Everyone is talking about VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol and the Big Switch-off from ISDN and PTSN phone lines to cloud-based telecoms, in 2025.
In a bid to catch up with the latest technology telecoms companies are already making sweeping changes to move their customers away from the old analogue Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to a fully digital network.
This also applies to the ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) lines too. ISDN may be a more up to date technology than the traditional switches system, but everything will be transferred to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in just 2 years’ time.
New digital technology is just so much better.
At a basic level, using the flexibility of the Cloud, people will be able to make and take calls on any device, from anywhere and everyone can keep the same number they’ve been using. Business applications and systems will link smoothly with video chats, calls and group collaborations making conference video calls to customers and colleagues much easier.
Instead of analogue phone lines a data or broadband connection is all that is required to receive, make, transfer and forward calls all over the world and it’s possible to combine mobile devices, headsets, and PCs together to enable all bases are covered.
Global industry experts predict a very bright future for VoIP. According to analysts, Global Market Insights, VoIP is one of the fastest growing industries since the pandemic. It is projected that the IT and telecom VoIP market will “hold the largest industry share of over 25% by 2025”.
How does VoIP benefit your business?
Firstly, businesses can make significant cost savings with almost no call charges, a reduction in equipment required (as users don’t need a phone to make a VoIP call) and monthly costs are lower compared to traditional telephone systems.
In addition, with calls being made over the internet connection, there is no need for costly ISDN services and the VoIP system can be scaled up or down as business needs change.
VoIP is already proving itself as a leading factor in the success of flexible working. Unwittingly, the pandemic has enabled people to build confidence in using internet phone technology such as Teams and Zoom, headsets and mobile devices for making and receiving work calls from anywhere in the world.
With VoIP, only one phone number is needed and the customer can be transferred instantly to the person they need to speak to without delay – receiving a better customer experience because they benefit from an uninterrupted service.
It’s well known that, when compared with traditional ISDN and PTSN systems, VoIP offers a far better call quality when using a stable and reliable broadband connectio. So, the better the internet connection the better the call quality will be.
By bringing all communications together under one roof and linking everything to one system, there is a greater opportunity for clearer communications. As VoIP is IP (internet protocol) based, it is also possible to streamline and integrate the business phone system with Microsoft Outlook, Teams and any CRM systems in place.
Not only that but all systems on the network can be linked together including any security systems and print devices giving businesses the power to manage all their IT based systems in one place.
Here are some of the excellent features most VoIP systems provide:
- Voicemail-to-email
Messages are delivered as audio files directly to an email on any device that the email account is running on, be it in an office or on a mobile device. - Hunt Groups
These can improve customer experience and internal efficiency. They allow people in a single department or similar roles to be grouped so that all of their phones ring when someone calls the group. This is ideal if a company has separate departments or more than one office location. - Call recording
By making a caller aware that they are being recorded it can make them more likely to behave in a civil manner. There are a few industries where call monitoring and recording are part of the system, such as banks and other financial services. - Unlimited VoIP numbers
For local, national or even international numbers to be added to a VoIP service. - Out-of-hours-routing
Set calls to be diverted to various destinations or a recorded message can be used at certain times of day or year – such as Christmas. - Play pre-recorded messages to people on hold
Great to promote new products or services, or to simply provide information like opening hours to their customers, while they wait to be transferred.
Why chose the Elmdale IT Services as your Telecoms partner?
Elmdale IT Services has built a wealth of experience of delivering IT services and support to businesses, schools and organisations for over 20 years, to an exceptionally high standard, and offer a range of solutions and services to suit every budget, business type and size. We are a provider of 3CX systems which we know to be one of the very best available.
The 3CX VoIP solution that Elmdale IT provides can be deployed almost anywhere from business premises, a home office, a large data centre or even the cloud. We take care of the installation and maintenance from the start.
Our system provides customers with many advanced features, as standard, such as integration with CRM apps, browser-based video conferencing and gives complete control over the whole phone system. Customers can choose which SIP trunk they have, which cloud provider they prefer and whether they want the system to be set up on their premises and the hardware they want.
Our systems support all IP phones, modern Android and iOS phones and calls can be made from the web or Windows. Our systems integrate with MicroSoft Teams, leading CRM apps and includes Instant Messaging so it will be easier for staff to accept and use seamlessly.
Our approach is to be our customers’ IT partner and not just another supplier. The Elmdale Group philosophy is simple: to help its clients be the best they can be with the right solutions and management in place.
For more details about how we can help your business future-proof its telecoms and IT systems, contact us on 0118 982 1444, email: sales@elmdaleit.co.uk or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.