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Phone Systems
Costly Consequences: 3 Compelling Reasons to Keep Your Communications System Up-to-Date
Athletes lose races by fractions of a second. Whether running, skiing, or swimming, the margin determines winning or losing. In the business world, tight competition exists in every industry. Competitors who are faster, efficient, and customer-focused prevail. Your business systems are vital for a competitive edge. They must operate reliably, especially your communication system. Falling behind is costly for various reasons; here are three.
Key Takeaways:
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Up-to-Date Systems are Crucial: Ensure competitive edge. Accelerate time to market.
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Costly Productivity Losses: Inefficiencies cost $1.2 trillion. Strain workplace relationships.
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Advanced Tech is Essential: Seek efficient solutions. Embrace better tools.
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Customer Experience Drives Revenue: Great experiences boost revenue. Every employee shapes interactions.
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Mitel Software Assurance Solution: Mitigate falling behind risk. Ensures up-to-date software, security.
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High-Performance Comparison: Like athletes, companies need new capabilities. Stay competitive and efficient.
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Revolutionize Your Business: Unveiling the 10 Game-Changing Advantages of Embracing a Virtual Phone Number
With remote, mobile, and hybrid work dominating the business scene, traditional telephone lines are no longer sufficient. Nearly 75% of U.S. companies have either adopted or are in the process of implementing hybrid work models. Explore the benefits of adding a virtual phone number for seamless team flexibility across diverse locations. Discover the functionality of these virtual lines and understand how they can significantly enhance the efficiency of your organization.
Key Points:
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Leverage VoIP technology with a virtual business number, enabling secure business calls from anywhere with an internet connection.
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Cut costs and save time while expanding your local presence in multiple markets.
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Unlock enhanced productivity with UC features. Offering flexibility and easy customization of your virtual phone service to suit your business needs.
Understanding the Virtual Phone Numbers in Business
A virtual number, an online account, empowers calls from any location with an internet connection. Unlike traditional landlines, no physical infrastructure is required; it operates entirely in the digital realm.
To make calls, all you need is a smart device equipped with a softphone app. Use an internet phone with an Ethernet cable or opt for wireless connectivity through a Wi-Fi-capable internet phone.
Seamless communication is facilitated by unified communications providers like Towner, employing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. Embrace VoIP for a seamless transition into the modern era, unlocking the benefits of virtual business numbers.
Benefits To A Virtual Phone Number
Explore the Top 10 Benefits of Integrating a Virtual Phone Number into Your Business Strategy.
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Local Presence Across Diverse Markets:
Boost outbound sales using local numbers, eliminating the need for global offices. Virtual business lines provide flexibility, acquiring local numbers and establishing a presence in various regions.
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Device Independence:
Ditch office constraints for calls, sidestep extra forwarding services, and enjoy flexibility from any location. With a virtual phone number, conduct company calls seamlessly from a desk phone, smartphone, or PC. Employees can use their own devices, saving on hardware investments.
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Efficient Time and Cost Savings:
Establishing a virtual line is effortless, unlike traditional phone lines requiring time and substantial financial investment for installation. Virtual phone systems are quick to establish, ensuring operational service within a week. Additionally, the digital nature of the setup allows for swift additions of lines or features when needed.
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Comprehensive Unified Communications:
Towner’s virtual phone service goes beyond voice calls, providing a full suite of unified communications, elevating your business communication system.
UCaaS encompasses the following features:
- SMS and MMS text messaging
- Video conferencing
- File sharing
- Secure team chat
- Automated attendant
Moreover, you have the flexibility to access numerous other advanced features through add-ons and upgrades based on your evolving needs. The compelling value proposition of UCaaS renders acquiring a virtual phone number for your business an intuitive and straightforward decision.
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Instant Recordings and Transcriptions:
UCaaS becomes essential in an era of comprehensive recordkeeping for human resources, regulatory compliance, training, and sales/marketing references. It has the capability to record and transcribe calls and messages, facilitating easy archiving and quick retrieval. Artificial intelligence further provides insights into discussions, allowing for the evaluation of interactions as positive or negative.
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Tailored Service for Growing Organizations:
With organizational growth, adjusting call routing and permissions becomes crucial as team members take on new roles. With a virtual phone number for your business using UCaaS, this adjustment is seamlessly handled through your administrative settings. Retain control without the need for technical rewiring or reprogramming.
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Enhanced Mobility and Flexibility:
Virtual business lines provide a secure private branch exchange tailored to your preferences, accommodating in-office, remote, or hybrid team operations. This flexibility allows for smooth transitions between devices, such as switching calls from the office to the field. Additionally, effortless transfer of conversations to other team members or the initiation of conferences with multiple parties is easily achieved.
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Dependable Customer Support:
Opting for a Towner virtual phone number ensures 24/7 access to dependable customer support for your business. The dedicated staff assists with system setup and remains attentive to your needs. The award-winning service ensures that the quality of your communications is a top priority.
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Seamless Integrations with Preferred Applications:
Unify communications, seamlessly integrating virtual phone service with popular apps like G Suite, Microsoft, Salesforce, NetSuite, and more. Extend API empowers developers to create custom solutions, elevating the customer experience, boosting productivity, and enabling access to vital data.
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Exceptional Security Measures:
Protect sensitive data using a virtual business number, ensuring compliance with industry standards in finance, medical, and legal sectors for secure communications.
Get a Virtual Phone Number for Your Business
Setting up a virtual phone number for your business is a straightforward process. Call Towner, we’ll guide you in leveraging the capabilities of unified communications with your personalized virtual phone line.
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Cloud Based Phones and Voice Services
Effective communication is vital for seamless team collaboration and successful customer outreach, making your communications system a crucial component of your company’s operations. Choosing the right technology or service is paramount to avoid potential negative impacts on your bottom line.
An increasing number of businesses, regardless of size, are embracing cloud-based calling services. With the industry’s current value surpassing $50 billion and experiencing exponential growth, it’s evident that cloud calling has become the contemporary standard for connecting with others.
Explore the reasons behind the widespread adoption of cloud-based phones by businesses and learn how these voice services enhance your organization’s connectivity and productivity. Elevate your communication strategy to the modern benchmark with cloud-based phones.
Key Points:
- Embrace internet-based voice calls through cloud technology rather than traditional landlines.
- Integrate various communication channels seamlessly with cloud telephony, incorporating advanced features to enhance efficiency and increase revenue.
- Utilize Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in cloud calling, noting that not all VoIP services are necessarily cloud-based.
- Opt for a reputable provider to guarantee high-quality cloud-based calling experiences.
What’s the deal with Cloud-Based Calling (or Cloud Telephony)?
Cloud calling means using the internet for phone calls instead of traditional landlines, often referred to as “cloud calling” or “cloud telephony.” This form of unified communications as a service (UCaaS) streamlines voice communication, offering a cost-effective solution, particularly for businesses. With UCaaS, all your communication channels, including voice, video, chat, and messaging, seamlessly come together under one service, simplifying billing through a single vendor.
How does it work?
Cloud calling utilizes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), converting audio signals from your internet phone or smart device into data packets. These packets are then transmitted via the internet to your provider, who directs the call to the intended recipient.
This setup enables you to make calls to other VoIP users, provided their devices can process these data packets. Additionally, your provider facilitates calls to traditional landline phone users by converting the data packets back into audio signals.
Operating through a cloud private branch exchange, cloud-based calling eliminates the need for an on-premise PBX system. Instead, your provider takes care of security and maintenance on its own site.
Why Should YOU be using Cloud Based Phones?
Cloud telephony enables small businesses to enjoy the same robust communication advantages as large enterprises.
Security
Leverage cloud-based calling platforms to safeguard both your and your customers’ data across various aspects. Trust in cutting-edge encryption and security management for voice and all other communication channels.
Potential for expansion
Unlike a traditional on-premise PBX, your cloud calling system allows for instant scalability through your administrative dashboard. Upgrades and installations take mere moments, not months. This enables you to swiftly adapt to customer demand and boost your revenue.
Flexibility
Keep a strong connection with remote teams through UCaaS. With an internet-connected device, anyone can communicate securely within your system, enabling you to tap into a global talent pool without sacrificing collaboration quality.
Cost Savings
Cloud-based calling helps you cut costs associated with office space, equipment, and maintenance required for an in-office PBX. Additionally, internet calling offers more affordable rates for long-distance and international calls.
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How Branded Calling Boost ROI
Unlocking Business Success with Branded Calling and Maximizing ROI
Discover the untapped potential of branded calling for your business with a focus on the substantial return on investment (ROI) it delivers. Branded calling isn’t just about making phone calls; it’s a powerful tool that offers diverse advantages, and today, we’ll delve deep into the positive impact it can have on your bottom line.
Your ROI serves as a crucial metric. Measuring the benefits reaped—whether in terms of revenue, reputation, or other positive business outcomes—relative to the initial investment. Imagine investing $100 and seeing a return of $120; in this scenario, your ROI stands at an impressive 20%.
Beyond the financial gains, a branded phone call solution holds myriad benefits for businesses that extend beyond monetary considerations. It’s not just about the dollars; there are numerous areas where an investment in branded calling can elevate your enterprise.
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Cost Savings and Enhanced Efficiency Achieved Through Branded Calling
Implementing a branded caller ID emerges as a cost-effective strategy. In industries where daily call volumes reach the hundreds and thousands, the impact of missed calls becomes significant.
Take, for instance, form-to-call requests, a prevalent service in industries such as insurance, real estate, education, and healthcare. When customers submit a form-to-call request on a website, they anticipate a prompt phone call. However, businesses often make calls from unidentified numbers or outdated CNAM information. This can result in higher call declines due to the uncertainty of the caller’s identity.
By incorporating a branded call solution like INFORM®, businesses can ensure proper identification of their name and information. This, in turn, minimizes missed calls and contributes to a noticeable boost in revenue.
In sectors like insurance, where every missed form-to-call request directly impacts the bottom line, the stakes are high. Consider a scenario where a leading online insurance provider receives 10,000 form-to-call requests monthly, with an average profit of $50 per successful call. If 1,000 of these requests go unanswered, that translates to a substantial loss of $50,000 in revenue per month.
Even a conservative reduction in missed calls through branded calling, say by half, results in an additional $25,000 in monthly revenue—an impactful enhancement to both the business’s ROI and call efficiency.
Elevating Customer Trust and Loyalty through Branded Calling
Revenue matters, but successful retail ROI goes beyond finances for some businesses. For them, building and maintaining brand loyalty and customer trust are just as pivotal as the monetary gains they generate. Customer loyalty is pivotal—deciding between continued patronage or switching to competitors in this industry.
For retail establishments managing their own deliveries, the impact of a missed call goes beyond a mere inconvenience. Research indicates that in the U.S., a failed delivery can incur an average cost of up to $17 per delivery. Missed deliveries create a ripple effect, prompting driver delays and increased costs from wasted hours. Time-sensitive deliveries risk inventory loss or waste if missed, especially with perishable items.
The repercussions of missed deliveries extend beyond financial implications; they can significantly impact how customers perceive your brand. A branded call ensures customers know it’s your brand, fostering successful interactions. Building connections boosts trust and enhances loyalty, keeping customers committed to choosing your products.
Elevating Brand Recognition and Reputation Through Branded Calling
Ultimately, the measurement of ROI extends to the awareness clients have of your brand and its standing in the marketplace.
Missed healthcare calls impact patient care and health outcomes, emphasizing the need for timely communication. Failing consistent communication jeopardizes brand reputation, affecting the commitment to dependable interactions with clients.
Branded Calling Provides a Positive Upturn in ROI
Leveraging branded calling is a valuable strategy for enhancing ROI that can benefit businesses across various sectors. Implementing INFORM branded calling improves ROI for retail and healthcare, meeting specific needs effectively.
Interested in exploring the ROI advantages of branded calling further? Contact our sales team today to schedule a free demo of INFORM.
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Business Phone Numbers
Is your expanding business aiming for enhanced credibility and customer responsiveness? Acquiring a business phone number is the key!
With seven decades of experience, Towner Communications has assisted more than 500,00 companies in improving their connectivity through a comprehensive range of communication solutions. Explore the possibilities of obtaining your business phone number today.
Key Points:
- Businesses of every scale require a dedicated work phone number to uphold a polished image in the market and efficiently cater to customer requirements.
- Opt for a business phone service that encompasses toll-free, local, vanity, and international phone numbers.
- Gain access to advanced functionalities like call recording, auto attendants, and call forwarding through your company phone number.
- Ensure a dependable phone service by partnering with a top-tier provider offering award-winning support and state-of-the-art security.
What is A Business Phone Number?
A business phone number serves as a dedicated line for customers, vendors, and partners to connect with your organization. This dedicated line ensures the protection of your personal phone number and promotes a balanced work-life dynamic.
Contemporary business phone services have shifted to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, moving away from traditional landlines. VoIP enables you to maintain a team business line from any location, not restricted to your office. These business lines contribute to enhancing security and establishing a strong brand presence.
Are There Different Types of Phone Numbers?
Business numbers do not adhere to a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on your specific requirements, you can select the most suitable phone number for your business from the options below.
Toll-Free Numbers:
If you’re prepared to extend your presence across multiple states or the entire country, toll-free numbers prove to be an excellent option. This is because customers using landlines can contact you without incurring any charges. Additionally, toll-free numbers signify a well-established company and serve as an effective marketing tool.
Local Phone Numbers:
A local presence holds significant value in certain industries. For instance, a florist or catering business may aim to convey a hometown identity that feels more personal than national corporations. You have the flexibility to choose a business phone number with various area codes across the country, regardless of whether you have a physical branch in that specific location or not.
Vanity Numbers:
Have you come across those memorable phone numbers where the digits convey something about the brand or the keypad letters spell out the company’s name? These vanity numbers not only make for easy recall but also serve as excellent marketing tools. It’s advisable to seize the opportunity when such numbers are available.
International Phone Numbers:
Expand your business presence beyond the United States. Capture the attention of international clients by acquiring an international phone number at competitive rates.
What advantages come with having exclusive business phone numbers?
When potential customers are prepared to interact, they often turn to the phone. Although a website and an email address remain crucial, research indicates that 60% of customers prefer reaching out to local businesses through phone numbers.
A primary motivation for having a business phone number is to establish credibility as a legitimate company with real people. Moreover, customers often perceive phone calls as a quicker means to troubleshoot or resolve issues.
However, an increasing number of individuals now seek alternative forms of contact. If you opt for a traditional analog phone setup, accessing text messages, faxes, and email integration may require additional services and expenses.
Setting up an on-premise private branch exchange for team connectivity poses even greater challenges. Such systems are intricate, costly, and challenging to integrate with remote or mobile workers.
By leveraging Intermedia’s expertise, you can swiftly establish a VoIP line and achieve full functionality by the end of the day. Furthermore, your lines remain accessible anywhere through various devices, catering to remote and hybrid work needs.
Additionally, by consolidating all company conversations within your communication solutions, you ensure both security and accessibility. This level of security and compliance is unattainable when employees use their personal phones for professional communications.
How Do You Get A Business Phone Number?
You might be pleasantly surprised by how straightforward it is to acquire a business phone number. No need for a technician to visit your location! With just three simple steps, you can secure your own business phone number.
1. Pick A Provider
The quality of your business phone service depends on your communications provider. Contract with a company that appreciates teamwork and transparency.
For example, Intermedia insists on keeping our team accountable for giving you top-tier service and has helped thousands of organizations since 1993. With award-winning onboarding, support, and reliability, you can trust our brand to provide you with a cost-effective business phone line.
2. Buy A Phone Number:
Work with a representative to determine which types of the previously mentioned business phone numbers you need. If you have an existing number, porting it to work with your new vendor is straightforward and quick.
3. Set Up Extensions and Other Features:
For team members, assign individual extensions on your business phone number to enable callers to reach them directly. There’s no need to stress about perfect accuracy initially. Through your user-friendly admin portal, you can easily add or modify extensions and features later.
Even as a solo operation, you may choose to establish distinct extensions. By creating unique extensions for various departments, you can discern caller intent as soon as you answer.
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Understanding a PBX Telephone System
Would you like your business to not only survive but also thrive continuously? To achieve sustained success, it’s crucial to employ the right technologies that ensure seamless communication for both your team and clients.
Take traditional phone systems with analog private branch exchanges, for instance; they come with restrictive limitations that can impede the efficiency of closing deals and delivering services. On the contrary, transitioning your PBX to the cloud provides enhanced mobility and flexibility, contributing to increased profitability.
The numerous advantages of cloud-based systems have positioned unified communications as the predominant business phone service. Recent reports indicate a substantial adoption rate of UC among companies, reaching 47.3% and steadily growing.
If you’re contemplating an upgrade to your phone service, it’s essential to explore PBX cloud phone systems. Gain insights into what cloud PBX entails, its operational mechanisms, and the array of benefits it offers as a solution.
Key Points:
- Your business’s Private Branch Exchange (PBX) functions as its internal communication service.
- Contemporary PBX systems operate exclusively in the cloud, and you can seamlessly integrate a traditional on-premise setup with the cloud, creating a hybrid configuration that incorporates all the advantages.
- Embracing Cloud PBX services not only results in significant cost savings but also provides access to advanced productivity features, enhancing your company’s operational efficiency.
- Cloud PBX phone systems boast enhanced reliability compared to their traditional counterparts.
- It is imperative for your PBX provider to offer excellent customer support and robust data security measures.
What Is a PBX Cloud Phone System?
PBX, an acronym for Private Branch Exchange, has been a staple of communication systems since the 1960s, creating a secure internal telephone network within a single organization.
Traditionally, PBX systems were entirely analog, confined to the physical premises of the user’s location. In contrast, contemporary PBX cloud phones facilitate communication exclusively over the internet, eliminating the need for traditional phone lines.
This transition ensures that all the familiar features for call routing and management are retained, but without incurring additional costs.
What is the functioning mechanism of PBX phone systems, and what sets them apart from public phone networks?
While PBX phone systems share fundamental principles with public landlines, essential distinctions exist, making the adoption of a PBX a strategic choice for businesses.
The functionalities Of Conventional Landline
Traditional landline phones initially operated over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), utilizing copper wiring and fiber optic cables to establish cost-effective connections between global exchanges. However, these systems had limitations, offering low signal quality and data transfer rates capped at around 24 kbps.
Due to its basic capabilities and long-standing usage, the PSTN is often colloquially referred to as the Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Nevertheless, this widespread system remains a reliable means for people to engage in voice calls, regardless of their service provider.
As the need for more advanced data transfer capabilities over phone lines arose, especially with the advent of the internet, the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) briefly addressed this by providing higher-speed connections, reaching up to 192 kbps.
Yet, for businesses seeking internal and cost-effective team connectivity across multiple offices, the question arises: What can PBX do to enhance communication within your company?
Enhancing Business Connectivity Through PBX Systems
Providing each member of your organization with an individual business phone line could incur substantial costs. However, PBX offers a solution by enabling internal phone connections that share a common external line.
This setup is akin to a company’s mailroom, where workers can easily exchange messages internally without relying on external services. The team operates with a shared physical mailing address, and the internal mail system manages incoming and outgoing correspondence within the organization.
Similarly, PBX establishes secure internal telephony. Team members can communicate internally by dialing extensions, ensuring conversations remain within the protected internal network rather than traversing the less-secure public network.
When it comes to external communications, employees share a single public phone line. The system efficiently receives and directs incoming calls to the appropriate individual through designated extensions. Additionally, when employees need to make external calls, they do so through the company’s unified phone line.
Your PBX has the capability to establish connections with the outside world through analog or digital phone lines, but contemporary systems are not constrained by relying solely on Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has emerged as the preferred method for voice calls.
VoIP facilitates conversations by leveraging your high-speed internet connection. Consequently, your PBX ensures high-definition voice calls and supports a comprehensive array of communication channels, encompassing video, SMS, and social media. This transition to VoIP also brings with it a multitude of additional benefits.
The Benefits of PBX Systems for Businesses
The integration of cloud functionality has elevated the capabilities of PBX to a new level. Explore the numerous ways your business can advantageously leverage a cloud-based PBX phone system.
Cost Savings
As mentioned earlier, opting for a PBX system proves to be a more cost-effective solution compared to providing each employee with an individual traditional landline. Moreover, with a cloud-based PBX, you can achieve even greater cost savings than with a legacy phone system.
Cloud PBX services eliminate the need for physical equipment, eradicating the necessity for on-site servers, updates, or maintenance. Additionally, the expense of adding a user, often requiring payment to an on-site technician, is avoided.
Furthermore, substantial savings can be realized on the service itself when obtaining your PBX through a unified communications as a service subscription. With this approach, you receive a single bill from one provider, free from fluctuations or inflation based on usage. All software maintenance and updates are encompassed within the monthly cost.
Easy Installation
A cloud PBX system operates on a plug-and-play basis. Adding or removing features can be accomplished within minutes through an administrative interface.
Sophisticated Productivity Capabilities
The cloud opens doors to features that are not easily accessible with a standard PBX, allowing you to stay ahead of your competition. Leveraging the following UCaaS features enhances your team’s operational efficiency.
Virtual Voicemail
Your team has various avenues to access voicemails, eliminating the need to call into a system and use a PIN. Voicemail transcripts can be obtained through email or your communication mobile app. Additionally, forwarding voicemails is a seamless process if another party needs to respond.
Call Analytics
Understanding the performance of customer-facing team members in sales and support departments is no longer a challenge. Call analytics provide data-driven insights that enable you to optimize efficiencies and enhance customer engagement.
Spam Caller Protection
Cloud phone systems have the capability to recognize telemarketing calls and suspected scammers. Subsequently, you can choose to direct these connections to voicemail or block them entirely.
Business Software Integrations
A PBX phone platform based in the cloud can seamlessly integrate with various software, such as Microsoft Office 365 and customer relationship management solutions. This integration enables your programs to collaborate, enhancing efficiency and minimizing data entry errors.
Sophisticated Call Scheduling
Establish a PBX network tree to define rules for routing incoming calls. For instance, you can implement restrictions on international dialing to manage expenses and guarantee prompt attention to VIP clients.
Call Transfer
Legacy PBX services complicated call transfers with intricate keypad sequences, leading to potential disconnections and customer loss. Contemporary cloud PBX services simplify the process of transferring calls between departments, ensuring a seamless experience.
Tailored Greetings and Music
There’s no need for a separate service to select your preferred hold music and personalized greetings. Your administrative portal simplifies the process, making it easy to adjust greetings based on seasons or special promotions.
Connectivity Across Multiple Locations
Traditional analog PBX systems required individual setups for each office, relying on Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) to link them. In contrast, Hosted PBX facilitates a secure internal connection across all locations, accommodating remote workers as well.
Capabilities for Contact Centers
There’s no requirement for a distinct contact center solution or software to complement your UC. Your internal and external calling seamlessly coordinates, and the cloud-based PBX enables efficient management of an extensive number of callers.
Three Types of PBX Phone Systems
When considering PBX systems, you have three options to choose from: hosted, on-premise, and hybrid. Discover which one suits your needs best.
1. Hosted PBX
A hosted PBX system represents the cloud-based internal phone line highly praised here. Why the label “hosted system”? This is because your provider hosts the hardware that powers your service. You may also hear it referred to as cloud PBX, virtual PBX, or IP PBX.
The benefit lies in eliminating the costs associated with installing, securing, maintaining, and upgrading such a system. Through a cost-effective monthly subscription, small or mid-sized businesses can access features comparable to their larger counterparts.
Instead of relying on traditional phone lines, the PBX system connects both internally and externally through VoIP. This digital connectivity provides various options for users to make and receive calls.
For instance, you can use a desk phone connected to a router, resembling conventional PBX phones. Alternatively, leverage an application on your desktop or mobile phone for softphone capabilities. Cloud-based phones offer true flexibility, enabling calls from any location, making them well-suited for remote and hybrid work.
Moreover, data generated from cloud PBX usage, including voicemails, emails, and text messages, resides in the cloud. This feature simplifies archiving and retrieval of conversations, facilitating training or legal purposes.
2. On-Site PBX
Opting for on-premise PBX lines represents the conventional choice. However, these connections tether your team to a single location, restricting your talent pool and mobility. Another drawback is the considerable time, spanning weeks or months, required for the installation of an on-premise system.
The primary advantage of this system lies in the level of control and security it affords. Everything is managed in-house, and your internal switchboard handles all processes. Nevertheless, this control comes at a cost that proves to be prohibitive for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
On-site systems typically necessitate engaging with other companies to access advanced data features. Achieving the level of automation that comes standard with a hosted system requires sophisticated and costly technology. Additionally, collaborating with multiple vendors incurs expenses and adds complexity for accounts payable.
3. Hybrid PBX
What if you currently operate a legacy system and want to maximize its value? Must you forfeit the advantages of a hosted PBX? Absolutely not!
You can integrate VoIP telephony into your on-site PBX using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology. Through SIP trunking, you can now harness the advantages of the cloud, even if it’s currently impractical to transition away from your legacy system.
Certainly, you will still incur costs associated with maintaining and securing the physical components of your PBX. However, this approach positions you strategically to transition seamlessly to a fully cloud-based solution in the future.
Factors Should You Consider When Selecting the Appropriate PBX Solution
Evaluate your existing PBX configuration. If you’re initiating from the beginning, opting for a cloud-based setup is the optimal choice. As highlighted earlier, cloud phones offer:
- Cost-effectiveness
- Enhanced security
- Increased reliability
- Greater flexibility
- Abundance of productivity features
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), cloud-based PBX services stand out as the most advantageous solution.
For larger enterprises with an existing on-premise system, leveraging SIP trunking can be beneficial. This allows you to extend the life of your legacy system while capitalizing on remote work capabilities and the productivity features inherent in hosted PBX.
What Are the Advantages of Transitioning Your Traditional PBX to the Cloud?
Remote and hybrid work have become the standard, prompting numerous companies to reassess both their internal and external communications and transition everything to the cloud.
Shifting to the cloud for enterprise-wide applications provides liberation from a centralized work location. Progressive companies acknowledge the importance of offering communication flexibility to their teams.
Indeed, this flexibility is paramount for attracting top talent, to whom you should provide ample mobility and autonomy. By making the move to the cloud, you can be assured that your PBX is secure, agile, cost-effective, and scalable.
Embrace the Future of PBX Communications Through Cloud Integration!
While the telephone has been a mainstay for over a century, there’s no need to be tethered to outdated technology. Transitioning to the cloud streamlines your infrastructure, saves costs, enhances features, and ensures greater reliability.
Considering an upgrade for your PBX phone system? Reach out to us today to explore how the cloud can bolster your expanding business, fostering enhanced connectivity.
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Modern Unified Communications Solutions Are Reinventing Small Business
In the United States, there are more than 30 million small businesses, and the owners of these enterprises have encountered a myriad of challenges. From navigating through a worldwide pandemic to grappling with inflation rates reminiscent of the 1970s, small business proprietors understand the vital role of being ready to tackle disruptions. Additionally, meeting heightened customer expectations has become increasingly crucial, while ensuring an optimal customer experience is now paramount. Conversely, the preferences of employees have evolved, with a growing desire for more flexible and fulfilling work options.
Small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners and IT professionals are now confronted with fresh challenges. They must devise a strategy to connect a dispersed workforce while also reaching customers in their diverse locations. Success in this evolving landscape hinges on SMBs that are forward-thinking and adequately prepared to navigate present challenges and those that may arise in the future. Implementing the right tools is crucial for establishing resilience over the long term.
Today’s Unified Communications (UC) extends beyond a traditional desk phone. Current UC tools play a pivotal role in optimizing business processes by integrating features such as team messaging, AI-driven chatbots, video chat, and a range of third-party integrations.
Small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners and entrepreneurs often need to be resourceful when determining what suits their business best. Unified Communications (UC) tools specifically cater to this group by allowing them to choose a communication method that aligns with the preferences of their employees, customers, and overall business objectives.
The Cost Consideration
Small business owners face financial constraints compared to larger enterprises, emphasizing the need for strategic spending.
Poor communication strategies leading to lost productivity can significantly impact the finances of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), which they can ill afford. Safeguarding against this threat to long-term business growth involves the implementation of scalable and adaptable Unified Communications (UC) tools.
Flexibility in deployment models is crucial for SMBs. UC solutions should conform to the business’s needs, whether deployed on-premise, in a private or public cloud, or through a hybrid approach. Additionally, modernizing shouldn’t necessitate starting from scratch. For instance, incorporating legacy technology during the modernization process can potentially reduce costs while ensuring continued access to essential analog devices.
Delivering an Optimal Customer Experience
In recent years, evolving consumer preferences have created a new expectation for businesses and brands to fulfill digital requirements. In the current era of remote engagement, customers are more tuned in to the demands of companies.
Contemporary Unified Communications (UC) solutions empower small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with the versatility to connect with customers through their preferred channels—whether it’s a contact center, SMS, web chat, email, social media, or virtual agents. This approach aligns with key business objectives, such as business growth, customer attraction and retention, process optimization, and more.
Given the diverse channels preferred by customers, brands and businesses must deliver personalized and customized experiences to maintain consumer engagement. Modern UC solutions serve as an ideal platform for tailored interactions that resonate with consumer preferences in this omnichannel era. These solutions enable businesses to seamlessly transition a customer conversation from virtual chat to phone to email. With these tools, employees gain the capability to swiftly access the right information and resources, ensuring effective resolution of customer concerns.
Providing Flexibility to Employees
Not surprisingly, 98 percent of employees express a desire to work remotely, at least on a part-time basis. Consequently, small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners need to equip their teams with the appropriate IT tools to facilitate collaboration across different geographic locations.
With the workforce transitioning to a hybrid model, effective long-distance collaboration becomes imperative for business success. Business owners aiming to upgrade their hybrid work technology must ensure that the new systems they implement are compatible and that their employees are proficient in using them. Streamlining this process through a user-friendly tool benefits both employees and IT departments, simplifying the learning curve for staff and management alike.
Unified Communications (UC) tools, integrating various communication methods, enhance collaborative and flexible work, regardless of employees’ locations. These tools encompass options like phone, chat or messaging, audio and video conferencing, web collaboration, and more. For businesses with multiple locations, centralized cloud-based systems, whether private or public, can mitigate the complexity of managing systems across different sites, promoting business agility.
Looking Ahead
As numerous small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) gear up for the high-demand retail season, there’s no more opportune moment to integrate Unified Communications (UC) tools into their operational strategies. Customers are inclined to invest their money with businesses that offer seamless communication and swift, efficient issue resolution. Moreover, employees seeking holiday employment are drawn to businesses with systems that simplify their tasks.
Adopting modernized UC tools positions SMBs for sustained business growth and stability in the midst of a bustling environment. It represents a prudent investment, delivering value across the various paths of your business journey.
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How Does IVR Voice Recognition Work?
Your clientele seeks seamless and individualized engagements with brands, all while seeking the efficiency of automated processes. To illustrate, 40% of consumers prioritize self-service, yet over 70% anticipate tailored interactions.
Thankfully, IVR voice recognition technology offers a solution for such demands. Interested in understanding the mechanics of this user-friendly and efficient technology and learning how you can leverage its benefits?
Explore how IVR, coupled with voice recognition, enhances customer experiences, providing substantial returns on investment for your business.
Key Points:
- Employing IVR with voice recognition enables callers to engage in natural conversation with the system, facilitating menu navigation and transaction handling.
- The integration of IVR voice recognition enhances customer service, elevates company productivity, and generates cost savings across diverse industries.
- Industry-leading contact center software typically includes standard IVR voice recognition programs as part of its features.
What Is Voice Recognition
Interactive Voice Response, abbreviated as IVR, refers to an automated phone system where callers interact with a program that delivers verbal responses based on their input.
For instance, a widely adopted early application of IVR is as an automated attendant. Callers hear a prerecorded list of various departments, each designated with its unique number. Upon entering the desired department’s number through the keypad, the system transfers the caller accordingly. Often, pressing 0 allows the caller to connect with a human agent for further assistance.
The introduction of IVR voice recognition introduces enhanced capabilities. Now, the IVR service can analyze and act upon callers’ verbal responses, navigating them through the menu. Ongoing advancements in artificial intelligence continually refine this feature, contributing to the seamless and personalized experiences your customers seek.
How Does IVR Voice Recognition Work
Three technologies enable IVR to comprehend and engage with your callers effectively:
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DTMF A fundamental IVR system employs Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency signaling to interpret keypad tones from the caller. Utilizing this input, the system navigates through your preprogrammed menu tree, guiding the caller to the appropriate destination.
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Directed Dialog The simplest form of IVR voice recognition, Directed Dialog, interprets responses by prompting specific answers. This method often confines callers to brief verbal input, allowing them to, for instance, mention a department’s name instead of inputting a numerical choice. For instance, the system can recognize words like “billing” or “maintenance,” directing the caller accordingly.
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Conversational AI With NLP Modern IVR voice recognition integrates Natural Language Processing (NLP) software, a form of Conversational AI, for more natural interactions. NLP enables understanding of longer responses to open-ended queries. For instance, the system might inquire, “How can we assist you today?” Allowing callers to respond with complete phrases facilitates direct access to the appropriate party, bypassing a lengthy menu listing.
What Benefits Does the Implementation of Voice Recognition Bring to Your Company?
Implementing an IVR program enhances the customer experience and streamlines tasks for your workforce. Consider the following advantages:
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Efficient Call Routing: Ensure swift connection to the appropriate agent or department, enabling callers to address their concerns promptly on the first contact.
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Error Reduction: By directly collecting and storing data from customers, the automated system minimizes errors that may arise when human agents attempt to take notes while listening.
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Operational Cost Reduction: Achieve cost savings by employing fewer human agents, especially during off-peak hours, while still effectively assisting callers.
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Enhanced Security: IVR voice recognition allows for caller identity verification and secure information sharing, mitigating the risk of exposing personal data to unauthorized parties.
Incorporating IVR voice recognition with AI elevates self-service capabilities for your customers, ensuring a peak level of efficiency and satisfaction!
What Is The Cost Of IVR Voice Recognition?
A standalone on-premise IVR software incorporating voice recognition features may incur costs in the hundreds of dollars per line. Additionally, configuring and maintaining the program necessitates hiring additional technical support.
Conversely, Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) software includes IVR with voice recognition as a built-in standard feature. A top-tier hosted CCaaS solution, like Intermedia’s Contact Center, provides all the essentials for leveraging IVR technology at a significantly lower cost compared to an on-premise solution.
How Do You Select The Right IVR Solution
The effectiveness of your IVR with voice recognition relies on the capabilities of your contact center provider. Collaborate with a company that offers a hassle-free experience and incorporates the following features:
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Cloud Functionality: Opt for a provider that hosts your system online, facilitating seamless remote and hybrid work configurations.
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Integrations: Ensure compatibility by connecting your contact center with internal unified communications and business software. This streamlines agent access to experts, enhancing issue resolution and data collection.
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Award-Winning Support: Choose a provider that offers 24/7 support, ready to assist with any challenges related to your IVR voice recognition software. A reliable partner remains committed throughout the system installation process.
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Data Security: Prioritize a provider with robust data protection measures adhering to industry standards, ensuring the security of your information.
A top-tier provider like Intermedia ensures a seamless setup for your IVR with voice recognition.
Partner With Towner Get Your Voice Recognition Up Quickly
Are you prepared to witness the enhancements voice recognition software can bring to your contact center experience? Engage with one of our team members to schedule a Free Demo.
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Unlocking the Potential: 12 Powerful Uses of VoIP Phone Systems
If you’re unfamiliar with using a VoIP phone, switching may seem complex. However, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) simply means “online phone service.”
You have probably unknowingly used or connected to a VoIP phone. This technology has evolved over decades, offering a rich set of features
How can your organization benefit and advance with a VoIP phone system? Discover 12 impressively powerful features and benefits below.
1. Slash Your Expenses with a VoIP Phone System
2. Streamline Your Setup and Changes
3. Achieve Complete Mobility
Experience Unparalleled Mobility with Online Capabilities
VoIP phone numbers offer exceptional flexibility as they can be used on dedicated devices or conveniently accessed through smart devices using a dedicated app. Team members have the freedom to take calls at their desks or on their mobile phones, seamlessly switching between devices. Whether your team operates in-office, remotely, or in a hybrid setup, everyone enjoys the same remarkable benefits and uninterrupted connectivity.
4. Ensure Unrivaled Security
Preserve Data Security and Regulatory Compliance in Remote and Mobile Work Environments
Embracing remote and mobile work does not necessitate compromising data security or regulatory compliance. In fact, your information becomes even more secure when utilizing a hosted VoIP solution, as conversations are archived within highly secure data centers by your service provider.
Furthermore, this hosted solution provides enhanced data backup measures to protect you in the event of large-scale emergencies or disasters, ensuring the safety and continuity of your valuable data.
5. Unlock Infinite Scalability
Overcome Business Seasonality with Flexible VoIP Phone System
Managing and budgeting for a seasonal business can be challenging. However, with administrative control of your VoIP phone system, you have the power to effortlessly add, remove, or modify features and users with just a few taps. When you require additional functionalities, add-ons are readily available, and you can easily scale back temporarily as needed. This flexibility empowers you to adapt your communication system to the changing demands of your business with ease.
6. Immerse in High-Definition Excellence
Enjoy Crystal-Clear Call Quality with High-Speed Internet and VoIP Phone Connectivity
7. Experience Enhanced Voicemail
Maintain Seamless Communication: In situations where you can’t immediately answer a call, or when text or email isn’t feasible for callers, voicemail transcription comes to the rescue. It allows you to swiftly read the messages and determine your response. Additionally, you have the convenience of receiving voicemails directly in your email inbox, where you can choose to read or listen to the playback. This valuable feature safeguards your workflow, enabling maximum productivity.
8. Establish Virtual VoIP Phone Numbers for Privacy and Branding
Enhance Privacy and Brand Uniformity with Virtual VoIP Phone Numbers
Virtual numbers accompanying online phone services provide callers with enhanced privacy and anonymity. Your team members can conveniently receive calls from the company line on their personal devices without divulging their personal numbers.
Leveraging your VoIP phone system, you can allocate remote team members numbers with the same area code, along with extensions from the main company line. This valuable feature allows for a unified and consistent brand identity, ensuring a cohesive appearance across all communication channels.
9. Streamline Business Operations with Software Integration
Boost Efficiency with Seamless Integration of Business Software
One of the most beloved features of VoIP phone systems for companies is the capability to integrate business applications with communication software. Constantly switching between different programs for data input can gradually erode efficiency. With software integrations, you can achieve seamless and precise data collection, ensuring a smooth workflow and uninterrupted progress.
10. Harness the Power of Online Faxing
Embrace Technological Advancements without Leaving Traditional Partners Behind
Advancing your communication technology doesn’t require leaving behind your more traditional partners and clients. With an exceptional VoIP phone system, you can effortlessly receive, view, and handle faxes as email attachments or through the web, eliminating the need for an additional phone line.
It’s worth noting that the global fax services market is experiencing a resurgence, with a projected compound annual growth rate of 11%. By utilizing online fax capabilities, you can stay connected with this valuable market segment, ensuring continued engagement and collaboration.
11. Capture and Preserve Conversations for Documentation
Harness the Power of Recorded and Archived Conversations
Maintaining a comprehensive record of interactions on your company lines can bring significant advantages. Beyond meeting legal and regulatory requirements, you gain a valuable resource for monitoring team performance and enhancing training efforts.
With your VoIP phone system, you can effortlessly automate the recording and archiving of conversations. Moreover, advanced analytical software allows you to quickly extract insights into the tone and content of discussions, enabling a comprehensive understanding at a glance.
12. Leverage the Power of Automated Attendants
Efficiently Serve Customers Around the Clock with Automated Attendants
The increasing prevalence of international commerce requires attending to customers at all hours of the day. Even with a capable team of representatives, assistance is needed to efficiently handle incoming calls and direct them to the appropriate individuals.
VoIP phones offer convenient access to auto attendants that seamlessly integrate with interactive voice response software. These user-friendly programs not only help you save costs but also ensure prompt attention to callers, allowing your team to concentrate on more vital responsibilities.
Partner with the Leading VoIP Phone Provider in the Industry
Discover Your Ideal VoIP Phone Provider with Towner
While we could continue discussing the countless exceptional features of VoIP phones, we’re confident that you already understand their value. The crucial question now is: Who should be your trusted VoIP phone provider?
With hundreds of options available, finding the perfect provider can be a daunting task. However, there’s no need to sift through them all. Engage with the knowledgeable team at Towner, and we’ll will assist you in finding a VoIP phone solution that aligns with your communication preferences, regardless of your location.
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