Cloud technologies have ushered in a new era of work where office employees no longer need to be restricted by the boundaries of the office desk. One of these innovations is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which has become the new standard in business communications. The technology presents a dramatic shift from the limitations of landline telephony to provide video conferencing, integrated collaboration, and a previously unprecedented degree of flexibility.
VoIP has become an essential solution for any remote workforce, including full- and part-time employees working from home and freelance contractors all over the world. By eliminating the very specific hardware requirements of conventional telephony, it allows remote workforces to use any internet-connected device to hold voice or video meetings. Recent advancements have made VoIP systems more secure and easier to manage than ever before.
Here’s what that means for your remote workers:
- Handle calls from any device
Today’s employees crave a better work-life balance and more freedom over how, where, and when they work. This also means they often like to have the option of using their own devices for work, instead of having to get used to one provided by the company. Most companies now have a bring your own device (BYOD) policy to accommodate these needs.
VoIP is a software-based solution, so it doesn’t have any specific requirements when it comes to the device manufacturer, model, or operating system. Most VoIP solutions work flawlessly on any device equipped with an internet connection and a microphone, although it’s better to have a plug-in headset for devices like laptops and desktops.
- Manage communications at scale
In the old days, companies would often provide new employees with a company-issued phone and laptop, instead of letting them use their own devices. Not only is this expensive for the business, but it also hinders productivity, and it may even require employees to learn how to use an unfamiliar operating system. Provisioning these devices and training employees takes time, making this old-school approach far from scalable.
VoIP, on the other hand, is highly flexible and scalable. When a new employee joins the team, all you need to do is create a new user account for them in your VoIP management dashboard. Many solutions also let you invite guests, even if they don’t have an account. Moreover, you only have to pay for the number of accounts you actually need, giving you more control over costs.
- Enhance team collaboration
During these unprecedented times, working from home has shifted from being a luxury to a business necessity. After all, some people still prefer to work in the office, while others enjoy working on the move. The sudden changes introduced to curb the pandemic have left many employees feeling detached from their colleagues and the companies they work for.
Collaborating via email isn’t going to get you very far. Fortunately, VoIP enables real-time collaboration along with the option of video conferencing to give everyone a way to stay connected when they can’t meet in person. That’s also an advantage that businesses will continue to realize long after the pandemic is gone, especially if they’re accustomed to working with employees and contractors around the country and beyond.
- Improve customer service
The traditional approach to customer service, as characterized by huge call centers and long queues, has long been a cause of frustration for customers and support teams alike. However, VoIP improves availability by giving employees the resources they need to serve customers from home or any other location.
VoIP keeps employees and their managers on high alert during their working hours, without affecting their private lives. For example, auto-attendants largely replace the role of the receptionist by automatically routing callers to the right person on whichever device they’re using.
outsourceIT gives businesses a better way to communicate with scalable VoIP services that empower remote workforces to become happier and more productive. Contact us today to find out more.
5 Big Ways IT Outsourcing Can Boost Your Company's Productivity!
Before you can honestly consider outsourcing IT management, you need to be 100% confident that it will solve problems and unclog bottlenecks.
