Hybrid working, employee flexibility and structural changes to the UK’s telephone network mean it is crucial for businesses to consider the suitability of their current phone system. Kristian Torode, director and co-founder of office phone system provider Crystaline, sees a huge opportunity for channel businesses in the coming year.
Torode (pictured right) explained, “An effective business phone system enables seamless communication both internally among employees and externally with customers. While both groups were willing to put up with disruption in the short term at the start of the pandemic, now patience is wearing thin. Businesses need to come up with a long-term solution to provide effective voice communication in the new working world.”
There are various reasons why organisations might be considering making upgrades over the next few years. Torode said, “The convergence of several simultaneous changes to working practices and systems has signalled a fitting moment for businesses to consider the appropriateness of their phone system. Throughout the pandemic businesses found new ways of communicating, collaborating and delivering customer service. Some even found more effective solutions. Yet the greater focus on virtual communication hasn’t been reflected in the equipment businesses choose.”
Torode added that the upcoming PSTN switch off is adding urgency to this as soon organisations will have no choice but to upgrade. He said, “Even for businesses that aren’t looking for more flexibility, upgrading is an absolute must.”
Weighing up options
SIP trunking, Torode explained, could be the best solution for some organisations. “The first solution to tackling these issues is SIP trunking. It’s a protocol that connects a traditional PBX phone system to a provider’s network over the internet. Once the SIP trunks are in place, the legacy hardware can be used for end-to-end communication through voice, video and chat both internally and externally.
“Opting for SIP trunking allows businesses to futureproof their existing hardware and make it compatible with internet enabled telephony solutions. Once the PSTN is switched off, office landlines left in their current state will no longer work, so if a business is keen to keep its current equipment, SIP trunking is essential.”
Torode pointed to call diversion as one key benefit of this option. He said, “It’s also possible to divert calls to an alternative number, which supports remote working. If an employee is not in the office that day, or works remotely full time, calls to their number can be diverted to a mobile. This means that customers receive the same quality of customer service and their queries are handled in a timely manner, regardless of employee location.”
A scalable option
Alternatively, some organisations will need a richer feature set. Torode said, “A more comprehensive alternative is VoIP — a direct internet-enabled replacement of the traditional office landline that transmits voice calls over the internet in digital data packets. A VoIP phone system performs all the same functions of a traditional landline but also offers additional benefits.
“It’s a completely scalable telephony solution, meaning new phone lines can be added in just a few minutes, and employees have the flexibility to access the system through any device they wish — laptops, desktops, smartphones or tablets.
“It’s also more cost effective, since you only pay for the phonelines you need. Being able to add or remove additional phone lines in just a few minutes means the system can grow with your business. Conversely, for seasonal businesses where more phonelines may be required for just one time of year, it prevents unnecessary costs or complex logistics during low season.”
New normal
There are, of course, more nuanced reasons why organisations might want to prioritise upgrading their phone system. Torode said, two years after the first lockdown, customers and employees alike expect organisations to have a long-term solution in place. “While employees and customers were initially tolerant of communication disruption caused by the pandemic, the ‘Covid excuse’ won’t work for much longer. Remote working in some capacity is the norm, and it requires an aligned phone system, to keep employees connected, customers happy and businesses successful.”