PHONE TECHNOLOGY FOR BUSINESSES WITH MULTIPLE LOCATIONS


Businesses with multiple locations require a special kind of attention to determine which phone technologies will best suit their needs. Phone technology for business purposes comes in more than a dozen unique forms that utilize some combination of networking, telephone devices, and computers to accomplish the task of receiving and making calls possible. Not all of these formats are well-suited to businesses that answer calls from multiple locations or need to route calls to specific offices or departments for resolution. Choosing the right one will depend on how you want calls to flow through your business from start to finish.

CENTRAL CALL CENTERS VS. DIRECT ROUTING

If your business has been built around the concept of a central call center handling all of your incoming calls, it is likely that you have already integrated VOIP technology along with computer integration to manage your customer service interactions. This phone technology allows your call center employees to access customer account information and handle incoming calls with minimal redirecting. In most customer service applications, this is a perfectly reasonable solution. However, some businesses, such as engineering and design firms, need their customers to be able to reach specific team members each and every time they call. These businesses benefit more from a direct routing approach, such as a virtual telephone system where users can call direct numbers (or use a menu) and automatically be directed to the correct department or employee without having to go through a central call center.

VOIP AND PRESENCE MANAGEMENT

Regardless of how you structure your incoming call routing, the communications industry as a whole is quickly turning to a variety of VoIP compatible features to make this technology the gold standard. As mentioned above, VoIP with computer integration provides adequate support for call centers around the world. However, VoIP is equally applicable to businesses that just need a network of devices to stay in contact with one another across multiple job sites.

Presence Management is a newer concept in the industry, using a software application that allows any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection to tap into your phone system and quickly allow employees access no matter where they are. Phone technology for business has come a long way, and this one application makes it possible for users to join in on phone calls, utilize fax-to-email capabilities, participate in video conferences and more, even if they are out of the office or away from their regular computers. It provides the possibility of an infinitely expanding network of devices that can be modified on an ongoing basis.

As phone technology for business applications continues to improve, you can expect VoIP to take over even more of the market. VoIP providers will continue to expand upon their features and functionality, allowing businesses with many separate locations to take advantage of capabilities that were once reserved for only high-end call center installations. More and more of these features are becoming digital tasks that can be done through the mobile phones and devices at our fingertips, so the price and rollout of VoIP systems will continue to be significantly less than any of the traditional equipment on the market. VoIP is unique in its ability to serve your company regardless of how you structure your call center or direct routing plan, as it is completely flexible.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Outsourcing: an overview

Image
Outsourcing: an overview Outsourcing today simply involves using external entities to handle specific, specialized business functions so that organizations can focus on their core competencies. The idea of seeking outside support for areas that are not core to a business is many decades old. However, seeking support from external providers can make a lot of sense, especially in fields that involve considerable complexity. One example, as human resources becomes increasingly complex practice, especially in areas that involve often complex and arcane laws such as benefits and employment law, many smaller companies are increasingly outsourcing some or all of their HR tasks. IT is another example. Like human resources, IT covers a wide range of specialties, for which no one or two individuals can possibly hope to be fully versed in. As the CEO of a small- to medium-sized firm, or perhaps a line manager, why should you consider outsourcing all or part of the IT function? One immediate rea
Read more

So, what is this “Unified Communications” thing, anyhow?

Image
So, what is this “Unified Communications” thing, anyhow? Have you heard the term unified communications tossed around lately? It seems to be used a lot in IT, telecomm, and work collaboration circles. Unified communications is a newer concept that refers to a conceptual platform where multiple communications channels can join together to increase productivity and facilitate collaboration. Here’s one way to look at it. Imagine that you only own one car. And imagine it is a sporty two seater. And then imagine you decide to invite five of your friends, none of whom are able to drive, out to dinner. This means you would have to pick each one up separately and drive him or her to the restaurant. And of course, one of them lives down an old rough farm road, so you have to drive very slowly so you don’t damage the underside of your expensive little two seater. This scenario is pretty similar to the way we handle business communications today. We aren't able to just throw everyone together
Read more

MSPs save money And you get stuff that matters

Image
MSPs save money. And you get stuff that matters. Outsourcing has become a fairly common element in business processes today. What started off as a means to cut business costs and take advantage of cheaper resources based offshore has now become an essential part of running a business today. (Its definition doesn’t necessarily include offshore outsourcing, of course) This blog looks at two additional areas where IT outsourcing can dramatically improve revenues. In particular, outsourcing can avoid high-fixed costs when you are trying to meet peak demand periods or have 24/7 coverage available. Cost benefits Having an MSP manage your IT infrastructure completely offers tremendous cost savings vis-a-vis having an in-house IT team. When you have FT IT professionals on your payroll, you incur many other HR and training-related costs that come with employing full-time staff. These may include 401(k) expenses, health insurance, paid time-off, etc., which can be avoided by outsourcing your IT
Read more