TechFocus Newsletter - April 2008
Phone Systems - 5 Factors to Consider
A business phone system is one of the most important purchases your office can make. The telephone is often the easiest way to reach your customers, clients, and partners. It should also be the easiest way for them to reach you. You do not want your important business calls in your office to be routed incorrectly, disconnected, or faced with a bewildering array of automated options. There are many factors to consider when buying a business telephone system.
Auto-attendant
An auto-attendant is part of an interactive voice response (IVR) system that replaces the human operator and directs callers to the appropriate extensions or voice mailboxes. The IVR systems allow callers to get needed information 24 hours a day. They are also used as a front end to call centers to route as many calls as possible away from costly human agents. In such cases, IVR does not replace the agent, but keeps them from constantly having to answer the same simple questions. If you have a high volume of calls, this may be important - or you may value having a real person answer every call.
Conferencing
Today when more and more businesses are not only thinking globally, but acting globally as well, the need for global communication is going up every day, along with costs. Conferencing provides a way for businesses and other groups to interact, without having to travel to each other's offices. The savings in time and travel expenses quickly make up for the cost of conferencing. Conferencing can also help clear up communication. When selecting a phone system, consider how often your staff needs to make conference calls, and how many different people are needed on the call.
Voicemail
When used properly, voicemail can improve productivity, give your business a professional image, enhance customer relations, and make ordering products and services quicker and more efficiently. When researching phone systems, learn which voicemail system best meets your company's current needs, but don't forget to plan for growth. Only select the features that you and your customers need. Remember a phone system is a long-term investment. As your business expands, your phone system should be able to expand with you.
Automatic Call Forwarding
Automatic Call Forwarding simply means that when your phone rings at home, and you are not there, the call is transferred to another phone. Automatic Call Forwarding helps both your employees and your callers. By routing incoming calls to wherever your employees are, whether on the road, working at home, or at a remote location, Automatic Call Forwarding increases the likelihood that callers reach the person they need. Callers do not need to make a second or third call. In addition, your employees avoid having to return to an overflowing voicemail box. Consider the benefits of Automatic Call Forwarding for employees and customers.
VoIP
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), also known as IP Telephony or Internet Telephony, stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP is a technology that allows you to make a voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. VoIP services convert your voice into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter. In addition, wireless "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly. VoIP costs less than conventional business phone service. It is less complex and easier to maintain VoIP. Voice calls run over the same network you already use for email and Web access. One system serves all. VoIP offers more advanced features. You can select area codes other than your own for your business number and receive calls or voicemails to your laptop or IP phone while traveling, as if you were at your desk. You won't need a separate cell phone and number. No matter the size of your business, VoIP is surprisingly flexible, affordable technology that offers the same, sophisticated communication tools your enterprise-size competitors have.
Are you seeking a phone solution for your business? Get your FREE Phone Assessment today!
Northeast Wisconsin School District VoIP Centralization Solution ChallengesA Wisconsin school district needed to replace an obsolete, non-upgradeable telephone system used throughout their six schools which were connected via fiber optic cable. Administration had an interest in implementing Voice over IP for their 560 telephones and to utilize their existing data infrastructure. Other necessities included creating a centralized telephone management system and integrating an existing paging system.See the Solution
To learn more visitIP Communications or for your FREE Phone Assessment contact us at 920.884.1482 / 800.261.0040 Ext.1482 About Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent provides solutions that enable service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. As a leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications, and services, Alcatel-Lucent offers the end-to-end solutions that enable compelling communications services for people at home, at work and on the move. With 79,000 employees and operations in more than 130 countries, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with global reach. The company has the most experienced global services team in the industry, and one of the largest research, technology and innovation organizations in the telecommunications industry. Alcatel-Lucent is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris.