Very little is certain in the world of business. That quickly becomes apparent to anyone who’s ever started a business or even reached the executive level in a company. There are, however, things that all businesses should be able to take for granted.
That includes their voice over internet protocol (VoIP) telephony systems. After all, these systems are increasingly critical to the operating ability of businesses of all sizes, particularly those using remote or hybrid working models. Not all VoIP systems, however, are created equal.
As Nic Laschinger, chief technology officer of Euphoria Telecom explains, there are specific features that businesses should look for when choosing a VoIP operator. These features, he says, shouldn’t be features you have to request or wait for – they should come standard.
“Beyond the basic advantages that VoIP offers, such as reduced cost and increased flexibility,” he says, “businesses should expect free callback for employees, itemised real-time billing, and automated, scheduled reporting.
“Free callback for employees is a pretty simple concept,” he says. “Users simply dial a number, which automatically triggers a callback from the company’s switchboard. From there, the call can be transferred anywhere within the organisation or to an external number.”
This functionality is especially important for remote workers as it saves them from having to use their own airtime for internal calls.
“Several VoIP operators, including ourselves, have offered free callback for a number of years,” he says. “Even in a pre-remote and hybrid world, companies needed to make it easy for people working off-site to reach colleagues in the office.
“Remote work has only made that ability more important. As such it should be part of any VoIP operator’s basic offering.”
Itemised real-time billing meanwhile can be extremely beneficial to VoIP clients. According to Laschinger, its advantages include improved cost control, fraud detection, and even predictive insights.
“Surprisingly, given those clear advantages, relatively few VoIP operators offer itemised real-time billing,” he says. “It is, however, something that businesses should look for when choosing a VoIP provider. A good VoIP system isn’t just a business tool, it’s also an enabler that allows a business to grow and expand.”
Another feature that allows VoIP systems to play this role is automated, scheduled reporting.
“In an era where data reigns supreme, VoIP systems can provide precious insights into how employees communicate with customers and each other,” says Laschinger. “But many companies simply don’t have the time or resources to analyse that data on their own. That’s why businesses should look for VoIP operators that can provide that analysis in the shape of automated reports that are scheduled to be delivered when the business needs them.”
Ultimately, he says, none of the three are things that businesses should have to ask for. Instead, he argues, they should be standard features in any VoIP offering.
“Businesses today face multiple challenges, especially in the current economic climate,” he says. “In order to thrive, those businesses need all the tools they use to offer maximum business benefits. That’s as true for a VoIP solution as it is for any other product.
“To really reap those benefits, businesses shouldn’t have to ask for things like itemised real-time billing, automated reporting and free call back,” he concludes. “They should simply be able to take those things for granted.”