Switch to VoIP for All the Right Reasons

Presented by:
TM
Vendor Guru
Switch to VoIP for All the Right
Reasons
By Clare Kaufman
Copyright © 2007 HQ Publications®, LLC. All rights reserved.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1Top Reasons Businesses Switch to VoIP 11. Cut Costs 12. Integration 13. Advanced Call Handling 14. Mobility 25. Real-time Conferencing 2Portrait of a VoIP Convert: Summit Credit Union 2Conclusion 2Sources 3About the Author 3Introduction Top Reasons Businesses Switch to VoIPInternet, email, call centers, mobile phones, voicemail, Small, medium, and enterprise--businesses of all sizes CRM. business telecommunications is growing more are finding improved performance and savings with VoIP. sophisticated day by day. It's no wonder so many busi- Here's a closer look at the advantages that are driving this nesses are choosing to streamline their communications trend. by switching to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Infonet-ics Research expects the time division multiplexing (TDM) 1. Cut Costs. A lower long-distance bill is just the tip of private branch exchange (PBX) share of the overall tele- the iceberg. Companies see the most dramatic savings phony market to drop down to the single digits by 2009. by integrating their communications infrastructure. "The simple return on investment (ROI) from merging voice with What's so good about VoIP? Its technology allows busi- data" justified the U.S. Department of Defense's switch to nesses to integrate voice and data into a single network. VoIP. In addition to the soft savings of productivity gains, It eliminates the need for a public switched telephone companies eliminate the hard costs of maintaining and network (PSTN) or a clunky PBX switchboard. As such, managing a distinct network for voice communications. VoIP is typically more cost-effective than traditional phone service. But more importantly, VoIP is efficient. The integra- Other factors that make VoIP the most cost-effective solu-tion of voice, data, and video opens up a world of opportu- tion for most businesses:nity for enhanced communication. . Reduced cell phone costs. VoIP calls can be r outed anywhere, to laptops or mobile IP phones.This opportunity has not gone neglected by VoIP de- . Lower entry costs. Hosted IP PBX providers such as velopers. Today's VoIP applications feature customized Packet8 and Vocalocity offer affordable monthly, call routing, customer relationship management (CRM) per-user rates that put enterprise-level functionality data integration, Web-based interfaces for managing the w ithin reach of small and medium businesses.system, and sophisticated videoconferencing capabilities. For many businesses in today's dynamic, global economy, 2. Integration. In addition to saving money, voice-data these features are not optional. Frank Dzubeck, president integration increases productivity. VoIP integrates phone, of Communications Network Architects, predicts that "VoIP email, fax, video, Web conferencing, and data applications will soon become an unequivocal necessity for compa- into a single network. Nortel CTO, Phil Edholm, sums up nies." The strategic necessities of Web-based applications the central benefit of an integrated network: "By integrat-and globalization "will ultimately drive the move to VoIP for ing mobile and wire line phone communications with pres-most companies." ence-based applications, individuals can communicate in many ways and with more versatility." Is VoIP right for your company? This paper examines some of the factors that drive the adoption of VoIP technology. Versatile communication extends beyond phone calls to include information sharing. Integrated click-to-call service allows potential customers to input contact information into a company Web site and be connected instantly with a sales agent. VoIP works with CRM applications to display details relevant to a specific caller. And VoIP helps compa-nies synchronize operations with suppliers by integrating with their supply channels.
3. Advanced Call Handling. Advanced call center ca-pability is no longer exclusively an enterprise-level privi-lege. Businesses of any size can boost sales and service with advanced call routing and data integration services.
Copyright © 2007 HQ Publications®, LLC. All rights reserved. Hosted IP provider Packet8, for example, offers its Portrait of a VoIP Convert: Summit Credit Complete Contact Center service f... [download for more]