No matter what industry you’re in, a business-class phone system is imperative for your daily business operations.
With this in mind, choosing the right phone system is something that should be done correctly the first time round so you have a system that lasts and works well. In this blog, I’m going to show you how.
1. Decide What Phone System You Need
There are a number of things that you will need to consider when you’re looking at phone systems - on-prem or hosted, reception or IVR, functionality required, hardware etc.
Knowing the answers to the following questions will help you to decide what type of system will suit your business needs - not only now, but in the future.
● How many phones do we need?
● Will the company be scaling up or moving premises in the near future?
● What functionality do we need?
● Will we have a receptionist or an IVR?
● What ring-groups do we need?
2. Evaluate Your Current Phone System
Look at the current system you have, what works and what doesn’t. In terms of moving from an on-premise PBX to a Hosted solution, it’s worth looking at your bill so you have an idea of what you’re paying in terms of line rental, and seeing where you can save.
3. Technical Infrastructure
This is the most important thing to consider if you decide to install a hosted solution. Firstly, you’ll need to check if you can meet the minimum requirements to get VoIP. IP Telecom recommends that you allow 87.2kb per second (upload and download speed) per phone call, so for example to have 10 people on the phone at one time requires less than 1MB dedicated to voice traffic. If you do need your lines professionally monitored to see if your broadband can support VoIP, IP Telecom can do this for you free of charge. Secondly, find out if your new provider does the installation for you or if you’ll need to hire someone in to do this correctly for you.
4. Decide On Your Hardware
Different phones have different functionality, so once you’ve decided on your needs, have a look at the hardware available and choose what you need. Some companies lock their phones to the network, making it hard to move away without incurring fees, so make sure you ask about this when you’re looking at the hardware.
For more information on choosing the right phone system for your business, contact us at 01 687 7777, or sales@iptelecom.ie for a consultation.
Blog written by Emer Farrell, Sales and Marketing Specialist at IP Telecom.