VoIP Solutions for Integration with Enterprise IT

VoIP systems are more useful than most people assume. Even though many companies have been using such systems for almost a decade at this point, we are only now beginning to scratch the vast potential hidden in the technology. VoIP started out as sort of a hobby or side project, mainly used by tech savvy people to make cheap calls. Slowly it grew to replace consumer and enterprise level phone systems with many new and advanced features. So what’s next on the horizon for VoIP?

VoIP Integration with Enterprise IT

Quite a few businesses use VoIP – either hosted services or through dedicated SIP trunks – as a cheaper or more advanced replacement for traditional phone lines. Very few explore the vast possibilities opened up by moving voice communications to the same network used by other forms of data.

Phone calls and other data have long been stuck in their own separate silos until VoIP came along. So we were not able to use the valuable data generated by the business in other systems. If a customer made an appointment for services, the user would manually make an entry in a separate calendar application. If there are any changes to the appointment, the user had to remember to modify the entry. No part of this process was automatic.

However, that need no longer be the case now that VoIP is here. The new systems use the same data network as email and other multimedia. We can share data and manipulate to serve our requirements. Various processes like the appointment scheduling scenario can become automatic and more efficient.

VoIP Integration with CRM

CRM software is an essential tool for businesses to manage customer relationships. VoIP business phone systems also serve the same purpose. So it is hardly surprising that vendors and clients are already trying to create deeper integrations within both systems. Some VoIP services integrate with popular CRM software like Salesforce so that users can call customers from within the application. There is no need to jot down the client’s number and pick up the phone.

Once we’ve completed the call, the system records the details like timestamps and duration automatically into the CRM software. Employees don’t have to remember such details and enter them manually at the end of the day. Other users can easily identify the latest status of a client through the CRM instead of consulting their notes.

VoIP Integration with Appointment Scheduling

Appointment scheduling – not to mention re-scheduling – is an important workflow for many types of businesses. Consider a medical clinic or hospital that needs to schedule patient appointments. Instead of doing everything manually, the company VoIP system can integrate with the scheduling application directly. Then we can automate the process and even allow patients to select a suitable time for themselves!

Suppose a patient needs to schedule a visit with the doctor and calls the hospital. They are guided through the phone tree and can schedule a time which is automatically recorded in the relevant calendar. The same process can work for making changes, cancellations or rescheduling missed appointments. What’s more, the calendar application is updated in real time and shows the latest status of appointments correctly.

VoIP Integration with Websites

Enterprise VoIP solutions can also integrate with websites. Many people wonder if this would serve any purpose but it solves one of the biggest obstacles for customers trying to contact the organization. When a person wants to call a business, the first place they look for a number is the company website. But now they need to write it down and pick up the phone to call. We can make this process easier for the customer through VoIP and WebRTC integration.

The business can provide a ‘click to call’ button on the website. The customer or anyone else for that matter can simply use it to directly connect to the business without even having to know the correct number! WebRTC doesn’t require any plugin or download so there is nothing for the user to do.

These examples showcase the future of VoIP and its integration with enterprise IT. It’s not long before we live in a future where the phone system is connected to multiple applications within the company, just like how email is connected today.