Today, every aspect of business is also in the cloud. Anything that can be accomplished with software and bandwidth can be replicated on the cloud, including business phones.
VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol - but it really means an entire digital phone system that replaces a classic wired PBX system. Business phones can be accessed, managed, and assigned to employees through a VOIP cloud platform.
VOIP phones provide flexibility and mobility beyond wired phones, making them an essential tool for any business that benefits from these features. Businesses that function outside the restrictive one-office tradition are the ones who most need VOIP for a feature-complete and flexible communication system. Let's dive into the six features of a business that benefit most from VOIP phones.
VOIP Connects Businesses with:
Multiple Locations
Physical phone lines are limited to one number per office and extension. VOIP, however, makes it possible to use the same phone system for multiple business locations. Whether you have opened a second store, are running local offices, or manage a string of franchises, VOIP uses a virtual PBX to provide the same unified phone system to all locations.
This allows you to assign numbers, answer calls, and manage communications from a central dashboard. In addition, team members that work in multiple locations can keep the same personal business phone number no matter what office they answer the phone from.
Remote Employees
One of the biggest challenges of a remote team is business phone numbers. There is just no way for at-home employees to answer the phone wired to their in-office desk. But with VOIP, the issue disappears. Remote employees assigned a VOIP number can access that number from any computer or device on the internet.
By installing the VOIP application and logging in, employees, can extend their in-office desk to their home office with ease. Remote employees can both make and receive calls at their normal work number and remain networked with all their coworkers no matter where each person is located.
Vehicle Fleets
VOIP also offers mobility for teams on the road. If you run any kind of business fleet, VOIP makes it possible to keep your team connected on the road.
Virtual numbers can be connected to the phones and work tablets of your fleet drivers so that each team remains on the network even while they're on their daily routes. All types of business fleets can benefit from VOIP, from home service technicians to towncar drivers that transport company execs.
Business Travel
Sending employees on business trips is another reason to choose VOIP. Business travel often involves employees keeping in touch and continuing their work from hotels, airports, and remote office locations far from their usual office.
VOIP keeps these traveling professionals connected, able to log into their business phone from anywhere with the same features as sitting at their personal desk. VOIP makes it easy for traveling professionals to stay productive and connected while on the road - without the hassle of alternate phone numbers.
Circuit Managers and Specialists
If your business model includes circuit managers or specialists, VOIP is just as important. Circuit roles help to spread expertise benefit and experience variety throughout your teams. You may have regional managers that visit each of their region's locations over the month.
You may have specialists who provide service on different days of the week to multiple locations. VOIP numbers allow your circuit managers to maintain the same contact information no matter which physical office they occupy in a day.
Scaling Teams
Last but certainly not least, VOIP is needed by companies that regularly change the team roster. Do you hire temporary accountants during tax season? Do you mentor and release yearly interns? Do some of your roles have a high entry-level turnover as employees excel and move upward? These situations can make hard-line phones a hassle because phone lines don't scale easily. But VOIP numbers do.
With a VOIP account, you can easily expand your team by creating a few extra account-extensions. If necessary, you can just as easily contract the number of extension accounts so that you never have to pay for more numbers than are in use. When you have fast turnover, promoting and hiring regularly, VOIP makes it easy to generate and discard numbers so each employee has a unique account with no mix-ups with previous number holders.
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Does your business need VOIP? Cloud-based phones are beneficial for all modern businesses but if your team is mobile, flexible, partly remote, or scales regularly then VOIP has become a must-have part of your software stack. It's time to embrace the cloud-availability and improved feature stack of VOIP phones for modern business models. Contact us today to talk about your VOIP plans and the unique needs of your business.
