The Skype is the Limit
Despite murmurings of economic ‘green shoots’ and enthusiastic reports that the UK is back in a growth period, for many, SMEs included, it still feels as though the recession is in full swing. As an added kick in the teeth, the budget does not make for good reading. A VAT hike due to come into effect early next year means consumers and fellow business will go through a second wave of tightening the purse strings in an attempt to cut expenditure and avoid falling victim to a possible ‘double-dip’ recession.
At times like this it is wise for businesses to be as thrifty as possible. Investing in new technology is an excellent strategy for streamlining your operations. Although this may seem like another unnecessary outlay, the added financial benefits that new technology brings often outweigh the initial cost.
One area that most small business could focus on in the interests of driving down costs is their business telephone systems. Most SME owners are no doubt paying a premium for their traditional landline setup, a smooth effortless transition to a ‘voice over IP Phone’ system could save money and provide a whole host of other benefits.
Voice over IP, or ‘VoIP’ telephony has been around for some years now, most notably in the form of ‘Skype’, a piece of software which allows the user to make free calls to landline and mobile phones via an internet connection. This is already popular for home and recreational use but businesses are now starting to wake up to it’s advantages. The obvious benefits are the extremely low cost in comparison to a traditional system.
One important advantage to VoIP which many are still unaware of however is the ability to implement a unified communications setup. This means that Businesses can receive calls, emails, faxes and voicemail simultaneously through any device connected to the VoIP network, reducing clutter and saving time as well as money.
Video calling is another facet of VoIP, enabling video-conferences. The option to do this will eradicate geographical boundaries, potentially removing the need to travel long distances for face-to-face meetings. The possibilities with VoIP really are endless, any SME would be very wise to consider investing in this current climate.