For decades, we’ve been connecting our homes, schools, and businesses with mazes of wires and network switches. Traditional phone systems rely on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), an in-house closet full of phone wires, and a localized expert who installs and manages the whole mess. It’s still a common solution to telecommunications, but for obvious reasons it’s quickly becoming obsolete.
Digitized communications are reshaping not only how we do business but also how we live. A single mobile device with an internet connection has far more capacity and features than a full-scale PSTN system has.
And if you think digital voice communications are still a niche service, take a look at AT&T. The oldest telephone company in the U.S. launched the “all-digital IP phone city” project, which replaced the existing PSTN in two cities with an all-IP-network. Data, voice, and video all reside on the same network and are ready for whatever the future of information sharing has in store.
The new era of Unified Communications
According to Juniper Research, there will likely be 1 billion VoIP users by the end of 2017. And by the very nature of converting analog communications into digital mediums, all your correspondence can be consolidated into a single service.
That is the essence of Unified Communications (UC) — voice, video, email, SMS, and transaction history totally integrated and working in concert. When combined with more affordable and reliable mobile networks, small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) stand a lot to gain by adopting cloud-based UC.
The first step towards UC: VoIP
High-speed wireless internet, the Cloud, and lightning fast mobile devices have made VoIP, or internet-based phone calls, one of this decade’s more disruptive technologies. Especially for SMBs.
Your company can boost productivity and mobility by deploying this innovative technology. The list of benefits is long and the risks are low; take a look:
Flexible – Desktop handsets from yesteryear have been replaced by…well, software. Employees can call from a company number using their workstation, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
And even better, employees can receive calls from any device as well. Intelligent “find me” features mean calls ring to whichever device you’re currently using, or to multiple devices at once. With Dyrand’s VoIP solution, “I’m sorry, I must’ve missed your call,” is something clients will never hear again.
Scalable – With cloud-based technology and fewer hardware upgrades, your VoIP solution can add accounts, features, and IP devices as often as you need. No more trying to predict an entire quarter’s performance or suffering through long periods of maxed out accounts — scale up or down whenever you need.
Simplified support – Legacy phone systems require on-site technical expertise to install, troubleshoot, or upgrade your lines. But when management is moved to the cloud, you can request immediate support from VoIP experts who troubleshoot jittery call quality, fix bandwidth issues, and secure phone lines.
Disaster recovery – The only drawback for all-digital environments is the threat of downtime. It can come in the form of disasters, natural or manmade, and even vandalism. Despite being a 100% digital solution, this is an area VoIP actually excels at.
With our cloud-based voice services, employees can still access their accounts via any device with an internet connection. If your office is flooded, there’s no reason to miss a single call.
Cost reduction – PTSN systems require expensive equipment and complicated installations that create downtime and increase costs. But depending on your VoIP deployment, you may not even need new hardware. Legacy telephones can make VoIP calls with nothing more than an adapter, and because calls are placed over the internet surcharges such as international and three-way calling are virtually nonexistent.
Now you can start preparing for UC
Healthy communication is fundamental for any promising business. Once you have your digital phone solution in place, you can consolidate your various technologies into a streamlined UC service. But for today, it all starts with cloud-based VoIP solutions from Dyrand Systems.
We do it all: deployments, administration, support, and upgrades. If you’re looking for a worry-free solution from the best IT provider in the Vancouver area, we’ve got everything you need. Contact us today.