Today's
fast paced business environment demands that small- and medium-size companies
work hard to stay competitive. One advantage smaller businesses have is their
ability to react very quickly to changes in the marketplace and respond to
their customers. The last thing a growing business usually asks itself is,
"Will my telephone system support my communication requirements - today
and tomorrow?" Successful future communications begins with the voice/data
system you select today.
Businesses
that don't expect to stay small forever require a system that can grow with
them. A “building block” approach allows for easy cost effective expansion.
Buying only what is needed today keeps the system affordable.
Remember
when computers and data communications were only for large companies? Today the
computer is a fixture in many small businesses and an indispensable business
tool. To meet and beat the competition, smaller businesses often drive
technology and are willing to explore new methods to save time and money. The
architecture of your telephone system must allow for future enhancements.
A
Small-to-Medium Business (SMB) communications system should be a complete small
business communication platform. This system may be a key telephone system or
it may be a server-based all-in-one PBX system. Selecting a specific system
requires a total evaluation of your business goals and future direction:
- Voice,
- Data,
- Voice over IP (VoIP),
- Voice mail,
- and call centers;
are just a few things that need to be
considered when selecting an SMB communications system.
Small
businesses do not have the luxury of time or a telecom department to support
their system. Businesses need to be self-sufficient and cannot turn their
system off for adds, moves and changes. A telephone system must allow for on-line
changes and maintenance and must get applications running without interrupting
business.
An
interface card that contains your specific application (in-skin) is more
convenient than external equipment. In-Skin cards allow businesses to add
functionality as they need it and be assured that the application was designed
to work specifically for their telephone system. Examples of In-Skin cards
include Voice Mail, Automatic Call Distribution, Conference Bridge and VoIP.
Perhaps
the most important thing to remember about SMB systems is that what is
difficult to use will go unused. Features are only as good as their ease of
use. The brains of the system are often hidden away but the telephone is used
everyday.
Want a
better understanding o just how a phone system’s features can help your
business? - contact Atlantic Communications Team.
We will be happy to explain the various features that are available and how
they can help your business.
Telephones
that are aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically designed lead to successful
deployment of the applications of the system. A large adjustable LCD is useful
for displaying caller ID information and other important system information.
Softkeys guide users through features without the need to refer to a user guide.
The needs
of businesses vary and that is why flexibility in a telephone system is so
important. A business should never have to operate because of the way their
telephone system operates. Matching the telephone system to unique business
applications is the key to success.
