The Business VoIP Dilemma – Why You Should Switch from TDM

The business world is no stranger to new technologies. Many services and products started out as enterprise focussed ones before targeting consumers at large. Sometimes consumer technologies make their way to enterprises too. VoIP is just one recent example in this category. What started out as a hobby for a select few has quickly grown into the de facto  replacement for a centuries old PSTN network.

Consumers have enjoyed VoIP long before most businesses started to embrace it within their organization. While a large number of companies are upgrading to business VoIP, there are many who still use the old POTS. After all, it still works. It has functioned perfectly well for decades, so why rush out and spend resources on something new?

There are a few reasons to go with business VoIP systems, even if your current setup works well for you. For one thing TDM systems aren’t going to be around for much longer. Phone carriers are investing in VoIP infrastructure for the future and no one is interested in maintaining two networks that perform the same functions.

The second reason is that sooner or later your PBX box is going to break down. When that happens, you are not going to have many choices for replacing it. Even if it is a minor issue, you may not find people who know how to fix it. At that point, you will have to upgrade to business VoIP anyway.

But why wait until something breaks? Business VoIP services offer so much more than their PSTN counterparts. You are missing out on amazing new features, productivity improvements and even cost savings by hanging onto TDM systems. Let us take a quick look into what business VoIP has to offer and why you switch right away.

Business VoIP Actually Costs Less

No business wants to spend money on replacing a functioning system or service that still has not reached its end of life. But what if your TDM system is actually costing you more than the new technology on the block? VoIP changes how you think about voice calling. VoIP routes voice data over the Internet – a network that you are already paying for. So you don’t need to pay the service provider for each call.

Calls between employees are free because they don’t travel over the PSTN at all. International calling becomes inexpensive since the call travels over data networks for most of the journey. You only have to pay for that portion of the call which touches the PSTN at any point. In this respect, business VoIP systems are more like email. Your business might purchase an email server but you don’t have to pay for each and every email you send.

Another area where you can save costs is with equipment. Buying the required hardware or software is not that expensive. You can even use your existing phones with business VoIP by using adapters. Business VoIP providers don’t use contracts so you can eliminate that expense as well. Right off the bat you save costs and they only increase the more you use the system.

Innovative and Sophisticated Functionality

Since VoIP is based on IP protocols and not telephony standards, it can interact with other business class services. You can bring together different types of communication channels under one roof. Many of the new features that vendors offer are simply not possible with older TDM systems.

Take the example of voicemail, a feature that has been around for decades. With business VoIP you can connect voicemails to your email inbox. You can direct voicemails from several different numbers to a group inbox. You can even have the system automatically transcribe incoming voicemails.

Voicemail is just one example. You can connect your business VoIP system to CRM software, ERP systems, your website and even have customers call your business from their browser. Many features like conference calls and video chat are much cheaper than comparative alternatives, even if they are not completely new.

Improve Efficiency and Productivity

Gone are the days when you had to get up and drive to an office. Today many employees work from home, while on business trips or even from client sites. Your business needs a service that is flexible and can adapt to how your employees work. Users can take their phone with them if they move to another location.

You don’t have to change phone numbers simply because you upgraded to VoIP. Customers and partners can still use the same numbers to contact your business. Collaborating with team members across the globe is much easier with business VoIP. You can use conference calling to replace tedious meetings. Business VoIP systems can improve productivity in myriad ways. So what are you waiting for? Move to business VoIP today and see the benefits for yourself.