The right business phone system can significantly contribute to your business improvement. When it comes to resolving a complex issue, 40% of consumers want to speak to a real person over the phone. While most people do not consider investing in a new business phone system as a priority, a modern, high-quality phone system is a game-changer. Before we explore the considerations when upgrading business phone system, it is important to understand the business phone network.
Business Phone system
A business phone system is designed to enhance communication in organizations. There are different types of business telephone systems, which include: Multiline, VoIP, PBX, and Cloud-based system. The difference between the systems is the service provider, cost, and technology used.
Initially, telephones used to have phone lines running from each phone to a central location. Each central location had an operator and switchboard. The operator would connect the caller manually through a public switched telephone network (PSTN) system. Fast forward to the 1990’s, Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) was developed. A VoIP phone system that is accessible to all business sizes created a widespread interest in entrepreneurs and developers.
VoIP is a system that transmits phone calls over the internet instead of traditional telephone lines.
Advantages of VoIP
VoIP data network system installation saves money by reducing IT infrastructure. Better still, we have cloud-based VoIP systems that require less upfront capital, set up costs and hardware.
These systems are also flexible. This means that it can contact or expand with your organization. VoIP uses data network system installation instead of physical lines. You can, therefore, add or reduce resources without hassle. Another advantage of VoIP is mobility. Basically, VoIP is accessible anywhere there is an internet connection. VoIP provides a mobile app that allows you to make and receivable phone calls from anywhere.
Hybrid Phone Systems
A hybrid phone system uses sophisticated signal management to route call technologies to other types of technologies. The first hybrid phone system was used to change the telephone line model of analog POTS (plain old telephone network) with PSTN (Public switched telephone network), digital model.
Initially, hybrid phone system was used to connect subscriber line of a single business to a flexible internal telephone network. Most business today uses some basic hybrid phone system. Hybrid office phone enables business to create a voicemail, office extension, and receptionists with additional digital or analog telephone lines to each internal site.
Why business phone systems are going hybrid
Before VoIP, business used private branch exchange (PBX) to communicate with each other and with the outside world. But that was just the beginning. Hybrid systems have become a game-changer in the business world. It allows business to host entire business phone system on the cloud. Basically, hybrid phone systems enable business to use VoIP to bring a voice service from local Telco or combination of the two.
Why the Hybrid System is Valuable for Businesses
Availability and Trust
VoIP may not be reliable in serving all customers. Unless you can afford an expensive MPLS data network system installation or you can get a good ISP, VoIP will not work well with certain customers. There are numerous reasons why you may not trust VoIP. This includes a bad experience with VoIP Consumer Company, competition in the VoIP space, or failure to meet VoIP requirements. In these cases you can bring other telecom services for data network system installation.
Accessibility
You may be located in a country that is not well connected with VoIP. Customers from such a region can get a phone service only from a local telecommunication provider. So multinationals located in these areas VoIP is not one of the options. With a hybrid hosted technology you can seamless link international locations with onsite appliance. In addition, changes, additional, UC features, and reporting are delivered in the form of cloud service.
Contacts
A complex telecom contract may hold you back from upgrading to a hosted VoIP business phone network. This means that with some contractors, you either move all your locations in one go or you can’t move at all. The good thing with a hybrid business phone network is that you can move some location to cloud and rating premise-based phone service to locations tied to contract.