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Softphones vs Handsets: Which is Best for Business Communication?

Softphones vs Handsets: Which is Best for Business Communication? The telephony landscape is changing, with analogue services being switched off by BT soon (check here for more details). While in the home, landlines have long been taking a regression in the number of people requiring that service, in business landlines have been as crucial as ever. One of the critical reasons for this is due to how people perceive businesses that operate from a mobile number. They are often deemed unprofessional, or perhaps sole traders. The consensus is that no large, stable business operates from a mobile number. But in this transformation, comes innovation with new products that take your business communication up a level. There are two products that Greenlight Telecoms offers. Softphones and handsets. Let’s discuss each. What are softphones? Softphones are software-based phones. To the uninitiated, people think softphones are some velvet phones – but that’s not the case! Softphones mean an app can be installed across various devices, like Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. The calls funnel through the app, and all devices connected to that number can receive and make calls. Pros and cons of softphones Pros Calls can be taken from any device, allowing for greater mobility Increased functionality as everything is software-based, voicemails and call recording come easy Environmentally green, no production of physical handsets Lower cost, cheaper than a traditional lined phone Customised app interface, including integration into other technologies Cons Highly dependent on internet connectivity Pros and cons of handsets Pros Easy communication, traditional handset pickup Working from a single point of access can be beneficial, in a leisure environment for example Cons Social challenges – can often interrupt face-to-face communication with your clients as they are so intrusive when it rings Can be expensive when buying, especially when you need more than a couple Physical risks – can be stolen, damaged, can lead to physical discomfort Handsets use-case: Brio Leisure Brio Leisure offers affordable gym memberships and leisure facilities to local communities in the Cheshire area. What they needed, was an upgrade of a system that was expensive and did not meet the organisation’s needs. They wished for a handset set-up but reprovisioning of old Yealink handsets for Cisco models over time. The handset solution was perfect for the face-to-face support they offer to their members, while also adding the advanced functionality of better hunt groups, IVR menus and overspills. The handset benefits were perfect for Brio Leisure when combined with a VoIP solution. The phase 2 of their project, will be to eventually move them to a softphone-based solution allowing calls to be taken from any device. Softphones use-case: Leep Utilities Leep Utilities came to us wanting a VoIP telephony system that could maintain a 100% uptime. Greenlight Telecoms deployed a VoIP solution in partnership with our supplier, Marston’s Telecom to deliver a softphone-based solution for this utility network-centric company. Deploying [...]

Softphones vs Handsets: Which is Best for Business Communication?

Broadband Resilience – A How To Guide

Broadband Resilience – A How To Guide Broadband resilience is one of the key services that businesses up and down the country need to be aware of, especially where a corporation’s productivity lives and dies on the internet connection. Not only selling products online, but employee productivity, connecting to external services all rely upon that one strand of broadband coming to your building. So, what happens when the broadband goers down? Your company comes to a halt. In this day and age, the unexpected should always be expected. You would expect a 99.9% uptime from your broadband, hell it’s what is marketed when they sell the service. But on those .1% days, your business is stumped. And this is where broadband resilience comes in. Understanding Broadband resilience  Broadband resilience is in the name – its making your broadband with a connection that’s resilient to outages. There are two kinds that Greenlight Telecoms offer: Resilient providers: This is where two broadband lines are coming in, from two different suppliers. For instance, if you had BT and Virgin. If BT was your main broadband line and they had an outage, you’d switch to the Virgin connection and be back online. Resilient datacentres: This goes one step beyond having different 2 broadband lines coming in. We ensure that the other side of the broadband line, goes to different datacentres. With resilient providers, you get that added security of knowing that if BT (for example) have a problem, then the Virgin service (again, for example) should takeover and be problem-free. The risk with this though, is the datacentres each use, could be down, thus you still have a problem. In the resilient datacentres service, the other end of the broadband line goes elsewhere, negating the problem outlined. Why broadband resilience is important for businesses There are the use-cases for internet connectivity that we outlined in the introduction, but there are more critical for businesses that are for medical uses for instance. For businesses that need an active internet connection to survive, broadband resiliency is for you. Another example for instance would be stock market traders. Case study: Peak Proteins, deployed with Greenlight Telecoms broadband resilience Peak Proteins, a part of the Sygnature Discovery Group needed highly resilient internet connectivity for their pharmaceutical business. The ISP services deployed by Greenlight Telecoms were rolled out to a bespoke retro-fitted building, and since have asked for similar setups at Glasgow, Nottingham and in Scotland Science Park. With dual gigabit feeds from alternate providers and exchanges, maximum resiliency ins in place, thanks to Greenlight Telecoms and the partnership with Marston’s Telecoms. The dual routers ensure local failover, for an enterprise grade product solution. On top, flexible and expandable IP ranges have been deployed, delivering bulletproof internet connectivity and since go-live they have had zero downtime. Comments from the customer  We were impressed during the handover process by the Greenlight Team and delighted to take over such a well-managed, resilient service. ISP Services were one thing off the [...]

Broadband Resilience – A How To Guide

How Can VoIP Be Used as A Marketing Tool?

How to use VoIP as A Marketing Tool VoIP can often be an overlooked area of your business where you can really use the opportunity to create leads and generate new business. Whether your business takes many calls per day, or just a few per week. By not having an optimised VoIP system, you’re letting new business slip through your fingers. So, in this blog post, we’re discussing all the ways we could think of, to use VOIP as A Marketing Tool for your business. Voiceover artists for VoIP Firstly, Greenlight Telecoms has professional voiceover artists at just a beck and call away, pardon the pun. These professional voice artists are ideal for on-hold marketing messages, for when clients are in the queue and waiting to be answered by an agent. During this downtime, where typically some companies play on-hold music, we can offer a selling opportunity instead. Write a script, and the voice artists will create an on-hold message that will sell a product. IVR Menu Structure The way that you use your IVR will have a direct relation to the number of sales you take over the phone also. For instance, you could re-arrange the order of telephone options, so more people are likely to come to your sales team first, rather than the support line. Impatient people often click “1” just to get through to someone to fix a problem – so why have those people come through to a support team, when you could use your sales team instead? Alternatively, you can use the IVR to help promote other sister companies. For instance, if someone wanted information on IT Support, you can add those options to the IVR as an option to call straight to that team. Recording and Analytics One of the best features of VoIP is its ability to record how colleagues are doing and the analytics behind all of the teams performance. Being able to determine who is answering the most calls, who is keeping the clients most engaged and those that have the best survey scores as a result are all things that many VoIP systems can aid with. Recording calls goes one step further. As a team leader, or manager, you can go in to call logs to see how calls are handled and take the chance to upskill your team. For where you may see opportunities to sell in a call recording, it may not be as obvious for the front-line workers answering such calls. If you can get everyone in your team singing from the same hymn sheet, then your business will be flying in no time. Specific Phone numbers for specific marketing campaigns An easy way to record which marketing campaigns are doing the best for your business in the real world, it quite simple: use different VoIP numbers depending on the campaign. That way, you can see on your telephony system which numbers are the most active, receiving the most calls. For more information on [...]

How Can VoIP Be Used as A Marketing Tool?

The BT Switch Off in 2025

The BT Switch Off in 2025 Introduction: The BT Switch Off in 2025 - What's the Deal? BT, a telecommunications company in the UK, announced that it is going to switch off its copper network by 2020. The copper network will be replaced with fibre broadband and 4G mobile networks. There are many benefits of this switch-off, but there are also many concerns. 4 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Panic About the BT Switch Off BT's plan to switch off its analogue network in 2025 is the cause of much concern among the general public. The BT switch-off is a controversial issue, with many people fearing that it will have a negative impact on their lives. However, there are some reasons why you shouldn't panic about the switch-off. Older generations will be able to use BT's digital services. It won't be difficult to get a new landline provider if you want one. There are various alternatives to using a traditional landline phone such as mobile phones, Skype and FaceTime. You can buy an analogue adaptor for your digital phone if you want to keep using it after 2025. What is the reason for discontinuing ISDN and PSTN? The quick version is that they are outdated legacy technology with accompanying maintenance costs and disadvantages. The public switched telephone network (PSTN) transports analogue voice data over copper wires. Although substantially enhanced over the years, this technology is essentially the same in idea and architecture as the early telephone networks of the late 19th Century. Integrated Services Digital Network is also an old technology of telecommunications reaching retirement. Introduced in the late 1970s, it is a type of digital phone connection that is more reliable than analogue phone lines. ISDN was used previously to provide high-speed phone service on internet or similar digital phone networks. However, with the development of new technology, ISDN is on the way out, abandoning our need for it. BT will be phasing out the technology by 2025, ensuring that it will no longer be the default form of phone connection for broadband users. What to do after the BT Switch Off? Businesses will be unable to purchase ISDN and PSTN equipment beyond 2020. If you are using an ISDN/PSTN-based system, this is a great time to investigate other options. Although there is still plenty of time before 2025, it is critical to future-proof your business, and you may find that you want to migrate as soon as possible due to the benefits that the successor ‘IP’-based systems have to offer. If you don’t already have a corporate telephone system, an IP-based telephone solution allows you to start from scratch. This way, you may avoid squandering money on technology and equipment that has a limited lifespan while also futureproofing your small/growing business. In this case, BT’s phase-out of ISDN will not harm you, and you may even gain an advantage over your competition. How to Prepare Your Business for the BT Shutdown It is not a question [...]

The BT Switch Off in 2025

Hybrid Work Environment – The Future is Here

Hybrid Work Environment – The Future is Here Organizations are increasingly embracing the idea of a hybrid work environment to gain benefits in both efficiency and engagement. This means that companies are getting rid of the traditional work culture where employees report to an office every day and instead adopt a more flexible work arrangement. Employees can now choose when, where, and how they want to work. What is a hybrid work environment? With the advent of technology, many people are working remotely. This is also referred to as a "hybrid work environment." A hybrid work environment is one that has both physical and virtual working opportunities. It is becoming more popular to allow workers to combine the best of both work worlds - the advantages of working at home and the advantages of working in an office. The idea for this type of environment came from the convergence of two trends: remote working and digital transformation. In reality, it all moved forward in 2021 with Covid-19. Suddenly everyone was, or had to work from home. What are the Benefits of a Hybrid Work Environment? Work from home or the office It provides staff with the benefits of both environments by letting them work from home when they want to, but also giving them access to the physical workplace when necessary. According to Microsoft’s 2021 report, “73% of employees surveyed expressed a desire for flexible remote work options post-pandemic, and 66% of businesses said they were considering redesigning physical spaces to better accommodate hybrid work environments.” Less office space needed The traditional office environment has become outdated in the digital era because of the need for physical proximity to be less important for collaboration. The need for workplaces to accommodate hybrid work environments is becoming more and more important, not only to reflect social changes but also because it benefits business. Productivity Employees can be more productive because they are not distracted by the noise around them at the office and because it leaves them with more time for their family and personal life. Hybrid workplace technology In a hybrid workplace, workers may be in the office or telecommuting from home. In these scenarios, technology is an important tool for collaboration and communication. For example, VoIP systems are one of the most common types of hybrid workplaces that are being used in today’s workforce. Their transmission system is based on internet protocol rather than the traditional phone network, which makes it possible for employees to have a phone-like experience no matter where they are located. What's Next for The Hybrid Work Environment? The future of work is in a hybrid environment. The traditional office space won’t be obsolete, but it is changing. Hybrid working environments are flexible and cost-effective options for companies to offer their employees. It doesn’t require any expensive equipment like an onsite cafe or fitness centre, but it’s a great way to have a more [...]

Hybrid Work Environment – The Future is Here

The Benefits of VoIP and Hosted Voice for Business

The Benefits of VoIP and Hosted Voice for Business Every company needs a way to connect with its customers. Hosted Voice for Business is the best solution for any company that wants to make customer-facing communications more efficient and effective. What is VoIP and Hosted Voice? VoIP is a service that converts voice into digital information. It can be used to make phone calls and transfer files. VoIP is also known as Hosted Voice because it involves the use of servers to process the voice signals. Like most VoIP services, Hosted Voice is available as a service from third party suppliers. They function by transmitting voice traffic over the internet rather than through more traditional public switched telephone networks (PSTN). VoIP has an advantage over PSTN in that it's capable of using high-quality audio without any clutter or interference from other types of connections. This gives VoIP a clear edge when dealing with more sensitive information such as legal consultations, medical advice or financial transactions which require absolute confidentiality. Types of VoIP providers There are three broad categories of VoIP providers: hosted providers, cloud providers, and hybrid providers. Hosted and cloud-based providers are more suitable for small businesses with fewer bandwidth requirements. A hosted VoIP provider is one that hosts the entire telephony system in its datacentre while a cloud provider runs the system virtually on its own servers with a software (SaaS) service model. A hybrid provider offers both models so it can offer more functionality. What are the advantages of VoIP and Hosted Voice? The biggest advantage of VoIP and hosted voice over traditional phone service is price. With VoIP, you only need your internet connection and a compatible device in order to have unlimited calling around the world at any time of day for one low monthly fee. 7 Reasons why Hosted Voice solutions are a great alternative to traditional phone systems You Can Save Money It's Easy to Use and Setup Flexible Solution for Small Businesses No Monthly Phone Bills It’s scalable It’s mobile It's Compatible with Today's Technology Choosing the right phone system for your business needs Business hosted voice is becoming a more popular choice for many companies because it is cost-effective and affordable. Cloud-based voice providers also provide better security than traditional in-house phone systems, which can help protect against hackers or other malicious attacks. To efficiently communicate with customers, your businesses should look into a hosted voice provider such as Greenlight Telecoms as it will allow you to have better control over your communications with customers and have fewer interruptions from your existing phone system or system administrator. Conclusion: The benefits of VoIP and hosted voice for businesses Hosted Voice for Business is a perfect solution for companies that want to transition to the world of automation. A hosted voice system allows you to make phone calls over the internet, enabling you to save money on long-distance phone rates. It can also [...]

The Benefits of VoIP and Hosted Voice for Business

Does my Business Still Need a Landline Phone Number in 2020?

Does my business still need a landline phone number? As we start building our plan for exiting the COVID-19 lockdown, the need for a phone system is being challenged. We have Teams, Zoom, WhatsApp……, we have our mobiles, during lockdown we have proved we can communicate without the office phone system. Why do we need a landline for Business? 5 Reasons a Landline Phone number is still needed. TRUST, the fear of being scammed on a mobile number, landlines are regarded as an indicator that a business is real. HUMAN TOUCH, your customers still prefer to call and speak to a human when decisions are important. CALL RECEPTION, mobile reception is often variable, VoIP landlines offer a better call quality. GOOGLE, search engines retain the phone number as a key factor in local searches. Lack of a phone number or other inconsistencies in your internet presence may be a red flag. WELLBEING, without a landline staff will need to give out their mobile number or carry two mobiles (personal & work). The blurring of business and home life adds unneeded stress. The optimum telephony solution in 2020. Replace Analogue fixed line with Hosted VoIP now. Increase flexibility, cut costs and leverage technology in one easy step. Cloud-hosted VoIP telephony such as Greenlight Telecoms Ninkasi solution offers total portability without sacrificing the landline number. A cloud-hosted VoIP phone can be plugged into any broadband connection and operate as if you were in the office. Landline retained, calls can be initiated from the computer as a softphone option, complete flexibility for any future situation. Re-think your requirement, do you need a phone on every desk? Start with a main company line for each site, retain desk phones for active departments and moved to shared phones in less active teams. Some clients are even placing a phone with key suppliers to consolidate the relationship and enable enhanced communication and service tracking. Your 2020 optimum telephony solution is hybrid, with a hosted VoIP landline solution, using Teams/Zoom etc to collaborate and mobiles anytime anywhere. Contact Greenlight Telecoms for a FREE Telephony review.

Does my Business Still Need a Landline Phone Number in 2020?
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