More control. Better functionality. Streamlined costs. Easy operations. Scalability. Not many businesses would turn their back on these… which explains the rapid surge of cloud-based Managed Voice Services, also known as UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service).
The business communication sector was due for something of a shakeup, with those clunky business phones you still see in movies from the 90’s lingering around for longer than they should. They’ve been ushered out in style though, replaced by cloud-based unified communication solutions that take the humble business phone to a whole new realm.
We’re talking an integrated suite of communication tools that has voice at its heart, together with collaboration-enhancing audio-visual capabilities and instant chat messaging. Today we’re going to look at managed voice services, what they are and how your business can grow and benefit from them. In a few moments, you should have the answer as to whether managed voice services are the future of business telecoms!
What are Managed Voice Services?
Managed Voice Services are a business phone system installed and managed by a third party outside of your organisation. The system combines an internet connection, hardware and VoIP (voice over internet protocol) into one platform that seamlessly integrates voice and data for the user.
This integration results in a range of features available to your team that will contribute to improved productivity and efficiency. Video conferencing abilities, mobile integration, instant messaging, voicemail and call forwarding capabilities are part and parcel of it. Features before considered out of reach of the average SME are now readily available in an easily installed cloud-based system.
Your managed voice service provider manages your entire phone system, from its deployment to its ongoing use. This means a team of experts is making sure it works exactly as it should. You enjoy minimal to zero downtime, plus, as soon as new features or upgrades are available, they’ll take care of it. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of outsourcing to an MVS provider!
Who Can Use Managed Voice Services?
Any business utilising voice and data in their day-to-day operations will love the improved communication and collaboration of Managed Voice. Most businesses are using it in some form or other these days – smaller companies can upgrade to enterprise-level features without a pocket-heavy upfront investment, while larger companies with high call volumes can enjoy the affordability of the cloud communication system. All while enjoying the peace of mind of having an external party oversee the management of your phones.
Businesses operating from multiple locations, or those who rely heavily on remote work, won’t have their communication abilities restricted by geographic location. They can stay connected from anywhere, collaborating with teammates and maintaining important client communications.
What are the Advantages of Switching to Managed Voice?
Let’s start with some bigger picture stuff:
Scalability: As you’re looking to grow your organisation, your MVS scales up with you. It’s as easy as asking your provider to add the number of new users you need.
Constant Contact: With traditional phone systems, one small problem could bring the whole network down. A managed voice service will have redundancies in place to ensure your communications stay up and running if there are any failures. Your productivity won’t be affected, and your clients won’t be disappointed.
Cost Efficiency: The system is cloud based, so you don’t have to worry about budgeting for hardware maintenance or upgrades. You also only pay for the features you use and the number of users you need, so there aren’t any unnecessary expenditures.
Flexible Locations: As long as a team member has an internet connection, they can join your company’s managed voice network. Working from home or out on site? They’ll never miss a call and can still collaborate with teammates and customers.
Improved collaboration and internal and external communication is an innovation boon, allowing for sharing of ideas, improved efficiency and the alignment of goals and processes. A lot of these and the above listed benefits arise from the impressive feature set a unified communications solution offers. These features can include:
- Secure videoconferencing capabilities and face-to-face meetings.
- Instant chat messaging between individuals or groups.
- Real time collaboration on documents and projects.
- Cloud recordings of calls and videos.
- Automated call routing
- Voicemail to email transcriptions
How To Choose the Right Managed Voice Provider
If you’re thinking of leaping across the tech divide, signing up with a managed voice provider and enjoying the benefits listed above, there are a few key things to look out for. For a start, particularly if you’re looking to expand your organisation, you want a provider that offers you the flexibility to do that. Scalability is one of the most desirable features of the system – if you can’t do that easily it’s a bit of a red flag.
You want a provider you can trust too. They’re responsible for the integrity of masses of client and business data, so security and compliance are important. Check out if they adhere to a globally recognised standard for information security management, such as ISO 27001.
Cost is always going to be a factor when you’re looking for a new provider. We’d advise you to look at the value they offer, rather than just at the price alone. Check out what features they offer, their uptime, reliability and track record before you make a decision just based on what they cost!
Contact the Brisbane Business Telecoms Experts
Smile IT has been helping Brisbane businesses improve their telecoms for over 15 years. We’re very excited to help you upgrade to a managed voice service and are here to answer any questions you might have. We truly do believe they’re part of the future of business telecoms, and hopefully after reading this you’re convinced too. Get in touch today and one of our team members will have the guidance you need.
When he’s not writing tech articles or turning IT startups into established and consistent managed service providers, Peter Drummond can be found kitesurfing on the Gold Coast or hanging out with his family!