Yes, today’s blog is about office phone systems. You have one. They are dull and no one wants to deal with them, but they are necessary. They need to be reconfigured for new employees, they are confusing, and the telco lines probably cost you more money than you would like.
Like everything else, office phone systems began transitioning to fully digital and online well over a decade ago. The technical term is “Voice over Internet Protocol” or “VoIP.” In a practical sense, VoIP means that your phone lines are no longer coming in over traditional, plain old telephone lines, or other standard protocols from the 1960s to the 2000s. Instead, voice signals are now being carried to your phone from the telco via the internet, such as your broadband connection.
Why do this? There are a few simple benefits:
- You cut the higher landline charges, especially for international calls.
- Old fashioned systems are becoming obsolete and parts are not available.
- You no longer need two separate cabling systems for telco and internet.
- They rely less on hardware to do the job, so reconfiguring for a new employee or a major office shift is much, much easier. It is now a software change, not a hardware issue.
- Your employees are no longer tied to the phone at their desk. VoIP allows integration with mobile devices.
This is just a quick summary, but it gives you a starting point for understanding why most firms are moving to VoIP systems and abandoning the old traditional PBX and key systems of an earlier era.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@theepochteam.com or 410-465-3955.