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Hosted VoIP Is About More Than Cost-Savings

When a business considers switching from a legacy phone system to a cloud-native communications platform, it does so on the basis of what it can do for the bottom line -- and for good reason.
 
Chart showing common disadvantages and pain points of legacy systems

Common disadvantages and pain points of legacy systems; source: Software Advice

 
Cost has been recognized as the primary driver of adoption for hosted VoIP. In fact, according to Global Market Insights, “The technology enables functionalities, such as voice calling, video calling, and instant messaging, at a very low cost.”
 
Hosted VoIP’s cost-efficiency, however, tends to overshadow its potential as a strategic business tool. As a communications tool, it provides exceptional flexibility and reliability. As a collaboration tool, it empowers mobility and productivity. All these combined provide businesses key advantages that help them be adaptable and stay competitive.
 
Below are five reasons why it makes sense to start recognizing hosted VoIP beyond how much money it can save your business, and rather as a critical platform required for consistent advancement.
 
1. A Stronger Focus on Operational Efficiency
Regardless of size, companies will always try to find ways to fine-tune internal processes so they can maximize resources available to them and yield the best results.
 
Two primary focus areas when it comes to improving operations are communication and collaboration among team members. As a business, you want to streamline and simplify these processes. You have the opportunity to do so when you’re using the right tools. This is where hosted VoIP comes in.
 
Hosted VoIP’s numerous applications can have a great impact on employee productivity. For example, unified messaging frees up time and effort spent by employees going back and forth between different apps and checking various communication platforms. Instead of having to check a separate number, you can receive your voicemail in your email inbox. The few precious minutes this saves you may not seem like much, but look at it from this perspective. If it takes you 10 minutes a day to check your voicemail, and you check it at least two times a day, that means you spend 20 minutes a day just checking your messages. This translates to almost two hours of time saved a week, per employee. Multiply that by 10 employees, and your business essentially has an additional 20 hours for productive work.
 
Combining hosted VoIP with powerful mobility and collaboration tools can further enhance employee productivity. Team members are accessible at the speed of need, communication happens in real time, and everyone can stay productive even when they’re on the go.
 
2. Easy Scalability for Growing Businesses
A legacy systems’ infrastructure can pose a big challenge for businesses that are looking to scale their operations. When you’re dealing with traditional communication infrastructure, you’ll be bogged down by a lot of expenses and manpower, as you need to spend for additional hardware and more people to manage the additional equipment.
 
Hosted VoIP, however, is offered following a software-as-a-service model, making it a faster and more cost-efficient option, with infrastructure maintained by the service provider. Additionally, with a per-seat-pricing structure, businesses have the flexibility to choose a subscription plan based on their dynamic needs.
 
3. In-depth Reporting for Consistent Improvement
Hosted VoIP features and tools are extensive and robust. It’s worth noting that they also give businesses the capability to gain insight into detailed communication and collaborative processes and outcomes.
 
This is especially helpful for managers who are always on the lookout for ways to improve operations. From in-depth activity overviews and individual user activity, locations, times, and analytics, this comprehensive approach to tracking data and reporting can easily study performance and outcome objectives. From here, you can tweak processes based on actual data to create a strategic roadmap towards success.
 
4. Reliable Collaboration Features for Seamless Coordination
Hosted VoIP’s full range of business tools allows users to enjoy a streamlined collaboration and communication experience. Why is this relevant for organizations today? Because this approach of unifying numerous tools -- from messaging and calling features to CRM and email integration -- into a single, streamlined platform can facilitate better productivity, empower better team collaboration, and provide improved transparency between internal team members and even customers.
 
5. A Simple but Concrete Step Towards Differentiation
Maintaining your competitive edge when you’re up against major blue-chip corporations with a near limitless budget isn’t the easiest thing to do when you’re a small- to medium-sized enterprise trying to get your foot in the door.
 
Outside of expanding your portfolio of services and products to compete with the bigger brands, businesses often overlook the fact that simply presenting yourself with the power and presence of a major industry player is also a strategy unto itself.
 
First impressions last. If you want to establish yourself as a serious contender in your field, making sure your company is equipped with the same communication capabilities as Fortune 500 companies is a strategic first step.
 
Fortunately, hosted VoIP gives you access to big business call features for a fraction of the price. Some of the key features include automated attendants, call forwarding, unlimited extensions, custom schedules and routing, and custom greetings. Small businesses can enjoy and maximize these key features maintain efficient operations and stay on top of the competition.
 
The Bottom Line
Early adopters of Hosted VoIP focused a lot on its potential for cost-savings. Truth be told, it’s a great selling point for the solution. To date, it still stands as one of the most attractive benefits of the technology. However, it’s important to remember that it’s a lot more than that.
 
Communication and collaboration will always be the backbone of a successful company. Recognizing hosted VoIP as an effective and strategic solution that can scale and grow with your business can help you fulfill the evolving needs of your industry.