Fortunately today’s technology offers more options for keeping up with the workload (well, unless you’ve lost electricity for several days of course). Using digital phone technology like Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP allows you to forward your calls to your cell phone so business contacts can still reach you even if you’re home under 4 feet of snow.

Video conferencing allows you to conduct face-to-face meetings in case you can’t get out of your driveway. If your employees are set up with video conferencing, you can still have your weekly staff meeting. It’s also beneficial if you have clients or customers in other cities or states. You may be stuck with the snow but they’re operating normally and setting up a video conference call or having your calls forwarded to your cell or home phone allows you to keep up with client concerns despite your snow day at home.

Making good use of technology is a great way to keep business on track when faced with situations beyond your control – such as a record snowfall. And it allows employees to stay home and off dangerous roads. You wouldn’t want employees risking their safety to get to the office and meet a deadline – yet you want them to be able to stay on track with projects and contracts. Oh, and make the occasional snow angel.

Quiz any vendors with these questions to ensure they are offering the best service for your business – and for your budget.

1. How is the service provided? Businesses should look for a service that is provided over a secure, private network to maintain a professional appearance and minimal disruption. Services that run over the public Internet, such as Skype, are often subject to fluctuations in quality, security lapses and dropped calls.
2. Will the service work with my existing PBX (Private Branch Exchange)? If your company has its own telephone switch and you want to begin migrating to VoIP, pick a company that provides a service called SIP trunking. This allows companies to convert one or more of their traditional telephone trunks to an IP-based service. They can immediately take advantage of the benefits of VoIP and migrate their remaining lines as they see fit.
3. Does the service come with a Quality of Service agreement or any guarantees? If you have high standards and want your expectations met, select a company that provides this kind of agreement and that guarantees its services.
4. Will we have to change phone numbers? Ask the company if it has Competitive Local Exchange Carrier status and has active status in the exchange, which means it is able to transfer your current phone numbers over to their service. Otherwise you may have to change your number.
5. Does the system provide disaster recovery? Providers vary greatly in their disaster recovery abilities, so investigate their capabilities.

Considering the current business climate, it also doesn’t hurt to ask about the company’s financial stability and its track record for delivering VoIP services to customers – particularly if you’re a large company or have unique communication needs.

Everything from quality to price will vary among providers, so be sure to ask for a demonstration and take your time to ensure a company’s products, services and support system will fit your company’s communication needs. VoIP should enhance your business, not hinder its success and productivity.

Using VoIP? Let us know how it works for your business. Post a comment.