More and more SMBs choose to migrate to VoIP, and replace their premise-based legacy phones with SIP phones. Until recently, only large enterprise companies had the budget to move telephony to the cloud. But now, this technology has become more cost-competitive, making it accessible to smaller business.
When considering SIP phones, it’s important to have a broader perspective of why you’re moving to VoIP and the benefits your business will experience.
7 important drivers and benefits of VoIP to keep in mind:
- High cost of legacy telephony
With VoIP gaining traction, the price-value equation for legacy solutions starts to look expensive. Ask whether this service is still worth it to you. Faced with ongoing pressure to reduce costs, many SMBs are drawn to the attractive economics of VoIP, as well as the option of making telephony OpEx (operational expense)-based by using a hosted provider and SIP-based phones.' - CapEx v. OpEx
The shift from CapEx (capital expense) to OpEx ties into the cloud. For most businesses, telephony is a CapEx decision, especially those with a legacy PBX system (landline). Telephony has clearly moved away from this model. Whether premise-based or hosted, VoIP holds appeal by shifting telephony to OpEx. With cash flow critical for SMBs, this shift is a key value driver. - Phones at end of life
For some businesses, this is the “trigger event” that necessitates a change and presents a clean-break opportunity for VoIP. Instead of replacing an old PBX with a new PBX, you can now consider the broader world of SIP-based telephony. Not only are these phone system options more affordable, this change allows your business to take full advantage of VoIP’s capabilities right away. - Changing needs
Customers expect businesses to be more responsive than ever before, and employees have higher expectations for all forms of communications technology. Legacy phones and telephony service both fall short in meeting heightened needs and have limited ability to upgrade.
Legacy telephony lacks the intelligence that comes with VoIP, meaning that too many calls go to voicemail, time is wasted with phone tag, and conferencing is difficult. VoIP and SIP phones are designed with these changing needs in mind, especially high-tech calling features that make employees more productive and responsive.
- Numerous SIP options
Unlike legacy systems, where telephony was a commodity that all businesses used in the same way, VoIP provides options to suit any size of business or operating environment.
For the first time, SMBs can choose the type of telephony partner they’re most comfortable with— their current service provider, a smaller competitive service provider, a cable operator or even a web-based virtual operator. Most VoIP providers offer either premise-based solutions or cloud-based hosted deployment models. - Network management
By implementing a service provider hosted VoIP system, the service provider manages the majority of the network operation and maintenance off-site. Most cloud based services enable the user to manage the user features themselves. This is a model that was once only available to larger corporations with larger telephony budgets and infrastructures. Some of these features include IVR (interactive voice response) auto attendant, DID (direct inward dial) routing, and voicemail-to-email function.
While it’s possible for a business to get some of these same features using an analog system, they would need IT staff to manage the onsite network—usually a costly investment.
- SIP adaptation
Commercially available since 1995, VoIP has began to break through as a mainstream alternative for SMBs. Many SMBs will eventually become all-VoIP, and as their legacy phone systems continue to age and fall behind the times, VoIP looks more like a strategic decision to make the business more competitive. VoIP is finally becoming demand-driven, which reflects the fact businesses now understand its true value.
