It’s
not every day that you can report savings thanks to a cloud, but that’s
exactly what’s possible if you look into various new phone systems technologies for your workplace.
One
of the most popular methods of making savings on existing phone systems
is by reducing revenue costs on multiple analogue exchange lines and
replacing this requirement with a single data link into each office that
requires telephony.
How to use just digital links
Within the UK, many businesses and public sector organizations such as
schools and hospitals run on archaic equipment that is dependent on
analogue copper lines into the building. One of the main reasons why so
many organizations still use these analogue phone systems is due to
their reliability; however, many analogue phone switches are now finally
approaching their end of life, and a lot of organizations are being
forced into looking for alternatives.
Phone
systems providers such as Siemens Enterprise Communications, Meridian
and Mitel have all produced PABXs, Hi-Paths and other analogue phone
switches that used to rely on multiple analogue lines to handle high
volumes of incoming calls into a single phone number.
With
the introduction of multi-channel fibre ISDN lines, the associated high
revenue costs can now be safely reduced by replacing 30 analogue lines
with a single fiber line instead.
What system is best placed to use a digital link?
Whilst
existing analogue phone switches can be upgraded to accept incoming
multi-channel ISDN connections, with the support of these switches
approaching their expiration (2017 for Siemens PABX switches) and the
reliability of the systems also being called into question, an IP based
phone system is clearly the way to go.
So how can you make use of the cloud?
Firstly,
for those that don’t know, the cloud is a term used for something which
is stored online. Cloud based technologies can be lent to anything
related to IT – not just phone systems
– and all have a common theme, data/services aren’t stored in your
local office, but are accessed online, via an internet connection and
therefore, a data link.
Once
you’ve decommissioned those thousands of pounds worth of analogue phone
lines, you’ll have plenty of spare revenue to invest in IPT Telephony
systems capable of contacting cloud based services such as virtual
operators, call recording, voice mail facilities, call usage stats etc.
Whilst
the majority of IPT technologies rely on a locally based phone switch
for many of the aforementioned functions, the cloud can save you money
by effectively leasing these services over your data link.
