How to choose the best business phone system
I’m passionate about communication and about communications systems, which is why I’ve spent a good deal of time designing and developing them. When VOIP systems appeared, it was one of the most exciting developments in telecommunications and I worked on developing a VoIP system for mobile devices, because I could see both the need and an opportunity. And I got it out a year before Viber appeared. That’s the entrepreneurial way!
As an expert in VoIP systems, I am often asked about how to choose a cost-effective phone system for your business that is also stable and reliable. It is difficult to give a ‘one system to suit all’ answer, but I have put together some tips that will help business users explore the choices available in a more informed way.
1.Look for mobility
More workers are less attached to their desks now, so any business system MUST allow them to communicate as easily while they are on the road as they can from the office. The feature to look for is ‘twinning’. This allows users to receive calls on mobile device and transfer calls seamlessly with a desk phone, plus place outgoing calls from their mobile devices. Also look for click-to-dial call control and on-phone corporate directory features.
2. Integrate with CRM
For some businesses, integration with CRM is critical for being competitive. So, I suggest you look for a system that allows screen-pop when looking up caller ID information, click-to-call and access to call settings.
3.Single inbox
I like unified messaging systems that deliver multiple messaging formats (mail, voice mail and fax) to a single email inbox. A system that also sends an SMS to your mobile device announcing that you have received a message is another feature that ensure you don’t miss anything critical. It is especially useful to people who are often out of the office and enables them to manage their messages in a more time-efficient way.
4.Instant messaging
An instant messaging feature that is integrated with the business phone system and each user’s calendar enables every user to see who is available to talk in real time, or if they are in a meeting or on another call. These tools are vital when so many businesses now rely on collaboration with colleagues.
5.Video calling
This is an absolutely essential feature of today’s business phone systems. You need integrated video calling for easy, face-to-face interactions between colleagues from any location via video-enabled HD Voice desk phone, which works for Windows or MAC clients, and for mobile on both the iOS and Android devices.
These are enough features to begin with and I also strongly advise you to look beyond the features and ensure you are working with an experienced service provider with a system on a solid platform.
I hope you enjoyed this and found it useful. Please subscribe to my blog if you’d like to receive an alert when I post new content.