Three things you can do today to make sure your clients’ phone systems
 will be ready for future technology

Companies that have not purchased a new phone system in the past decade are prime candidates for an overhaul. Clearly, the new system you propose should not only incorporate the latest technological advances and features, but also position them for handling future upgrades. Here are three essential ingredients to include in the mix.

(1)  SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) compliance

Regardless of the phone system your client is currently using, make sure whatever system you install is VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) compatible, and more specifically, SIP compliant.

Not only are PSTN-only systems inexorably sliding into obsolescence, but without VoIP, your customer is missing out on significant cost savings and functionality. In addition to voice and data, VoIP systems are versatile and can provide a media-rich environment with solutions like video conferencing, messaging, file sharing and presence technology (the latter allows user-defined windows of availability). VoIP also allows you to use SIP trunks for connectivity. SIP trunks can enable least-cost routing of outbound long-distance calls and they can link systems together similarly to customary T1 tie lines.

And why SIP? Simply because it is the protocol most used by the most manufacturers. So, it offers you much more interoperability – and therefore flexibility – than any other voice-over-IP protocol. SIP is not only widely used by VoIP service providers but also by mobile operators and mobile devices.

If your client is using an analog system, you can use a SIP gateway to integrate SIP technology into their legacy system. That way, they can take advantage of the cost savings and enjoy some other benefits of VoIP while still using their existing equipment.

(2)  Service contract for firmware upgrades

Offer your client a service contract that guarantees product firmware upgrades. Some manufacturers offer extended warranties or software upgrade packages that you can purchase and resell, but you can always create your own upgrade plan tailored to the needs of your customer. The idea is to get a contract that allows some sort of yearly renewal to keep you actively involved in upgrading and working with the system after installation. This keeps you in the loop as the customer’s needs evolve and they need to add new phones, purchase new licenses, change a voicemail prompt, etc. It will also save your customer money in the long run because it will keep their equipment warrantied for a longer period of time.

As more software is introduced into business telephone systems, firmware upgrades allow your customers to keep up with any new releases and emerging technology. And let’s face it, if a customer desires to be proactive, offering a scalable service contract makes sense.

(3)  Third-party peripherals

Keeping up with the latest developments in telephone system peripherals will help you add value to your customer’s business. Conference phones, headsets and paging systems are a start, but peripherals also include packages that can boost productivity on a number of fronts, for a small incremental cost. For example, call accounting platforms to manage telecom expenses and usage, APIs to access voicemail by email or data from CRM programs, or interactive voice recognition (IVR) which allows enterprises to automate telephone transactions using speech or touchtone.

Taking advantage of tech training classes and maintaining a close relationship with your TeleDynamics customer support contact will help you stay abreast of the most recent feature sets and peripherals. Keeping up with the latest developments will help position you as a trusted advisor for your clients and allow you to propose the most optimal solutions for their businesses.

CONCLUSION:

By thinking ahead and putting a few basic underlying IT elements in place today, you can help your customers take advantage of the benefits of modern telephone systems as well as prepare them for future enhancements.