company wants an on-premise system or one that is a hosted PBX phone system. According to Kolssak, hosted PBX systems may best suit companies with a limited number of users, as a hosted solution could save those small companies with a limited staff the hassle of managing the system.
If a company does not take the time to consider these factors to find the best solution or provide the necessary infrastructure that enables the system to function properly, problems could present themselves. Issues which are not necessarily the fault of the system provider or vendor, but often have to do with internal operations. For instance, an improperly configured internal network could mean VoIP traffic and call quality can suffer. If a company does not ensure its current network can handle the increase in communication and data that comes online with VoIP, it will not be able to truly benefit from the technology.
Considering VoIP phone systems for your small business? Let us do the heavy lifting so you can concentrate on your business. Contact TURNkey IT for a free evaluation at 866-928-8208.
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