All Business Communications

Boston Business Journal – by Linda Goodspeed Special to the Journal:

Even very small businesses these days are moving to IP telephony, says Andy DeAngelis, director of sales for All Business Communications in Waltham. The reasons have to do with functionality and flexibility.

“The feature set is so robust in the voice over IP systems that as business needs change the system can change with them and accommodate them,” DeAngelis said. “Because the new systems are built on software, not hardware, you can manipulate the software and write new software as your needs change. It’s much more flexible.”

And one of the biggest changes sweeping today’s office environment is telecommuting. Voice over IP phone systems can connect remote locations seamlessly.

“It can connect locations all over the world as if everybody was in the same building under one umbrella,” DeAngelis said. “It’s really powerful and a tremendous fit for companies with many locations.”

The cost of these systems — once a drawback for many companies — have come down dramatically.

Peter Cameron, vice president of operations at Associated Voice and Data Services in Waltham, said the cost of an IP system can be about the same as a standard phone system — provided the infrastructure is there.

“These systems have to operate on a certain type of cable,” he said. “If that is already in place, the cost has almost got to the point of a standard phone system. If you don’t have that infrastructure it’s a question of how much it will cost to put that cable in.”

IP phone systems can integrate with cell phones, fax machines, computers and laptops. People can work remotely, on the road, from branch offices, main offices and their home offices. Costs can even be recouped by cutting back on office space as more employees are able to work remotely.

Deciding on whether to go with IP telephony, however, is only one consideration in choosing a phone system; you also need to determine what features you want in your phone system. Do you require an automated attendant? The ability to transfer calls to cell phones? Caller ID? Call waiting?

“What functions and features you need depends on the nature of your business,” said Marybeth Anderson at American Business Telephone Co. in West Roxbury. “Service-oriented businesses may choose not to have an automated attendant and don’t need all the extra features that come with that.”

With so many phone systems, products, manufacturers, functions and features out there, how do you determine what would work best for you?

It’s best to work with a reputable dealer who can assess your needs, present different options and price points, and most importantly, install the system for you. Dealers differentiate themselves by client size, the manufacturers they represent and their reputation. Get referrals for two to three different dealers from colleagues in other businesses similar to yours. Invite them in for an interview to go over your needs now and in five years from now. How long has the dealer been in business? What products do they represent? What is the reputation of these products and manufacturers? Does the manufacturer specialize in phone systems or are phone systems just a small part of their business?

“There are tons of different products,” DeAngelis said. “Some top-tier, some not so great.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 11:31 am and is filed under Company. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.