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Businesses with multiple branch locations, whether locally-based or nationwide, can benefit from a common VoIP phone service platform.  Cloud telephony has made it possible for all business locations to appear as if they are on the same phone system.  There are several advantages that the business will gain through the common platform:

Centralized Reception – Businesses can implement a central phone number for all branches and consolidate the reception or auto attendant function at one location.  Or, they can route branch numbers to be answered at the central reception location.  Depending upon your selection of a VoIP phone service provider, you should be able to point as many local numbers as you have branches to a single receptionist for handling, regardless of the locality of the phone number. If there are multiple time zones involved, the right phone service provider should be able to create time of day routing routines to make this configuration work to your advantage. Centralizing reception will help reduce the number of employees required as well as create consistency in communication with your customers.

Another approach is to utilize multiple receptionists to handle incoming calls to all branches regardless of where that employee is located.  A ring group can be created that includes these employees.  Programmable line keys on the phones or an indicator before the caller ID field on the phone can allow this team to identify which location is being called.  

The flexibility in ring group programming can also allow for each branch number to have unique routing.  For example, calls to a specific branch can ring a local group first, then a back up ring group from the other branches.  The bottom line here is that you can identify how calls flow to each branch and calls can be handled across the enterprise.

User Advantages – Employees in all branches will be able to call, transfer, and conference other employees through extension dialing regardless of the location.  Additionally, a common company directory for employees and routinely called numbers can be programmed for all to use. 

Standardized Practices - A common phone system and service across all locations can streamline employee training and allow for easy movement of personnel from location to location.  Also, with similar call flow practices and auto attendant greetings, you create brand consistency across your organization.  Customers experience the same process and messaging regardless which location is called.

No Long Distance Charges – With most VoIP phone service providers, long distance calls are included in the monthly service fee.   Therefore, if your business operates branch locations in different parts of the country, you would no longer experience long distance charges for calls between branches or the corporate office.

Centralized Service Provider – By working with a single business VoIP phone service provider that can provide both the phones and the service coast to coast, your business will benefit economically.  Some providers can deliver quantity discounts through the consolidation of your service. Additionally, look for a provider who can perform your phone system administration for you.  They have the expertise to handle all of the programming and changes so you can focus on your business.

There are many advantages to make the shift to a VoIP phone service provider, but for companies with multiple branch locations, the above benefits really highlight what this technology can do for their productivity and financial efficiency.

Make every interaction with customers count with the help of sipVine's complete business communication solution! A better phone system for your small business with advanced features to match your unique business needs! Make your company's business communications better by engaging better customer experiences at every touchpoint. Want to learn more? Our small business phone service representatives are here to answer any questions you have!

Whatever your business is, chances are you know it pretty well. But any savvy entrepreneur knows that a lot more goes into running a business than just knowing the ins and outs of what you do. Businesses need staffing, computer services, shipping, and many other systems, and the best business owners know that they'll get the most bang for their buck by hiring experts in those systems to help their business run as efficiently as it can. You wouldn't hire a computer technician to run your HR department, and you wouldn't hire an HR manager to handle shipping. Unfortunately, many businesses do hire phone companies that aren't acting as subject matter experts on things like call flow and system features. While traditional phone companies may know a lot about phone lines and services, they may be completely unfamiliar with the phone systems that their clients are using.

That's part of why many businesses are moving to cloud-based telephone services. VoIP phone services hosted in the cloud create a unique opportunity for providers to act as subject matter experts not just in phone service, but also in phone systems. Because hosted VoIP phone service providers like sipVine provide both the phone service and the phone system at the same time, they can contribute expert advice on everything from call flow to auto attendants.

Modern VoIP phone services are budget friendly, and don't require a lot of upfront capital to set up. There's no need to buy an expensive private branch exchange (PBX) for your phone system, or to maintain any such bulky technology in the long haul. With hosted VoIP, your cloud phone service provider can take over the administration of your entire phone system. What's more, VoIP phone technology can bring a lot of benefits to the table, including features like direct dial, voicemail, unified messaging, on-phone corporate directories, and many others, while VoIP-enabled phones boast all the features that you've come to expect, including call waiting, caller ID, ad-hoc conferencing, intercom, and more.

But one of the best features of cloud-based VoIP telephone systems is that they allow your phone service provider to also be your phone system provider, meaning that they can support your business as subject matter experts in both fields, and can help ensure that your phone service and phone system are working in tandem to meet your company's ever-changing communication needs. Hosted VoIP phone service means constant IT and telecom support, from experts who don't just understand your service plan, but also every aspect of your phone system, from the inside out. Whether you need help setting up an out-of-office message, or whether your entire phone system needs an overhaul, the VoIP experts at sipVine are there to help.

When was the last time your phone company supported you as a subject matter expert on your call flow, auto attendant, or other system features? If the answer is anything but "right now," then maybe you should look into VoIP phone service from sipVine, and see the difference it can make in your business.

About the author: Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of hosted VoIP phone systems 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.

It was just a few short years ago when businesses needed to be educated on the merits of hosted VoIP.  At sipVine, we receive calls every day from businesses who have already decided upon going with a hosted service for their voice telephony.  This is a drastic change from years past, as callers were inquiring about a phone system or service, and had to overcome fears of running their service over the internet to an off-premise system.

In particular, small to mid-sized businesses are investing less and less in on-site systems and moving to the cloud for their telephony and other applications. There are several driving factors in this change:

• General Business Climate Improvement – Through the recession, businesses deferred spending on infrastructure, keeping their older systems in play and, in many cases, on life support.  As economic conditions have improved, businesses are in a position to take advantage of the technological improvements that surfaced in the previous decade.  The good news with deferring the investment on VoIP is that stronger providers have emerged and are now thriving.  Businesses have a choice, and the top providers have different areas of strength to match with the needs of the business.
• Low Up-Front Investment – Upgrading technology is not overwhelming with a Hosted VoIP system.  Instead of investing in the on-site system and server, businesses are simply purchasing the VoIP phone handsets or softphones.  Additional minor equipment may be necessary for analog device conversion, such as a fax machine.  This level of investment is a fraction of what it will be when compared to an on-site service.
• Flexible Deployment – With a hosted system, it doesn’t matter where the phones are located.  Thus, businesses may outfit their office as well as deploy a work at home model as the situation warrants.  If businesses have multiple branch offices, they can all be on the same system and take advantage of centralization of functions, peer to peer extension dialing, and general cost savings through scale pricing offered by the hosted providers.
• Technology Improvement – It is amazing to hear what some companies have been suffering through the past several years.  Simple things like caller ID receipt and direct dial numbers are table stakes with VoIP technology, but many analog systems didn’t allow for such features.  Personal voicemail boxes with voicemail to email are welcomed additions for businesses suffering through old technology.  But, there are many advanced communication features and opportunities for custom programming so that the new system is built to meet or advance your voice communication practices.

Has your business hopped on the wave?  It is worth an exploration.  Give us a call and we’ll help you it!

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of a variety of digital 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.