Enterprise Communications Buyer’s Guide
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The average business changes its communications system only about once every seven years. This means that there aren’t very many people who are experts at selecting, purchasing and implementing a new business communications system. So, if you are wondering where to start, you are not alone. We’ve implemented systems for thousands of customers and know a bit about what they go through during the vendor selection process.
To help, we’re sharing relevant content to help guide you through each stage of the customer journey, from the very idea of a business communications system change to making choices about how to implement it.
Getting Started
Choosing your next business communications system may seem like a daunting task. After all, it’s an essential part of operations. The selection process is important, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are a few good resources to help as you get started.
Business Drivers
People don’t change communications solutions without a solid reason. There’s probably an event or business need that’s driving your search. This page talks about the common reasons businesses change phone solutions and ways Ooma Enterprise can help with your specific event or challenge.
Voice Features
Many buyers have a set of specific feature requirements, like automated attendants, ring groups and voicemail. This detailed list will help you place a checkmark next to your required features. It’s also a great place to start if you haven’t yet thought about exactly what your system will need to do.
Beyond Talk
Sure, you’ll need business phones, but enterprise features help explain everything else that your phone system can be. Get more info about awesome business applications like web-based collaboration, video and mobility support – all of which can boost engagement and modernize your communication.
Cloud-Based vs. On-Premise
Traditionally, businesses deployed systems and applications by installing software on hardware located in their offices. Cloud VoIP phone systems or Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) have changed the game for several reasons.
Strategic Focus
Devoting your IT team to business phone administration is a waste of resources, and it’s not helping your company compete in the marketplace. Cloud-based VoIP alternatives eliminate those IT headaches, reduce resource costs and frees up your team to work on projects that relate to your core business objectives.
Unlimited Growth
If you ask anyone who has had to move or expand an on-premise phone system, they probably won’t remember it fondly. These systems have capacity limits, require frequent upgrades and are just plain difficult to move to new locations.
Adding users, regardless of time and place, is seamless and unlimited with UCaaS systems. There’s no need to guess now how many employees you will have and you never have to worry about outgrowing your phone system’s capacity. Plus, you only pay for what you need.
Custom Configuration
As businesses grow, change is inevitable. With an on-premise system, you are stuck with the features the system comes with – and adding features usually leads to a painful and often expensive upgrade.
The cloud approach for business VoIP is different. By accessing one centralized cloud-based software platform, customers can request and take advantage of new features and capabilities that can be added without any disruption, extra effort or new hardware requirements (read more about Enterprise VoIP here).
Mobility and Consistency
Companies are looking for ways to keep their team tied together – and this includes mobile and remote workers. With traditional phone systems, the best choice for communication while out of the office was using home phones or personal mobile lines.
Cloud-based phone systems make remote work seamless. People working from home, hotels, or even the beach can make, take business calls just as if they were sitting at their desk. Four-digit dialing and call transfers between locations also improve efficiency and customer service. In addition, locations can back each other up during peak call times or emergencies, and resources in different time zones can be leveraged to better meet client needs.
Disaster Recovery
Most businesses have a disaster recovery plan for their data, but many don’t have one for their voice and communications systems. Redundancy with on-premise systems is complicated and expensive, so many companies just don’t do it and learn to regret it after disaster strikes.
The Ooma Enterprise cloud VoIP model provides an embedded continuity plan that’s built into your implementation, not just a bolted on as an afterthought. Cloud VoIP solutions allow you to protect your business’s voice just like you protect the integrity of your networks.
Vendor Selection
When you choose a vendor for your business communication system, you establish an important partnership. It’s kind of a big deal, so you want to consider your options carefully.
Here are some questions that will help you find a great partner and keep you from finding any unpleasant surprises.
Question
Answer
Use the following table to help you organize information and guide your vendor
selection. It covers the main criteria used by most reviewers. Remember to consider
the type of business you have and focus on the features you need.
Vendor 1 | Vendor 2 | Vendor 3 | |
---|---|---|---|
Guaranteed call quality | |||
Worldwide footprint | |||
Redundant data centers | |||
Customer success managers | |||
Dedicated circuits | |||
Automated updates included | |||
Advanced voice features | |||
Call center platform capabilities | |||
CRM integration | |||
Mobile and BYOD features | |||
Audio and video conferencing | |||
Call recording |