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MODERNISING YOURBUSINESS PHONE SYSTEM
TIME TO MODERNISEIs it time to updateyour business phonesystem?Phone systems have been installed in offices ofForstarters,thenewall different sizes for more than 40 years. Incommunicationstoday’s modern world telephone call handlingdedicated hardware in the server room or ITrequirements have vastly matured, becomingoffice anymore, because the entire system runs inan essential process for running a business.the cloud.The average business phone system lastsIn many instances, “hard phones” such as youranywhere between six and eight years, afterdesk phone are no longer required. New phonewhich the system is either out of maintenancesolutions often include a “soft phone” or “client”or is lagging in features, often to the extent thatthat runs on many different devices, such as yourit is hurting the performance of the business.PC, tablet or smartphone.Businesses that need to upgrade their existingAnd modern phone solutions no longer offer justphone system will find a huge array of new“voice”. They have transformed to offer a rangesolutions available compared to seven or eightof Unified Communications (UC) capabilitiesyears ago, but which is right for your business?such as instant messaging, presence, videosolutionssoftwaredonotbasedrequirecalling, collaboration tools and mobility solutions,It’s easy to simply go out and buy a like for likeall designed to keep your business at maximumreplacement for your phone system, but doingproductivity.so would mean you are missing a goldenopportunity to bring a range of powerful newBefore you start looking at different phonecapabilities into your business.system options, think carefully about what youneed in your next phone system.
WHAT DO YOU NEED?Ask yourself: Whatdo I need from mynext phone system?Here are a few questions to consider:MISSED CALLSHow many phone calls does yourbusiness miss because the call eithergoes to someone who is out of office,away from their desk or all of the linesare busy?DISPARATE SYSTEMSDo you have different systems in differentoffices with features that don’t work thesame, causing staff confusion? Or callsthat cannot easily be transferred betweensites?ENTERPRISE USAGEDo your remote workers struggle withcalling people in the business simplybecause they are remote?Do staff struggle with the endless set ofbuttons on the handset and end updropping customer calls?Do your mobile workers feel detachedfrom the business when they are outof the office?Do your staff often use their own mobilesso you are never sure if they are workingor not whilst in the office?Does the phone system deliver theprofessional image that you want toportray for your business?FLUCTUATING EXPENSESAre you worried about unexpected billswith tiered minutes pricing or highInternational calling costs?When you bought your last phone system,do you think you got a good deal, or didyou find out a lot of hidden costs after youbought the basic system? Do you want toavoid hidden costs with maintenance ofthe system this time around?INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCEIs your phone system a vital organ inyour business, and if it goes down, so doyou?Have you suffered a network orequipment failure that has stoppedinbound and outbound calls?Do you worry about having to findelements of the phone system yourself ifsomething goes wrong?If you’ve identified with some or all ofthese questions, you are not alone. Theyare some of the most common issues wesee today when it comes to replacing aphone system. We can work with you toprioritise these questions into the onesthat are most important for your business.
BENEFITS OF CLOUD-BASEDHow will a moderncloud-based phonesystem benefit ibilityregarded as the most efficient and costThis is linked to costs. Chances are when youeffective solution for business calling, especiallybought your last phone system you ended upfor organisations that have remote employeesover specifying it because you had to buy it inor offices dispersed over a large number of sites.specific configurations.It is easy to get lost in the jargon of technologyIn the cloud, you just buy what you need – nowithaboutmore, no less. If you need more capability in thefeatures that may or may not make sense tofuture, you just add it. You only pay for what youyou. So let’s try to narrow down your new phoneuse today and add more users as your businesssystem into the key important areas:grows.Cost BenefitsDisastersWe’ll start with what is one of your primaryWe never like to think they happen, but they do.concerns – costs. Will this phone system saveSuppose the electricity board manages to putme money?their digger through your phone lines - what dopeopleespousingacronymsyou do? What happens if there is a fire or a flood?Most cloud phone services come with a fixedminutes and user plan. You pay a certainWith a cloud-based phone system, you can workamount for the user and the minutes come withfrom anywhere. Everyone can decamp down toit. That’s it – end of costs concerns. And manythe nearest coffee shop, or head home, andcloud systems also have very powerful fraudcontinue working just as normal. Your ability tomanagement capabilities that will catch aanswer/transfer calls will remain the same, andproblem before you are even aware.your customers will never know the difference.
BENEFITS OF CLOUD-BASEDConsistencyMobilityYou may have added offices over a number ofChances are your workforce is already mobile,years and inherited different phone systemsor you have a requirement for it to be morethat work in different ways. With the cloud, allmobile. You need to be where your customer is,the systems work the same everywhere. So yourand you need to provide greater flexibility foroffices, mobile workers and remote workers willyour remote workers, therefore being mobile isall have access to the same range of features.vital. But being mobile should not mean beingdisconnected from the business. Yes, peopleUsabilityhave mobile phones, but do they know if aCloud systems integrate with your IT systems soperson is really in the office or not? Can they getyou can simply click to call out of a web page orthat vital message through at 5:55 p.m. to win adirectory listing. Everything is totally intuitive.major new contract? With cloud-based phoneThese systems are also integrated with majorsystems, the mobile worker is always connectedcloud-basedto the central nervous system of your business.CRMandcustomersupportapplications enabling your business to becomeThey are not remote - they are just mobile.more efficient.MaintenanceProfessionalismThe days of having to call out the telecomsCloud-based phone systems have a large arrayengineer are well and truly over. Phones areof features that until recently, were onlyeasy to move around, with no specialist skillsavailable on very expensive systems used byinvolved.large organisations. Now you can deliver ahighly professional image by having autoSystem management is all done via the web,attendants, hunt groups and a range of othersystems are very intuitive and easy to use, withcall routing features, so that you always lookuseful tutorial videos to help you navigatetotally professional to your customers.through the more complicated tasks.ProductivityWorry FreeWith cloud-based phone systems, you canCloud-based phone systems are designed toimplement a range of productivity features thatmake your life easier, they will keep running 24/7,allow your current staff to communicate andsupporting your business functions in the waycollaborate much more effectively than before,you need them to, so you do not have to worrythereby improving the overall productivity ofabout spiralling call costs or waiting for theyour business. Features such as room-basedtelecoms specialist to come and fix something ifcollaboration, conference calling and instantit goes wrong.messaging.
KEY THINGS TO CONSIDERWe have arranged the key features you should consider to help make the selection process easier.COSTCheck what is included and not included in the minutes bundle. Are thereany exit clauses in the service contract? Do you have to rent the phones forlonger than the service contract?FLEXIBILITYCan you add or remove users during the service contract?Do you have to pay for devices or for users?DISASTERSCan the system divert calls to tablets or mobile phones when the accessnetwork is down? Are there restrictions in the features when people areremote?CONSISTENCYAre all the features available to remote workers or do some get removed?Is the quality the same? Some mobile systems only use a technology calledVoIP when remote, which can hurt voice quality if the network is congested.USABILITYAre the features the same on the phone, PC and mobile devices or are theydifferent? Do you still have to rely on a telephone?PROFESSIONALISMDoes the system support features such as auto attendant, music on hold,automatic call distribution, call queuing, so you never miss a erencing,roombasedcollaboration and instant messaging and presence?MOBILITYDoes the system support iOS and Android devices? Can it support all theproductivity features above when mobile?MAINTENANCEDoes the system have web-based user self administration and allow you tocontrol features from a single web page? Does the service supportdiagnostics so the service provider can quickly identify any issues?
WHY KROME?Talk to Krome abouthow a cloud-basedphone-system couldreduce costs, andboost value for you.If you’ve outgrown your current business phone system, take the time to go through the questionswe’ve outlined above, and consider your top needs and requirements. Working with our telephonyspecialists, Krome can help you to define these requirements and design a modernised cloud-basedphone system that meets your specific business demands.Krome partners with one of the largest telephony network operators in the UK, with a reputationbuilt on technical expertise and voice service delivery, together we have an in-depth experience ofSIP implementations, working with organisations of all sizes.Our voice services can be fully integrated into MS Teams with full PSTN breakout. We have triplicateentry points into Microsoft Azure providing high levels of resilience and availability. We have theinterconnects so you don’t have to.Krome Technologies work with small, medium and enterprise companies; assessing businessobjectives and implementing technology and communications solutions that will help achieve them;by designing and implementing innovative solutions and providing the highest quality technologybased services Krome Technologies will help meet our client’s technology and overall business goals.Krome Technologies overall objective is to deliver clients with the highest level of service andtechnical ability across each area of our business.Krome Technologies LtdHead Office: Krome House Pound Road Chertsey Surrey KT16 8ER Tel:01932 232345Manchester Office: Krome House Quays Reach Salford Manchester M50 2ZY Tel: 0161 868 1360www.krome.co.uk sales@krome.co.uk
your business phone system? Phone systems have been installed in offices of all different sizes for more than 40 years. In today's modern world telephone call handling requirements have vastly matured, becoming an essential process for running a business. The average business phone system lasts anywhere between six and eight years, after
