It seems like everyone is talking about digital transformation these days. Technology is changing the way business is done at a mind-boggling pace, and making sure their companies are able to adapt to this change is a top priority for today’s business leaders – 81% of CEOs said keeping up with new technologies was their chief concern in a recent KPMG survey.
As a telephony dealer, you can help your customers on their digital transformation journey by intelligently leveraging their VoIP telephone system. And the good news is, it’s easier than many people think.
VoIP is an important component of digital transformation in that it digitizes and packetizes voice, and transmits it over a data network – the same network that carries other enterprise data and applications. This merging of the networks is known as network convergence, and its power lies in its flexibility, scalability, and ability to integrate the different services and systems on the network.
Flexibility
Thanks to network convergence, company resources, systems and agents can be located anywhere in the world, since both voice and data can be routed anywhere there is an IP network.
Workers can not only be remote, but they can also be scattered, all while functioning as a cohesive team. They can all work from home or from different geographic locations, yet corporately operate as a single service unit sharing a common secure network.
Moreover, with the advent of software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing, enterprises can have flexible service and payment options, and choose whether to house applications on premise, pay as they go with a cloud service, or create their own hybrid solutions.
Additionally, workers and customers have flexibility in how they interact with each other, including social media, mobile, click-to-dial from the corporate website, telephone, instant messaging, text messaging, voice mail, email, video conferencing, and more.
Scalability
All you need to get started with VoIP and network convergence other than an IP network is an IP PBX (VoIP server) and one or more IP-enabled endpoints. After that, adding more extensions is as easy as plugging in more endpoints – no need to upgrade the server or purchase more licenses.
In fact, because everything is connected to an IP network, additional locations or remote workers can be added to the telephone system without the need for IP PBXs at each location. Instead, they can be securely connected to the central IP PBX with a VPN or other secure connection over the internet.
As the company grows and its needs evolve, additional servers and functionalities can be added without having to rip and replace the existing equipment.
Integration
Adding functionality to the VoIP system as the company grows is as easy as plugging in a module or adding interfaces that allow computer applications like CRM, ERP, surveillance systems or accounting software to be integrated with the phone system.
For example, turning a customer support team into a full-service call center is as easy as installing a call center module (browse our website or ask your TeleDynamics rep about call and contact center solutions). For computer telephony integration (CTI), which refers to integrating computer desktop and network applications with the telephone system, specialized APIs (application programming interfaces) provide the interface necessary for such integrations. For more information, refer to our separate article about VoIP system integrations.
CONCLUSION
Digital readiness is top of mind for today’s business leaders. In order to keep up with new technologies, companies need the flexibility, scalability and interoperability of VoIP telephone solutions. If you have customers that have not yet migrated to VoIP, now is the perfect time to speak with them about how it can help their businesses not only survive, but thrive in today’s rapidly changing market environment.
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