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Improving daily operations at your business requires making the right decisions. And as technology evolves, change is inevitable. Relying on the tried-and-true philosophy of “we’ve always done it this way” isn’t going to cut it.  

Embrace a culture of change to maximize the potential of your business. While it can be easy to get caught up in the motions, advancing processes only makes your company stronger. Updated business technology leads to greater efficiencies, making it possible for the growth of new ideas to emerge.  

While you may think I’m talking about complex technology like artificial intelligence or automation, I’m actually alluding to a basic communication tool: phones.  

It may seem simple, yet there are so many options out there when choosing a phone solution for your business. The right phone service will come with flexible and innovative features that can keep up with day-to-day needs, and ultimately improve communication with customers and companywide.

Custom phone solutions give businesses the ability to choose how they interact. Communication between customer to employee, employee to employee and employee to external contacts can only be improved with the latest technology. 

One solution that’s the talk of the tech world is VoIP. According to Global Market Insights, hosted or not, VoIP will see its highest growth rate in the next five years – about 15%.¹ 

A missed call is a missed opportunity. In this day and age, customers expect a business to be accessible. Long gone are the days of voicemail being the only option if a customer can’t reach your business. To handle incoming calls in the best method possible, you need features that streamline open communication. By doing so, a caller can reach you when they need to on their time.

Consider features like:  

• Automatic transferring
• Schedule-based routing
• Auto attendants
• Virtual phones

With these features, your business has the freedom and flexibility to answer calls at work, at home or from anywhere.

Businesses with multiple locations need to appear unified to not confuse customers. One way to do this is with a consolidated phone system for answering and supporting calls.  

No matter what the size or the location is, your phone solution should make multiple sites feel connected as if everything is operating under one roof. VoIP business calls can be made and transferred in a variety of ways – through mobile phones, tablets and desktops. Plus if you have remote workers, Midco Business VoIP Phone Pro allows you to move phones between locations and use internet services outside of the office.  

Looking for ways to improve internal communications too? VoIP could be your answer here as well. With this solution, employees aren’t exclusively limited to voice calls. They can also instant message on their devices, too. That way everyone can connect in more than one fashion, improving efficiency overall.

VoIP technology gives businesses more power to control their voice system. It’s fully manageable. You can make permanent or short-term changes – depending on needs.  

Given that the voice networking equipment is hosted by a vendor, most updates are software based. These updates require no additional equipment onsite. Plus, with an online portal, you can manage most changes on the fly as often as necessary.

Let’s say you’re strongly considering a phone update. You may need to justify the why before making the change. 

Even though VoIP offers many benefits, it can be difficult to transition away from current technology that employees are already familiar with. So, weigh your options between the known challenges and potential positive results of the change.  

Ask these questions when making the decision to switch to VoIP. 

• Is your existing equipment outdated?
  • VoIP services come with new phones that are fully managed and supported by the provider.  
• How many vendors do you want to work with?
  • An internet service provider typically offers VoIP because it relies on a network connection. If you choose to use one provider for both phone and internet, you’ll work with a single vendor to pay bills or contact for support. 
• Does your current provider own the switch network equipment?
  • Some providers own and manage their switch networking equipment, giving them a greater ability to resolve issues quickly.
• Do you need a cost-effective phone solution?
  • If you factor in support costs, long distance calls, taxes and fees and equipment upgrades, VoIP ends up being less expensive than traditional phone services. 
• Is there something else you wish your current phone system did?
  • With VoIP, you get a myriad of features and functionality that outperforms traditional phone services. It’s flexible to meet the unique needs of your business.
    
    

Midco data services may be required for some VoIP services. 1 Global Market Insights: Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market Q22020 2 Computers, tablets and mobile equipment that can be used for the Softphone feature are not included in the Midco service price.