Business Phone Systems: A Comprehensive Overview of Features, Benefits, and Examples
Who Uses Business Phone Systems?
Small Business Owners: A majority of small business owners utilize business phone systems for seamless communication with employees, vendors, and clients. Business phone systems provide a cost-effective solution to managing all incoming and outgoing calls through one platform.
Medium-Sized Enterprises: Medium-sized enterprises with multiple departments use business phone systems for interdepartmental communication and collaboration. They usually opt for advanced features such as advanced call routing, call queues, and cloud integration to streamline communication and reduce downtime.
Large Corporations: Large corporations use business phone systems to manage their global communication requirements. Such organizations need a sophisticated phone system that is capable of handling high volumes of calls, video conferencing, and virtual meetings.
Benefits of Business Phone Systems
Cost savings: Business phone systems, especially those that tap into the power of the internet, offer significant cost savings compared to traditional landlines. Long-distance calls are typically included in plans reducing the need for expensive international calling rates.
Increased productivity: Business phone systems come with advanced features such as voicemail-to-email, automated attendants, and call routing, free up valuable time for customer-facing employees to focus on more essential tasks.
Flexibility: Business phone systems offer flexibility and customized solutions to meet individual business needs. They can support remote teams, offer mobile integration and the ability to customize their call routing.
Features of Business Phone Systems
Call Routing: With call routing, all incoming calls are directed to the right employees or departments. This feature ensures that calls are answered quickly by an appropriate team member who can help the client.
Cloud Integration: With a cloud-based phone system, employees can access the phone system from anywhere in the world as long as they have an internet connection.
Video Conferencing: Video conferencing is a virtual meeting tool that makes communication easier and more efficient for teams working remotely or in different locations.
Examples of Relevant Business Phone System Software Products
1. RingCentral (ringcentral.com): RingCentral is a cloud-based phone system that offers features such as video conferencing, call routing, and mobile integration. It is an excellent option for organizations that require easy-to-use software that supports remote work. It also offers a wide range of integrations with third-party business applications like Salesforce, G Suite, and Microsoft Office 365. However, RingCentral can become costly as business’ requirements grow.
2. Grasshopper (grasshopper.com): Grasshopper offers a virtual phone system for small businesses and entrepreneurs. It includes a virtual front desk, mobile app, and SMS messaging which makes it easy to manage business calls from anywhere. It is an excellent option for individuals who need a phone system for their traditionally mobile business like contractors or service professionals. However, it is not suitable for businesses with large call volumes.
3. 8×8 (8×8.com): 8×8 is a cloud-based phone system for organizations with a global workforce. It includes advanced features like call transcription, auto-attendants, and virtual meetings that can handle up to 100 participants. The downside to 8×8 is that it can be expensive compared to similar business phone systems.
4. Microsoft Teams (teams.microsoft.com): Microsoft Teams is a cloud-based collaboration tool designed for remote work. It includes video conferencing, chat, calendar, and document sharing features, as well as a phone system. The software is linked with other Microsoft Office 365 products making it easier to integrate into an existing Microsoft ecosystem. However, it can be limited if your business needs an extensive call center for customer service.
5. Dialpad (dialpad.com): Dialpad is a cloud-based communication platform designed for modern businesses. It integrates with popular CRMs such as Salesforce and HubSpot, allowing for efficient workflow and data syncing. Dialpad also offers advanced features like voice recognition, voice-to-text transcription, and real-time chat that makes remote work more manageable. However, it is expensive compared to similar business phone systems.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, business phone systems are a crucial component of modern businesses. The ability to communicate across multiple channels and locations is essential for businesses that want to be competitive in today’s marketplace. Careful consideration should be taken when selecting the right business phone system to allow a company to efficiently communicate to internal and external stakeholders. Companies should evaluate their communication needs, understand their budget, and research all available systems before making a decision. By following these simple steps, companies can ensure they select an excellent business phone system that fits their unique needs and promotes healthy communication practices.