Few technological assets are as important in today’s business world as a working telephone solution of some sort. While its form has changed considerably over the years from a traditional handset terminal to a desktop application or mobile device, its functionality remains largely the same. In some ways, it’s even better and more improved, offering unprecedented opportunities for businesses to revamp their entire communications infrastructure.
Communication is one of the cornerstones on which your business functions, and without it, you will find that going about your daily duties is considerably more difficult. Communication is one of the many ways your organization accomplishes both major and minor tasks, so you want to pay especially close attention to how your business handles phone calls, email, and even mobile devices--both in and out of the office.
Unified communications include several solutions that your organization can use to stay connected, including a unified email solution, mobile device strategy, and a telephone solution. All of these types of solutions should be built around today’s expectations of mobility and flexibility. Here are some of the ways your business can build out a unified communications system that improves connectivity.
Email
Email has long been a staple of business, but how do your employees use it? Do they access it on multiple devices? Do they use the same email service (Hint: They should)? An employee who prefers Gmail over Microsoft Outlook might decide that they would rather use the solution they are most comfortable with. This is an issue, as it spits in the face of your attempt at unified communications.
Email is most useful when it’s kept to your preferred email solution, so you should ensure that your organization is prepared to spend time on training employees how it works. The solution you choose should be one that can be used on several different devices so as to provide your employees with maximum choice in how they use the email system. If you’re worried about hosting your email server, The Connection, Inc can help you out with that, too.
Mobile Device Management
Mobile devices are all over the place now, and your business could benefit from having them become a part of your infrastructure. However, they need to be managed properly, as the more apps have access to your business’s data, the more exposure it gets to potential threats. You need to make sure that you’re prepared to handle this influx of mobile devices if you’re hoping to provide a truly unified communication infrastructure for your organization.
Beyond compatibility, you want to make sure that your organization is prepared to handle lost or stolen devices, fraudulent apps, and other security risks. The Connection, Inc can help you whitelist and blacklist apps, as well as remotely wipe lost or stolen devices. This helps you keep your data as safe as can be.
Unified Voice over IP
Traditional telephone solutions don’t take the flexibility of the modern business in mind. Landlines tend to bundle together services with little flexibility, leading to organizations overpaying for services that they don’t need. If you’re paying for services that you don’t need, you’re wasting assets that are better spent elsewhere. Furthermore, you’re limited to taking calls on your work phone in your office, hampering your ability to be productive while out of the office or on a business trip.
A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application is one of the best solutions an organization can implement, as they often work across multiple types of devices and work from a shared database of contacts. Your workers will always have access to client information, even when they aren’t in the office. Employees have the option of using their smartphone, desktop, or traditional handset. Having VoIP makes using Unified Communications so much easier for businesses.
To learn more about unified communications solutions, reach out to The Connection, Inc at (732) 291-5938.
Virtualized technology services are great assets for businesses with limited budgets. Three of the best ways that your organization can take advantage of cloud computing and virtualization services are Software as a Service (SaaS), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and hardware virtualization.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
More businesses than ever are taking advantage of cloud-hosted software that’s dynamic in scope and practicality. It’s software like this that has allowed SMBs to grow and accomplish things that might not have been possible otherwise. Examples of software as a service include Microsoft Office 365 and Google’s G-Suite, but any software solution that is paid for on a monthly basis through the use of a subscription qualifies as SaaS. Since these payments are smaller than purchasing full-fledged licenses of software, SaaS is ideal for SMBs with smaller budgets.
Virtualized Telephone Solutions (VoIP)
Virtual telephony solutions are great for the express purpose that they can be used on different devices, and most Internet-connected devices can access these VoIP solutions via the cloud. This means that as long as you have a smartphone, desktop, or laptop that’s connected to the Internet, you’ll have access to your company’s telephone number.
Hardware Virtualization
Managing an entire network of servers and other components can be challenging for an organization that doesn’t have an in-house IT department. This is why many businesses are choosing to outsource their hardware management through a virtualization service. This allows for servers to be consolidated and hosted in a virtual environment, where they need less maintenance, require fewer resources to operate, and can be accessed via the cloud. Furthermore, hardware virtualization allows your organization to simplify its network.
Does your business want to take advantage of virtualization services to get the leg up on your competition? If so, reach out to The Connection, Inc. We have the technical skills and expertise required to help your business get the most out of new and innovative technology solutions. To learn more, call us at (732) 291-5938.
Chances are that you’re fed up with your in-house telephone network. It may have once been necessary to communicate with your employees and your clients by using a landline, but the modern office has since moved toward a more digital alternative in the form of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony.
Basically, VoIP uses your organization’s Internet connection to transmit your call to the receiver. It’s efficient because it provides a service via one that you already pay for, rather than adding an additional cost to your budget. However, VoIP provides several other benefits that can save your business money. Here are two of the best ways that VoIP helps your business’s communications become more cost-effective.
VoIP Eliminates an Unnecessary Cost
As we just mentioned, since VoIP uses your business’s Internet connection, it helps you avoid the fees of going through your local telephone provider for all of your telecommunication needs. Plus, most telecommunication providers will try to bundle telephone services with others, which can make it seem like you’re paying for services that you don’t want or need. With VoIP, you’re using an asset that you already have (and need) to cut down on operational expenses.
Granted, in order to guarantee that your VoIP system experiences minimal operational trouble, you need to focus on improving your Internet connection by either working with your Internet service provider or auditing your router’s performance. We recommend contacting technology professionals before implementing major changes to your IT infrastructure--especially one such as VoIP.
VoIP is Flexible
When you add new users to your organization’s network, if often entails some intensive cabling to ensure that the new user’s technology is connected to the in-house network and the Internet. However, as the amount of technology you accrue increases, the amount of space that you have for new workstations and server units decreases. This results in a complex network infrastructure that makes it difficult to effectively optimize operations. This is especially the case if your business is growing.
VoIP makes it much easier to provide new technology without all of the complex cables. Rather than set new telephone cables for each and every new worker that you onboard, all you have to do is make sure that they have a steady Internet connection. This makes it much easier to provide phone systems to your employees. However, you still need to be mindful of bandwidth, as VoIP can put strain on an unprepared network.
Does your business need a reliable communications solution that’s capable of improving operations? To learn more about VoIP, reach out to us at (732) 291-5938.
One of the biggest concerns that business owners have with remote workers is being able to control and centralize communication. A worker in the office can be plugged right into the company phone system, but how does this translate to those who work from home some or all of the time?
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