Your Hosted Phone Shopping List
- July 4, 2018
- Author: Keith Young
Switching from a premise-based phone system to a hosted phone solution can be a big change for some businesses. Being prepared with a list of requirements simplifies that switch and helps your company transition smoothly.
Support
Before choosing a hosted phone service provider, do your research and know what level of support is offered. Some providers limit the number of desk phones they will support, as well as offering support for only a select few phone manufacturers and models.
Operating Systems
Hosted phone solutions are a wonderfully flexible option for businesses because it is easy to change users, switch an extension to a different phone, and incorporate mobile devices into your system. Be sure to choose a hosted phone service provider that supports all major operating systems: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android. With the ability to use any operating system, switching between devices is seamless.
Voicemail
Voicemail is a necessity and is usually part of any phone service package. The voicemail features that are available can vary. A robust voicemail system should provide your organization with:
- The ability to customize and personalize the voicemail greetings,
- New voicemail notifications,
- Voicemail-to-text or voicemail-to-email capabilities.
Call Management
Gone are the days of employees being stuck at their desk from 9 to 5. A mobile workforce has become the norm, and your communications system needs to accommodate that. The following features are a must-have:
- Call forwarding and transfers between computer, desk phone, and mobile device
- Call forwarding to voicemail
- Simultaneous ring across an employee’s phones and mobile devices
- Auto-Attendant (a virtual receptionist that can answer and direct all inbound calls)
- Caller ID
- Call history logging and reporting
- Call waiting with on-screen notification
Integration Capabilities
A hosted phone solution is much more than a phone system. It has the ability to become an integral part of your entire customer relationship strategy. A good hosted phone solution will give your business the ability to integrate your phone system with your customer relationship management (CRM) software, partner management solution, and other office applications. You should have the ability to customize your workflow, maximize your communications system, and improve your bottom line.
Future Vision
Choosing a hosted phone service provider based on what they can offer you today is good. Finding a provider that has a vision for the future with the ability and desire to adapt and expand as technology evolves is even better. You want to be able to grow your communications system as your business grows. You also want to be able to incorporate new features as they become available.
Shop Wisely
Do your research. Shop around. Compare providers. Know what your organization needs and what each hosted phone service provider can offer.
A UnitedCloud hosted phone specialist would be happy to talk with you about what we can provide to help your business take advantage of the solution that’s right for you.
