Finally! The last of the businesses remaining on their antiquated analog phone systems are making the move to Hosted VoIP. This communication model has proven itself over the past decade and is now the platform of choice for businesses.
There are several signs that the technology has been fully embraced. Just listening to prospective clients calling in, they are more educated on the technology than ever before. This certainly wasn't the case ten years ago. Businesses are also switching service from one VoIP provider to another. Again, years ago, all business came from traditional telecom providers or cable companies providing phone service. And, finally, many businesses who were proposed a VoIP system several years ago are now calling back in looking to make the change!
So, why now are these holdovers making the move? These are the folks that delivered the classic lines of "my phone system has been working fine for 15 years, why move?" and "I've been with the phone company for many years and they've never let me down." Well, no matter what new technology is introduced, you will have your late adopters. Also, when hosted VoIP was in its early stages, the economy wasn't exactly sound. Infrastructure investments were postponed and phone systems were certainly among the casualties. Now, these businesses are ready for the change.
These late adopters have heard all they need to hear from their business peers about the values brought to them by the features and benefits of a hosted VoIP system. Additionally, their phone systems are now on the later stages of their useful life. They are having difficulty securing parts and their vendors are pushing them to upgrade into a new system by not supporting their old system. They are also finding that the phone company who "never let them down" has been overcharging them for years and holding them to automatic renewal terms that they never considered reviewing. Some business were ready for the switch, but found themselves still tied into a three year renewal.
The best news for these late adopters is that they will no longer need to worry about phone system obsolescence. In fact, they are not purchasing a phone system at all, just VoIP handsets that tie to the hosted VoIP provider's system. It is up to the hosted VoIP provider to continue to invest in their system and maintain it, not the business customer. They now can take advantage of the advancement in their communications platform, improving their customer service in the process.
So, if you are a business still hanging onto your analog phone system, it is time to check out your alternative. Contact a hosted VoIP provider today and investigate all of the advantages that can be brought to your business. Being a late adopter, you will also have the benefit of working with a hosted VoIP provider who has stood the test of time.
About the author: Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of a variety of VoIP phone solutions and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments.
