When the attendees of the 2014 Global Leadership Summit were polled about modern business challenges, most responded with predictions that at least 50% of their employees would by working remotely by 2020. The New York Times also reported a movement in that direction, noting a 79% increase in the telecommuting workforce from 2005 to 2012.
While this rapidly changing environment comes with its own challenges and potential headaches, there’s a simple solution that can keep your business ahead of the curve: a cloud-based VoIP phone system. Cloud-based solutions allow employees to access any application, file, network, or communication service from anywhere. All they need is a secure Internet connection.
Businesses that wait to make the switch from traditional, on-site phone systems will face increasing threats to connectivity as well as employee and customer satisfaction alike. As the workforce becomes more remote, these challenges will present themselves sooner than later:
COSTS
Compared to traditional, on-site systems, the expenses of cloud-based solutions are equivalent, or in many cases more affordable when considering long-term maintenance. Moving to the cloud means removing individual, private networks, allowing businesses to utilize more features with less equipment and fewer management and installation expenses for each remote office.
QUALITY
While the traditional on-premise phone system may seem more reliable due to its grounded appearance, cloud-based systems offer a consistency across remote offices in equipment and network quality that on-site systems can’t provide. This is because the communication from the corporate headquarters to each remote office is often insufficient with on-site systems. This isn’t a problem with cloud-based solutions.
SCALABILITY AND FLEXIBILITY
Traditional phone systems require significant investments in hardware and installation with each expansion—remote or otherwise—making growth expensive and inconvenient. Alternatively, cloud-based systems have built-in flexibility due to its low equipment and installation costs, making staffing changes affordable and accessible.
Cloud-based solutions improve the speed and capabilities of each of your remote employees—whether they’re in Denver, Salt Lake City, or New Mexico—making your company more scalable, flexible, and reliable.
When you’re ready to enhance your systems, processes, and applications by making the switch to a cloud-based VoIP system, contact VLCM for more information.