Modern businesses and organizations stand or fall on their communications. Being reachable is essential. Effective communication, however, can be an issue for older organizations with outdated phone systems.
How do we make an intelligent buying decision when it comes to communication system? This article is intended as guidance on how to buy a business phone system.
Step 1: Assessment
Let’s realistically assess your communications needs. Here are some questions to consider:
- Are you considering one location or several?
- Is the workforce housebound or mobile?
- How much calling of each type (local, long distance, international) does your organization expect?
- Number of users will be on the phone during peak hours?
- How many phones are needed?
- Is a service desk available?
- Will there be a need for SMS and Fax services?
- Do you want to save relevant call recordings?
- What are you willing / able to pay for your communications solution?
Purchasing an optimal PBX phone system has less to do with the underlying technology than it does with the way you want to run your business. You (or a professional analyst) can then integrate findings into a phone system RFP, leaving some margin for future development.
Step 2: Formulating a Project
After an effective analysis of the organizational communication needs, a clear plan of action should start to appear. The plan will be based on the real and projected future needs of the organization.
This entails getting the necessary equipment and upgrades to the communication system including phones, servers, or nothing at all if you opt for a hosted VoIP solution from a VoIP provider.
At this point, your organization needs to look at the current communications expenditure and the current infrastructure, and try to find the best fit.
Step 3: Budget
After reaching a decision on the best course of action, it’s time to get real. Some options may require a radical overhaul of infrastructure and equipment, but the projected benefits may well make the move worth the cost.
If we’re talking about smaller businesses or the budget is tight, the most cost-effective and efficient option will be some form of hosted VoIP. Having an outside provider take charge of the communications technology, will spare your business costly equipment and having specialized personnel to maintain it.
Step 4: VoIP Provider
when opting for a VoIP provider, it pays to take your time and choose carefully. The idea is to create a permanent and future relationship with a dependable partner that can not only upgrade your business phone system, but can adapt to your changing needs.
It’s also important to test their service desk and gauge their professionalism, explore how they react to emergencies, and ask about data protection. You should feel free to ask about every issue you deem important for your new communications system. Choosing the right VoIP provider is essential to ensure the stability of your business communications for years to come.
Understanding what to look for when buying next phone system is really important for any business that uses voice communications. For further information regarding your organization’s communication needs, don’t hesitate to contact us at DLS Internet Services at 800-323-2099.