Admittedly some companies 'the early adopters' as we call them, have taken the bull by the horns, invested heavily in VOIP technology and are probably reaping the benefits of Broadband based IP telephony integrated hosted voice networking products and applications. (Yeh heavy I know!) They may well have found out the hard way that whilst this technology will help you reach some of your IT goals this is only if you can integrate the product with some CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Software to enable a professional, streamlined customer experience to improve not just phone calls but also the handling of the clients call - from initial contact to the completion of their project. 

In my experience, most of the small to medium sized companies I deal with have neither the time nor the money nor the desire to look after a complicated communications network, but in most of these companies at some point, someone will have to do just that along with their own job; the one they where actually employed to do! In most companies it is clear that, as the technology becomes more and more complex to use it will take up more and more time to ensure the technology is used correctly and is working properly. Rarely does it stop there as, before you know it, your new system is out of date and all the aspirations you had to wrap it around a nice 'business critical application database' to help improve and streamline the way customers calls are handled, are left high and dry because the product is now obsolete!  

So here is where the traditional IP Telephony solution that you purchase from a Telephone system Vendor and have them install it, commission it and maintain it for three or four years losses it’s appeal over the newcomer.  

The VOIP hosted Telephony system removes the need for costly hardware to be installed and maintained in your building and instead allows all users to be issued a phone, plug it into a LAN socket and start using it. Added to this a key benefit is this provides instant disaster recovery as you can move the solution to any building with a serviceable broadband connection. Other key benefits are the same as the traditional PABX such as Auto Attendant, Voicemail, call Divert, speed dials Hunt groups for sales departments and Call centre applications in short if you can do it on a traditional system it can probably be done on a Hosted Telephony system. 

Coupled with this ease of integration with products like Outlook and other CRM applications is becoming simpler and less costly to add to your new Telephony platform than with current IP enabled PABX systems that need costly middleware to enable the product to work with your database or CRM software.  

Sure it is not yet possible to enable integration of your Hosted Telephony offering with all CRM databases but this will come as will a host of other key benefits like call recording, call management software and other applications to aid the small business user ensuring he gets the best out of his investment. 

Speed of installation is another factor along with significant reductions in upfront startup costs, and ongoing operational costs. Further to this the platform you so carefully picked is not kept up to date by you anymore but by your Telephony Vendor so no more software updates or hardware replacement costs to budget for; well maybe the odd phone now and then will need replacing but not the whole system. Simply setup a gateway, plug in your phones and you’re away with a little help that is!  

In short if it falls to you to look after the implementation of the PABX system and it’s upkeep and general support of the users who need to use it…….A Hosted Solution will make you redundant leaving you to go back to your day job!!! 

My advice is take a closer look at this technology as it will be implemented by your competition soon!