More About IP Phone Systems, Hosted PBX Systems, and Small Business Phone Systems

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More About IP Phone Systems, Hosted PBX Systems,
and Small Business Phone Systems
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Synopsis

1. Why Your Business May Benefit from IP Phone
   Systems?
2. Why More and More Businesses are Turning to VoIP
   Phone Systems
3. VoIP Phone Systems and Features that Help You Run
   Your Business Efficiently
4. Numerous Features Making IP Phone Systems a Top
   Choice
5. Reasons to Switch to a Hosted PBX System
6. Unique and Interesting Features of Hosted PBX
   Systems
7. Features that Make a Hosted PBX More Useful than
   Other Options
8. Some Special Features to Have in Your Small
   Business Phone System
9. Few Important Features to Check in Small Business
   Phone System
10. Things to Check When Opting for a Small Business
    Phone System

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Why Your Business May Benefit from IP Phone
Systems?

• By using an IP phone system, arranging group
  calls will become a breeze. Depending on your
  service provider, you can actually connect
  several users at the same time and discuss your
  business strategies for as long as you want.
• By opting for this service, you will be able to
  enjoy an interesting feature called "Music on
  Hold". It may seem a simple feature but it goes
  a long way in healing your callers to stay
  occupied and entertained while your
  representatives are busy serving other callers.
  It really makes sense to invest in something that
  would save your callers from hearing nothing but
  white noise while waiting for someone to respond
  to their calls. Interestingly, you can customize
  the audio to match your brand image you can
  also use a specific playlist as well.
• A phone menu or attendant menu is also available
  for people using the internet to make and receive
  phone calls. By using this particular feature,
  you will be giving your callers a chance to use
  their dial pad to reach their desired
  destination. You can also customize the attendant
  menu according to the nature of your calls. For
  instance, if you receive several calls inquiring
  about your physical location, you can have all
  the details recorded and let users listen to it
  without bothering any of your customer service
  representatives.

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Why Your Business May Benefit from IP Phone
Systems?

• Business hour rule is another interesting feature
  that makes VoIP a great choice for all business.
  This cloud phone system setting helps you route
  your caller differently depending on your office
  timing. All you have to do is set some simple
  parameters based on day of the week and time of
  day and your caller will receive instruction
  about how to proceed.
• By selecting IP phone systems, you can let your
  callers decide the person they want to talk with
  in your office. It means that they can call and
  spell out the name of the individual they want to
  speak with, and they can do it all using their
  dial pad. By providing this specific feature to
  your regular customers, you can reduce the time
  required to transfer calls.

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Why More and More Businesses are Turning to VoIP
Phone Systems

• Many companies, small and large, opt for VoIP
  phone systems because they do not want to miss
  any call that their customers make. It has become
  possible because of a feature called "Find
  Me/Follow Me". Just like you can read your emails
  on your computer, laptop, and even mobile
  devices, you can receive your calls on the go.
  You can also select different numbers to have a
  call directed to them. You can even prioritize
  certain calls and receive them on certain
  numbers. Depending on the nature of your
  business, this feature alone can help you manage
  your business operations more efficiently. It is
  especially true for businesses that are heavily
  sales-oriented.
• Many businesses opt for VoIP systems because they
  want to take advantage of coaching tools. It
  means that you can listen to how your customer
  representatives are dealing with your customers.
  You do not have to wait for them to hang up the
  phone instead, you can guide them while they are
  on the call. You can do it using two interesting
  features barge and whisper. By using barge, you
  can listen to the conversation between your agent
  and your caller. If you think they are not
  handling everything as professional as they
  should, you can utilize the whisper feature to
  provide tips, advice, and information to your
  employees.

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Why More and More Businesses are Turning to VoIP
Phone Systems

• A large majority of companies choose VoIP phone
  systems because of the auto attendant feature. As
  implied by the name, the feature serves as your
  virtual receptionist. The feature allows your
  callers to interact with a preset menu to select
  a suitable extension. By giving your callers the
  control over the menu, you can significantly
  reduce the time it takes to transfer calls from
  person to person. The availability of an
  electronic receptionist will also make your
  business look and feel more impressive and
  professional.
• No matter how proactive you are in taking and
  answering calls, there will be situations when
  you would not want to be disturbed by inbound
  calls. If that is the case, VoIP phone systems
  can help. Many businesses use this feature quite
  often because it allows them to temporary stop
  receiving calls to their phone. You can use this
  feature during conferences, meetings, and formal
  lunches. If you think that the feature will make
  you lose your customers, it is not true because
  you can divert them to your voicemail or have a
  representative attend those calls.

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VoIP Phone Systems and Features that Help You Run
Your Business Efficiently

• Door Phone Entry Integration
• By taking advantage of this feature, you can
  integrate your analog phone with your VoIP phone
  and enjoy two-way calling with your visitors. It
  is also possible to unlock the door from the
  phone whenever you deem necessary. The feature
  works amazingly well to improve the overall
  security of your premises.
• Call Routing
• A highly impressive feature of VoIP phone systems
  involves making it easier to receive calls
  irrespective of where you are. The feature allows
  you to set a list of numbers where your callers
  can contact you. Your callers will be dialing a
  single number but the call will be transferred to
  the high priority number you have selected in the
  list. If you are not available, the call will
  automatically be transferred to the next number
  in the list. You can also have your caller
  directed to your voicemail box in case you are
  not reachable at that moment.

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VoIP Phone Systems and Features that Help You Run
Your Business Efficiently

• Voicemail Messages
• Receiving and reading voicemail messages will
  become a breeze with VoIP phone systems. You can
  access all recorded messages online, so you can
  listen to them and delete even if you are not in
  the office. Another interesting option is to have
  your voicemail messages transcribed to text and
  delivered to your selected email address. The
  feature saves you from wasting time scribbling
  numbers, names, and addresses. You can also read
  your emails whenever and wherever you want.
• Bandwidth Utilization
• By becoming VoIP user, you can have full control
  over your subscription and the way everyone in
  your office uses the service. Bandwidth
  utilization is one such feature to help you have
  full details of calls and bandwidth used to make
  those calls. In other words, the feature makes
  data tracking a lot easier. You will also get a
  better idea of where and how to utilize your
  company's time and energy. You can get full
  detail regarding bandwidth utilization when you
  opt for a managed, cloud-based VoIP service. You
  can gain access to the data related to call
  history, including duration, rate centers,
  destination, originator, and cost.

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Numerous Features Making IP Phone Systems a Top
Choice

• Caller ID It helps you get information about who
  is calling you to request information.
• Group Directory The feature gives your callers
  the opportunity to navigate through your
  corporate directory to choose the person they
  want to speak with.
• N-Way Calling By making use of this particular
  feature, you will be able to make three-way calls
  through your handset. The feature utilizes
  different applications to make the call.
• Overhead Paging With the help of this particular
  feature, it becomes easy to connect with a
  third-party speaker system. The feature makes
  paging a breeze and helps you connect across
  different locations.
• Call Forwarding It may be a basic feature, but
  it is quite useful for your business operations
  because it allows you to redirect incoming calls
  to a specific number. You can also use the
  feature when the caller receives a busy tone
  after dialing your number. Similarly, you can
  have calls forwarded to different numbers when
  the caller receives no answer after a specified
  number of rings.

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Numerous Features Making IP Phone Systems a Top
Choice

• Unified Messaging By using this particular
  feature, it becomes easier to manage your
  voicemail messages. You can choose to receive
  those messages on your handset or have them
  delivered to your email address.
• Voice Platform API The interesting feature makes
  your IP phone systems much more efficient and
  allows you to integrate business applications
  with the system to utilize features, such as
  caller ID lookup, click to call, screen pop, etc.
• Twinning The feature makes it easy for you to
  receive calls on the go. You will receive calls
  on your mobile device, and if you do not want to
  receive it, you can transfer it to other
  extensions. It is also possible to use the
  feature to make calls using your business caller
  ID.
• Line Monitor This interesting feature helps you
  use your phone system more efficiently because
  you can use it to monitor the status of other
  extensions and make corrections.
• Shared Call Appearance The feature works
  effectively to make it easier to share call
  between different devices. It also helps certain
  devices have the appearance of a particular
  extension.

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Reasons to Switch to a Hosted PBX System

• Landline-based PBX systems are becoming a thin of
  the past because they are extremely
  equipment-heavy. It is also difficult to update
  those old phones. Hosted PBX phones are different
  in the sense that they are not that expensive to
  install and can be updated to suit your unique
  business needs. These new phone systems are
  equally beneficial for small and large business
  organizations. You can have new features added to
  the system to cater to the needs of your growing
  business.
• When talking about hosted PBX systems, the
  biggest advantage is its low cost. Compared to
  other options, it is extremely easy to install
  these systems. You will be able to save a lot of
  money because the system does not require any
  expensive equipment to start serving you. With
  lower upfront cost, PBX systems are a great
  choice for small businesses. With hosted PBX
  systems, you also do not need to worry about
  appointing a specialist to take care of
  everything in your office. The reason is that
  whatever you need to make phone calls resides in
  the service provider's data center. The service
  provider is responsible for keeping their system
  up-to-date. You can talk to them and share your
  feedback, and they will take all necessary steps
  to provide you with a seamless telephony
  experience. It means that there is actually no
  maintenance and management cost involved in
  hosted PBX systems.

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Unique and Interesting Features of Hosted PBX
Systems

• Voicemail Box
• With a hosted PBX system, you will be able to
  take full advantage of voicemail box feature. By
  having a voicemail box in place, you do not have
  to worry about losing an important message from
  your valued customers. Whenever there is no one
  to answer your customer's call, they can easily
  go to the voicemail box and leave their message
  so you could return their call later.
  Interestingly, you can also manage your voicemail
  messages by using a hosted PBX system. Some
  service providers grant you access to web portals
  where you can check all your voicemail messages.
  You can listen to recordings, check information
  related to the calls, and delete messages. It is
  also possible to customize voicemail greetings to
  suit your business and brand.
• Direct Inward Dialing
• Another interesting service that makes hosted PBX
  a great solution is Direct Inward Dialing (DID).
  It means that you can select one number for your
  whole office but use different extensions to
  direct calls to specific people in the office.
  With this feature, you do not have to buy new
  phone lines to facilitate a new employee. You can
  easily scale the existing phone line. On the
  other hand, your callers can connect with you
  easily by dialing a 3-4 digit extension.

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Unique and Interesting Features of Hosted PBX
Systems

• Conference Bridge
• By using this particular feature, you can allow
  multiple people to join you in a single call. It
  helps you make group calls with utmost ease.
  Users only need to dial an extension to take part
  in the conference bridge It usually requires a
  pin to join the conference bridge. Depending on
  your service provider, you can generally allow
  10-15 people to join in a group call. You will
  benefit greatly from this feature if you have
  several offices or have to manage remote
  employees. Some service providers offer free
  internal calling, so it costs nothing to arrange
  these group calls.
• Ring Group
• By using a hosted PBX solution, your employees
  can take advantage of a feature called 'Ring
  Group'. It means that multiple users can use a
  single extension to answer calls. By using ring
  group feature, you can ring several phones
  simultaneously to start a group call. You will
  find this feature quite useful if you do not have
  customer representatives sitting like agents in
  call center type setting.

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Features that Make a Hosted PBX More Useful than
Other Options

• It helps you work from remote locations by
  providing you with a feature like "Find Me/Follow
  Me". The feature is extremely useful if your
  business involves working with sales
  representatives, field workers, and even home
  workers. With this feature, everyone working for
  you will be accessible whenever you want. The
  feature lets you have one phone number and allows
  you route calls to any number or device.
• It helps you answer your calls when you are not
  around. It becomes possible with the feature
  called "Auto-Attendant". Working more like your
  virtual secretary, the auto attendant feature
  ensures that every inbound call receives a reply.
  The good thing is that you can customize your
  auto-attendant in any way you like. It can
  deliver a formal or informal message to support
  your brand image. The feature also ensures that
  every inbound call goes to the right department.
  It will provide your customer with an opportunity
  to receive quality assistance without having to
  go through several representatives.

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Features that Make a Hosted PBX More Useful than
Other Options

• It helps with queue management. What it means is
  that you can use a hosted PBX system to have an
  appropriate system in place that organizes calls
  in a proper way. This way, every caller will
  receive a response in a timely manner.
  Interestingly, it is possible to override the
  call queue to prioritize certain calls. You can
  also select how long each caller will have to
  wait until they receive a reply. Your
  representative will also be informed when a
  caller reaches a specific duration, which helps
  them to wrap up the call offering the most
  suitable resolution.
• It helps you make conference calls in a
  convenient fashion. Both small and large business
  organizations can benefit from this particular
  feature. Due to its impressive call quality, a
  hosted PBX system helps you take full advantage
  of call conference feature. The good thing is
  that hosted PBX systems offer a number of
  conference call features, including the ability
  to manage conference call activity, web
  conferencing, and integrated audio. You can also
  check call record history and take advantage on
  online call scheduler.

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Some Special Features to Have in Your Small
Business Phone System

• Conferencing
• Even if you think your small business can survive
  without this feature, it is still a good idea to
  have this feature in your phone system. If you do
  not require it now because of a limited number of
  employees, you might need it in future with the
  expansion of your business. With this feature,
  you can enable multiple extensions to connect
  with each other for multi-person discussion. In
  case you are interested in having this feature in
  your small business phone system, you need to
  know exactly how many lines you can include in
  the conference. Keep in mind that some phone
  systems have conferencing feature, but it allows
  you to connect only two additional callers.
• Hunt Group
• Whatever the size of your business, you can
  always benefit from the 'Hunt Group' feature. It
  is useful feature for important inbound calls,
  such as customer service and sales inquiries.
  With this feature, you can ensure that certain
  calls do not go to the voicemail directly. You
  can configure hunt groups as per your own
  preferences and ensure that important incoming
  calls are routed to the available extension in a
  seamless way. You can have several local
  extensions in place to ensure that the incoming
  calls go the next available extension if the
  first extension is not free. It ensures that your
  important customers do not have to wait or go
  through any hassle to connect with your business
  representatives.

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Few Important Features to Check in Small Business
Phone System

• An Auto Attendant
• Be sure to check the availability of an auto
  attendant. With the availability of this feature,
  you can ensure that no inbound call goes
  unanswered. Your customers will receive a
  response even when your staff is too busy to
  receive the call at that moment. It is an
  important feature for small businesses in fact,
  the unavailability of automated phone attendant
  is often considered highly unprofessional in
  today's world.
• Voice Mail
• You should also check the availability of voice
  mail when selecting a small business phone
  system. It is true that almost all phone systems
  now have voice mail features, but you need to be
  specific about what you need. For instance, you
  may require voice mail with remote access to
  messages. It means that you will be able to gain
  access to all your messages irrespective of your
  physical location.
• Caller ID
• It is important to find a small business phone
  system that allows you to see the identity of
  your caller. Caller ID is an important phone
  system feature because it helps your sales people
  to be more efficient while communicating with
  others.

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Things to Check When Opting for a Small Business
Phone System

• In order to make a correct choice, you should pay
  attention to a few important things. For
  instance, you need to consider how you are going
  to use the phone system. It means that you should
  assess your needs clearly and then compare the
  available options to make a choice. Consider what
  types of inbound and outbound calls you get more
  often. Do you get one-to-one phone more often or
  your business also need to handle conference
  calls? Consider how many people you have in your
  company, and then select a phone system
  accordingly. You should consider whether you get
  international calls along with local calls. You
  may need a different phone system if you get
  inbound calls after office timing. Not all phone
  systems will help you handle calls during off
  hours.
• In addition to getting more information about how
  you are going to use your small business phone
  system, you should also consider who is going to
  use that system in your office. You may want a
  phone system at receptionist's desk. Depending on
  the nature of your business, you may need a phone
  in public areas, like waiting room, lobby,
  hallway, and break room. You may need a phone to
  facilitate additional contract, temporary, or
  part-time employees. While most small businesses
  do not need to worry about too many phone lines,
  you may have to think about your needs in the
  near future.
• Another important thing to keep in mind is that
  not all phone systems will suit your needs in a
  couple of years time, especially when you can
  foresee your business expanding in the near
  future. Therefore, you need to pay attention to
  scalability before going any further. Take your
  time to get familiar with how your phone system
  requirements are likely to change over time, and
  then select a system that is going to scale with
  your business needs.

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The End

• For more details, please visit
• http//www.dcstelecom.ca/voip-digital-phones/
• http//www.dcstelecom.ca/pbx-phone-systems/