Hosted VoIP is not new technology. Its roots trace back to the 1960s, but it really took off in the 2000s, growing exponentially from roughly 121,000 users in 2001 to over 30 million a decade later. By 2013, telecoms were shedding hundreds of thousands of landline customers monthly, due in part to the surge in more flexible, scalable and cost-effective VoIP deployments.
However, legacy PBX systems still have a considerable presence in organizations both large and small. Their persistence is sustained by numerous myths about VoIP providers and their services. Let's dive into debunking a few of these falsehoods, so you can judge for yourself if it is time to upgrade your company's phones:
Myth #1: Hosted VoIP services are too complicated to implement
Like any initially unfamiliar technology, VoIP has the potential to trigger anxiety in its users. You might have had similar qualms the very first time you picked up a smartphone or tried to navigate a smart TV menu. In reality, the complications of VoIP are minimal and easy to avoid with a little planning.
For starters, hosted VoIP providers such as Telesystem offer many helpful resources for navigating the system buying process and ensuring the right supporting infrastructure (e.g., structured cabling and a fully assessed LAN) is in place early on. A successful transition to VoIP is ultimately easier with a clear roadmap filling in all of these details, from preliminary construction to customer training.
Myth #2: Hosted VoIP isn't reliable enough for my needs
Many companies considering VoIP worry about its reliance on IP networking, perhaps recalling past experiences with internet outages. Accordingly, they stick with the Quality of Service (QoS) they know from the plain old telephone service (POTS), even though that system is heading toward obsolescence as its subscriber base erodes.
That's too bad, since VoIP over dedicated lines can achieve similar QoS to POTS with many extra features such as visual voicemail and softphones. Infrastructure and oversight are ultimately what matter for reliability: With Telesystem, you get a hosted VoIP solution with redundant data centers, backbones and switches, along with 24/7 monitoring and built-in business continuity to hedge against disasters.
Myth #3: Hosted VoIP is just too expensive for my budget
Cost-conscious businesses are usually wary of any new outlay, especially on technologies they're not used to. They might stop short of doing a full cost-benefit analysis and instead figure that no upgrade could possibly be more economical than what's already in place.
In truth, just standing pat is itself an enormously expensive decision. There are long distance charges, pricey on-site vendor visits, complex maintenance contracts and costly moves, adds and other changes. Upgrading to hosted VoIP eliminates all of these costs and opens the doors to low-cost plans with no surcharges for installations or traditional phones. Hosted VoIP is cost-effective whether you need two phone lines or 20,000. There's less risk of overspending on equipment or on long-term operating expenses.
Myth #4: The PBX I have right now is good enough
The centrality of your phone system to your everyday operations can make it hard to move on from it, even if it isn't in the best possible shape. You might have concerns about the costs of replacing and ensuring business carries on as usual. At the same time, it's a good idea to think about the long-term viability of an old-fashioned PBX implementation.
Given the ongoing attrition of landline subscriptions, it's not clear how much longer legacy landline infrastructure will be viable. Some telecoms have already begun shutting down their older networks or at the very least ceased making significant upgrades to them. Meanwhile, VoIP innovation continues apace, with new features regularly becoming available to subscribers.
In Telesystem, you get access to more than 70 such amenities, along with mobility tools and specific applications such as Auto Attendant and Call Center that empower you to deliver professional and positive service to your customers. You get much more than better customer relations; you also become more competitive in your industry.
Many organizations now compete on customer experience. According to the Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute, eight in ten consumers would pay more for a better experience from an organization. At the same time, almost one-third of businesses (31 percent) reported difficulties in keeping up with technological change to deliver such results. Outdated phone systems are a big reason why.
Mythbuster: Why you benefit from a Telesystem hosted VoIP solution
Don't get tied up in the misinformation about VoIP. Sticking with a legacy PBX may seem ok for now, but it comes at enormous cost in both upkeep and lost flexibility. Consider an upgrade to a scalable and cost-effective platform that will help your business evolve and provide better service. Learn more on our main Voice page today.
