BusinessSense
Integrate your voice, network and internet services
to save time and money
At one time it made sense to shop voice, network and internet
services from different providers. Back then, because these
services were viewed as “specialties”, this
was the best course. But as the systems we use to transmit
information increasingly relies on the same technologies,
it’s worth looking for ways to integrate them. You
can save time and money while increasing your efficiency
and productivity.
For those that work for or have been to a larger corporation,
you may have noticed that the “switchboard” operator
now uses a computer to re-route calls. Many folks in business
now receive their voice mail on their computer rather than
on their handsets. And, when they are on the road, their
voice mail is either automatically routed to their mobile
number – or an email with a voicemail attachment
is received, allowing them to never miss an important message.
There was a time when this kind of communication technology
was out of reach for even larger corporations. Now, even
small to mid size businesses can afford them. So, what’s
changed?
As different types of communications have moved towards
using digital technology, integrating voice to data systems
has become easier and more affordable. Suddenly voice can
travel as digital packets of information across ethernet
cables as easily as data can. This means that everything
from your internal network to your voice communications
to your access to the worldwide web can all be handled
through the same system.
Most of us have little to no idea how data is moved from
us to wherever we are sending it, and we likely couldn’t
care less. As long as it works, we’re happy. But
many of us have experienced the frustration we feel when
one or more of our systems do not work properly together.
When we hear, “the internet is down” what does
that really mean? Everywhere? Or just at our place of business?
When we hear, “the network is slow”, many of
us are left wondering why does this happen – and
more importantly, what can be done to fix it quickly and
make it faster.
Integrating your systems may not cause all of these headaches
to completely disappear, but it goes a long way to enabling
you to find the source of your problem.
From a cost perspective integration makes sense too. This
is a highly competitive marketplace we’re in and
telecom companies are motivated, more than they have been
in years, to reduce costs in order to capture your entire
business. The caution here is to ensure you select a provider
that offers good rates, but also has a strong commitment
to the service and support you’ll need should you
run into the issues we all experience from time to time.
The bottom line is it’s worth looking around if
you haven’t for a while. Many companies are paying
for services based on the market a few years ago – and
costs have come way down since then. Integrating will save
you even more.
When and if you decide the time is right to shop around,
keep some of these considerations in mind as you look at
different providers:
- Are they adept in all three areas – voice, networking
and internet.
- How many years have they been in business.
- Are they trying to fit you into their package, or are
they able to configure a service that makes sense for
you and your business.
- How “personal” is their approach? Is the “team” that’s
trying to win your business aware of the unique characteristics
of your enterprise.
- Is the price, the price, or are their hidden
fees. Are you getting full disclosure.
- Can they be specific about their service commitment.
- Do they offer local service and support.
The way in which you use these systems at your business
requires that you have the right mix of services, integrated
to your best advantage, backed by a service oriented organization
that’s always there to keep you up and running. These
days there’s no reason to settle for less.
Remember, technology is converging and the lines are getting
blurred between different kinds of service providers. Integrating
makes sense when you can do so for less cost backed by
end-to-end service and support. And the good news is, you
can!
Looking for ways to get
more from your
telecommunications investment?
Call 1-877-393-2854 or email us today.
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