August 22, 2024
While we’ve all heard the phrase far too often, there’s simply no better way to say "your call is important to us" than to have a phone system that allows your clients and business partners to get answers and assistance quickly.
Voice communication has been transformed in recent years, and small businesses have more options than ever before. However, some communication solutions offer more flexibility, security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness than others. So in order to get the most ROI from an upgrade, you should review what’s out there and which solution is most aligned with your goals.
What Is VoIP?
VoIP is an internet-based phone service that's sometimes also referred to as hosted phone service, internet telephone, cloud voice, or IP PBX. Instead of using cables to transmit sound, VoIP converts a user's voice into a digital signal. Therefore, you can make VoIP calls from anywhere and at any time using a smart device, which can offer a great deal of flexibility.
VoIP vs. A Traditional Phone System
Traditional office phone systems require you to be on-site when you make or receive calls, keeping you tethered to your desk. And while many traditional systems offer a lot of features like call transferring, call waiting, and more, installing office phones at every desk can be expensive, and any additional features can run up your monthly bill. If you need to make long distance calls from time to time, your bill may sometimes contain a few unpleasant surprises that can be difficult to plan and budget for.
VoIP, on the other hand, often comes with a simple monthly rate, and typically includes more features like video conferencing, chat and mobile apps at no additional charge. Users can also upgrade their service at any time using an online portal, with no physical installation needed.
What Are Your Cost Savings with VoIP?
If you haven't yet set up your business telephone, your decision is probably an easy one. VoIP is far cheaper to set up and offers a lot more features. It's the clear winner as long as you have decent internet speed, and you can find a good VoIP service provider.
Choosing Between Hybrid and Full VoIP Systems
If you already have business phones in place, you don't have to cut the cord completely. You might try a hybrid system; for example, you could make all of your local calls on your landline phones, and switch to VoIP when making long-distance calls.
A hybrid system also gives you the ability to make calls even if one network is down. Then, as your business scales, you can continue using VoIP for new lines until it's easier to make the switch from landline to VoIP completely.
Do You Need a HIPAA-Compliant VoIP Provider?
Cybersecurity is deservedly top of mind as businesses adopt more cloud solutions. However, it's easy to forget that landlines have always had their own security challenges. Granted, it is difficult to physically hack into telephone wires to listen in on calls. But once this is accomplished, the eavesdropper typically goes undetected.
VoIP systems, however, have better monitoring systems to detect unauthorized access, and can include end-to-end encryption to protect your communication. Many providers also can offer HIPAA compliance and will conduct regular security audits.
What’s the Reliability Comparison of VoIP and Landline Phones?
Aside from weather events and other emergencies, rural Americans, by and large, have easy access to reliable phone service. The same can’t be said of high-speed broadband internet…at least, not yet. One third of rural residents don't have access to high speed internet, and that can cause problems with all internet-based communication, including VoIP.
What Are Common Uptime Guarantees for Business Phones?
Even in urban areas where high-speed internet is more broadly available, before you sign anything with a VoIP provider, check out their uptime, which refers to the time their network is guaranteed to be up and running. These days, most providers guarantee 99.99% uptime.
Some downtime is inevitable with any network, landlines included. But if you can't find a VoIP provider that can guarantee this level of uptime, or if the internet in your area is slow or unreliable, it's best to stick to landlines or a hybrid system for now.
What Are Your On-Premises Maintenance Options?
On-premises systems are not usually an IT department’s best friend. They require more ongoing and time-consuming maintenance than a cloud phone system.
That said, maintenance isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker. If an on-premises system is the better fit, you can outsource its management and maintenance to a provider.
VoIP vs. Managed Voice
VoIP is good, but you could make it easier still — with no significant upfront investment. Managed voice gives you all of the benefits of VoIP without the responsibility of monitoring, maintaining, and securing your solution. You also get to access all of the long-term savings and benefits VoIP has to offer without having to buy your own equipment.
In fact, for most small business, a managed voice solution is the easiest way to give their staff the tools they need while still being able to focus on their core mission.
VoIP vs. Managed Voice vs. UCaaS
If you liked everything I just laid out about managed voice but also have a few other strategic goals in mind — like increasing productivity and innovation — you also might want to take a look at Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS).
You can just get a Unified Communications platform outright; at Marco we can hook you up with Microsoft Teams or Webex by Cisco. However, UCaaS, much like managed voice, allows you to access these incredibly feature-rich, user-friendly tools without any of the regular tasks that come along with them.
Simplifying the Implementation of Your Business Phone System
The actual implementation of cloud voice solutions is fairly easy, but even the most user-friendly communication systems can take some getting used to!
We find that end-user training can help businesses get a lot more ROI. So we help familiarize staff with any new equipment and show them how these tools will ultimately make their lives easier.
Click the link below to explore our solutions in more detail and access more online resources!
