Is the inside of the future of business phone systems? In the last two articles, we explored some of the ways that voice over Internet Protocol can provide significant cost savings to organizations. And we also explored some of the ways that a small business phone system could benefit the organization in the future as VoIP technology continues to mature and grow. Today, we'll look at a few other possibilities for the future of business phone systems.
What if, in addition to saving money on your long distance phone bill, you also got an Internet phone connection? What if you could conduct your voicemail through your web-based voicemail system and even schedule backups of your voicemail so you'd never have to miss an important call again? A small business phone system could allow you to use voicemail to conduct both calls and conversations with clients and prospects. The ability to schedule your calls and instant messages might also be used to save you time.
Some analysts suggest that by as early as 2021 small business phone systems will have more in the way of web-based tools and access to email instead of just having a regular phone line. Does this mean that your small business phone system will have less in the way of hardware? Not necessarily. Many telephone companies are now incorporating voice over IP communications into their existing phone system. As VoIP becomes more common, more businesses with existing phone systems may choose to upgrade to this technology rather than buying a new system all together.
How about a small business phone system that combines VoIP with desktop software applications? This is becoming very common in some cases. You might choose a VoIP phone system with a feature that allows you to run VoIP software on your desktop computer. You can then run all of your incoming calls through this software and even make conference calls right from your laptop.
Will all of the new features detailed above eventually replace traditional telephones? Probably not. While the vast majority of people will never use all of the features mentioned above, some people will use them every day. Right now there are still quite a few people that subscribe to a conventional small business phone system but it isn't likely that subscriptions will drop off any time soon.
Why should you even consider upgrading your current phone system when you can have a small business phone system that does most of the things that you need yet doesn't cost much more? Think about what kind of money you are saving. There are so many options out there, it is easy to find a good deal. Plus, when your phone system has VoIP capabilities, you can take advantage of free VOIP calls to your cell phone. And since most cell phones these days have VoIP capabilities as well, you can use the same free VoIP calls to make your conference calls. No matter what kind of system you choose, you'll certainly be happy with the money you save on your business phone system.