So how do you stay informed about new phone system technology and the positive impact it can have on your organization? Can Voice Over IP (VoIP) help you reduce operating costs? How about productivity gains or the ability to provide improved support to your clients & staff? And finally, where does return on investment and cost of ownership rank?
Since there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, flexibility is key. As a VoIP solutions & service provider, we don’t expect you to know everything about VoIP, but want to stress the importance of understanding some basic criteria to put yourself in the best position to make an informed decision. Especially when you have to navigate a sea of vendors with varying product claims and relentless offers to buy now. Let’s face it, technology is rapidly changing. So how can you stay ahead of the curve?
This month we’ll focus on the top 4 reasons that companies get hurt because they’re uninformed about the technology they’re evaluating, acquiring, and deploying.
- You don’t know what’s available, so you don’t actually know what you need. How can you buy a VoIP phone system based on how you’ve been using your existing legacy system for the past 10+ years. The answer is, 90% of the time you can’t! Today’s unified communications (UC) systems offer practical, integrated, and cost-effective solutions that weren’t available or affordable 5 years ago.
- Believing that all systems are the same. News flash – they’re NOT! Some are all-inclusive; but many are a la carte. Some are premise based, while others are in the cloud. Some have plenty of life, while others are nearing the end of their life cycle. How can you cut through all the crap and get to the truth? And just because the system has a few Ethernet ports doesn’t mean it’s a next-generation VoIP system.
- Your main buying criteria for the new system is based on a brand-name and just assuming it will work out; or, a significantly lower price tag without doing a thorough side-by-side comparison. There’s usually a very good reason why there’s such a difference in the price tags. Do you have the ability to find out why? It’s not always about “the deal” you think you’re getting.
- You’re meeting with multiple vendors and getting proposals, but you don’t have a definitive “specification”; which means that everyone is not bidding on the same exact configuration of hardware, software, licensing and warranty. This is all too common, and as a result, has a direct influence on the other 3 items above. It’s also one of the main reasons that companies end up with the wrong fit (and most times don’t even know it).
Our role as a value-added reseller has evolved into one of an educator and consultant – during the sales process, implementation phase, and beyond… Knowledge is key, but not enough. You need a vendor-partner that has plenty of experience & expertise deploying VoIP systems; otherwise you’re taking on a very big risk.
As you can see, selecting a new VoIP phone system can be quite complex and confusing. That’s why having an experienced partner you can rely on and trust is paramount to helping you find the right solution. Contact us to schedule an evaluation, or to simply learn more about the benefits that VoIP systems can offer your organization. Make the call and put our expertise to work for you!
Hurricane Sandy We hope the best for everyone in getting through this storm. IDeACOM will be available to support you remotely as long as we have power, Internet access, and dial tone; and with on-site support as long as we can get to your office. If you do have an issue, please contact us at (973) 857-4440; at servicecall@ideacom-NJ.com; or via the link on our website at www.ideacom-NJ.com. Good luck and be safe!
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