How voice solutions can help improve remote working

How voice solutions can help improve remote working

A recent study from Finder revealed that a staggering 1.54 million people were already working from home prior to lockdown in March.  86% of those presently working at home however, are doing so at the hands of the current pandemic according to an ONS survey.

Businesses and their employees will inevitably continue remote working, either full time or part time, even when we see restrictions gradually begin to ease. With this in mind, we’re keen to discuss how voice solutions can enhance remote working for everyone and address the key challenges of the current landscape.

Why invest in voice solutions

Phones are essential daily tools in the world of business. A 2019 study by ISPreview revealed the average SME business spent £20,052 a year on telecommunications services, a 40% increase since 2016. Today there are around 7.7 billion active mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide according to BusinessWire. This has more than doubled since 2015 thanks to constant innovation in the telecommunications sector and an increased demand for collaborative, productive working.

As lockdown continues in the UK many are questioning what the future of the office looks like. No doubt the way that we communicate at work has changed forever. While some businesses are operating as usual during lockdown, others are struggling to be as productive as they would like. A lot of this is down to frustrations around the technology available to them.

VoIP phone systems allow you to communicate and collaborate with your team, no matter where they’re based.  Not only is the solution cost effective, but it also offers a level of flexibility that is needed in the workplace, now and in the future. VoIP calls allow you to stay up to date with colleagues, customers and suppliers, without the need to re-route phone calls or change telephone numbers, so you can concentrate on the more pressing issues of the day.

What are the benefits of cloud-based voice solutions?

Apart from the usual tools needed to work remotely like a computer and a reliable internet connection, it’s also worth investing in cloud-based voice solutions that can facilitate the transition to remote working and offer increased productivity.

Often referred to as VoIP, hosted PBX or cloud telephony, a cloud voice solution allows you to make phone calls using the internet, making it a flexible and scalable solution that provides total control and visibility over call costs. As there is no hardware installation required, it’s really easy to set up and can be used straight away, making it simple to get employees started when working from multiple locations.

Improved communication

The pickup and go flexibility of VoIP means that employees don’t need a handset or headset, but if they choose to use one, they can simply be plugged in to their laptop. Alternatively, they can make calls from their mobile from any location, using their work number and associated app.

VoIP also offers premium call quality to allow seamless operations in the workplace. To enhance communication with VoIP, it’s important to have a strong broadband connection to ensure a high bandwidth for calls and voice quality.

Managing your calls

Another one of the great benefits that a VoIP solution provides is that you can make changes in real time through a management portal thanks to cloud-based technology. You can make use of specialised call handling features to help route your calls professionally so you’ll always and immediately be able to maintain customer service levels and manage agents remotely.

What features do voice solutions provide?

Voice solutions can differ from provider to provider. Our cloud telephony solution has been kept simple and straightforward, designed to work alongside other cloud-based software to provide the best user experience, where you’re able to integrate into Microsoft Teams for a true unified solution.

Microsoft is a leader in unified collaboration and this has been demonstrated to the full during the pandemic. Daily users of collaboration app Teams has reached 75 million daily active users (compared to 13 million in July 2019) and 200 million daily meeting participants, according to research from Business Insider.

Microsoft Teams Calling enables you to make and receive calls through the app, offering an easy to use, integrated way of communicating, no matter your location, while still using your existing cloud phone system, PBX or SIP trunk. As it’s synced to your calendar in Microsoft 365, it automatically knows if you’re free, busy or in a meeting so you won’t be interrupted unnecessarily.

By integrating your phone system with Teams Calling, you’ll still keep your existing numbers, routing and call centre functionality from your phone system while also creating a shared workspace where you can chat, meet and share files too.

Scalable communications

Our VoIP phone system provides a number of innovative features included as a standard.

With an easy to use management portal, you can customise your call plans, amend routing and diverts to suits your business needs as and when you need to. Additionally, our VoIP solution provides users with real-time analytics and reporting so you can manage call volumes in real time, enabling you to offer the best customer service, and improve overall efficiency.

Our flexible VoIP phone systems are tailored to your business needs and are fully scalable to flex as you grow. This cloud-based telephony system is feature-rich, allowing you to customise your own solution, while providing secure, reliable functionality that helps you handle each call as it comes in.

Final thought

With many businesses needing to adapt to remote working, VoIP phone systems are the easiest choice for improved communication, flexible working and future proofing. The cost-effective technology will help employers plan ahead for next year and everything it has in store for them.

While many businesses already have VoIP, it’s important to invest in a solution that is capable and flexible to properly support remote working. From easy remote installation to integration with existing software, our software offers the flexibility that businesses need right now. And, being available on a 90 day initial license term is an added bonus – who wants to commit to a 3, 5 or even 7 year contract when the world is so up in the air at the moment?

For those looking to, or already using VoIP phone systems, Microsoft Teams is the final piece of the puzzle needed to bring everyone together to get the job done. You may already be using the two solutions separately, but with the help of Teams Calling they become one, creating a simpler to use unified communications experience.

Get in touch with our team today to discover which voice solution is best for you and your business.