Make the Switch to VoIP When you Move Office

Moving can be a stressful experience for people. There are so many things to consider like redirecting mail to your new address or telling friends and family about it. Moving your office is an even more complicated endeavor for businesses, especially if you’ve operated from the same location for years. You need to move people, tools, equipment, utilities and much more. Depending on the size of your company, it can take several weeks to complete fully.

Now imagine trying to upgrade to a new technology while simultaneously moving your business to a new location. Both these undertakings are huge projects in their own right, why would you want to attempt them at the same time? Actually moving can be a pretty great time to make the switch to VoIP. Keep reading to find out why.

Upgrading to VoIP while Moving your Office

Switching to VoIP in the midst of an office move provides an opportunity to see one of the key benefits of the technology in action. Unlike conventional phones, VoIP numbers are not tied to an actual location. In fact, they are tied to a user or user account. So if you have a VoIP number for personal use at your home, then it is associated with you rather than your house. If you are moving to a new place, you simply take your device with you and plug it in there. There’s no need to request a move from the phone company or wait for wiring to be completed.

The same applies to a business. All your VoIP numbers are tied to your business account. You can freely assign them to a person, a team or department as you need. If you already have a VoIP phone system, then you can see how easy it makes to move your organization from one office to another. If you sign up for hosted VoIP services during a move, you can still benefit from it.

Don’t Wait to Move

For instance, you don’t have to wait for the phone company to move your phones over to the new location. There’s no need to wait for new wiring or cables. You can start working from your new office even while some employees are still at the old location. All you need for your new VoIP phones to function is a high speed Internet connection to carry the voice traffic.

You also don’t have to wait until the phone company terminates your account to move. Many VoIP vendors offer free demos or trials, so take advantage of that to try out the various services. Once you’re satisfied with one provider, you can sign up with them.

Workforce Mobility and Flexibility

Switching to VoIP in the middle of moving can also offer flexibility to your workforce. You can temporarily assign numbers to a team, then re-assign them to someone else. You don’t have to worry about where the team or person is working from. The user can be at one office today and move to the new office tomorrow. It doesn’t matter and they’ll still be able to make and receive calls.

Free Internal Calls

A big project – like moving office – requires effective communication to execute. VoIP makes all your internal calls free. No really, they’re truly free. Any call made between employees – regardless of location – is free. Stop worrying about budgets or going over monthly limits. Encourage staff to pick up the phone and call colleagues, whether they are at the old office or the new location.

Other Benefits of VoIP

Moving may not be the best time to explore the features of your new phone system. But there are quite a few that can help you manage the move better. For instance, visual voicemail can help your employees keep up with clients even when they’re away from the office. They can access these messages through their email inbox and not have to keep checking in periodically for new voicemails.

If your provider offers native apps or the facility to use your number on mobile devices, make full use of it. Your workers can use company issued devices or their own personal phones for office calls with their VoIP number. Users can even set up their numbers so that they can answer a call on the device closest to them. Or let their phones ring in a sequence – first deskphone, then mobile, then colleague – before redirecting the caller to voicemail. Never miss an important call in all the confusion of moving.

VoIP re-imagines the very basics of voice calls. While the user experience remains largely unchanged, the underlying technology is the result of decades of innovation and change. VoIP brings phones into the 21st century alongside email or messaging. So make the leap and experience all the benefits!