IS A VIRTUAL TELEPHONE SYSTEM RIGHT FOR YOU?


A cloud-based virtual telephone system can be a great tool for any business due to its flexibility, low implementation cost, and scalability. However, there are a number of factors that should be considered before signing a long-term contract with any hosted phone service provider. In many cases, virtual telephone systems can help your business grow without the high overhead of traditional hardware.

FLEXIBILITY AND SCALABILITY

One of the biggest benefits of the virtual telephone system is the ability to move and scale it at will. Any time you purchase traditional telephone equipment, you need a reliable place to set it up, and you are subject to the service providers in your immediate area. A cloud-based virtual telephone system can be used with nearly any device of your choice, meaning that your executive team and team members out in the field are equally capable of utilizing the system with their existing phones.

Your service provider is a virtual host that is not tied to your physical location, so if you have numerous projects happening around the country, all locations will get equal service support. It even expands the possibility for employees to work from home and receive messages in a timely manner no matter where they are. As you add employees or expand to new office locations, you can easily tie new phones into the virtual telephone system without having to purchase and move new equipment at each stage.

COST SAVINGS

It is obvious that there is a cost savings up front since you don't need to purchase new equipment. In addition, maintenance and repairs on the system will not be an ongoing factor since the entire infrastructure of your system is hosted by the service provider. A well-maintained virtual phone system, over a solid Internet connection, can be deployed effectively with minimal downtime and instantaneous results. Proper rollout of your virtual telephone system is imperative lest you risk not having the Internet connection and infrastructure available to actually support the cloud-based host, leading to compatibility issues or missed calls in some cases.

Secondly, all of the call forwarding, voicemail, and pre-programmed call routing features that used to be a premium for on-site call centers are now digital functions that come at a low additional cost to you. You will automatically receive all applicable hardware and software updates from your vendor. You will also have access to support from your service provider 24/7 if you ever have connectivity issues.

RELIABILITY

Reliability is a big question as we head into an era that is entirely dependent on data, and especially mobile data. Virtual telephone systems are often seen as more reliable than traditional equipment because you are not necessarily tied to a wall plate in your office. They utilize a variety of devices connected through the Internet to create an equivalent collection of phones that forms your internal network. The only difficulty is in areas where a steady Internet connection is not available at all times, as this can cause calls to drop out if the phone is constantly trying to search for an Internet signal. These cases require special consideration before making the switch.

If your company is looking for a way to cut costs and upgrade to an modern phone system that has all the capabilities of an in-house routing board, virtual telephone systems are a great option. Companies that need high-quality phone service across multiple locations or even on a transient basis can benefit from virtual hosting as they will not be relying on heavy equipment that needs to be carried from one place to another for setup.



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