One of the recent major shifts in business technology is the switch from old-school phone lines to a hosted IP Voice solution.
In the office, this is causing drastic infrastructure changes that enable companies to integrate cost effective internet-based calling systems with their suite of business software.
Now company sales teams, support technicians, and help desk representatives can manage and automate calls, log call times, and even instantly transcribe call contents into a CRM or other desired management software.
But what does this change-over mean for team members who work out in the field?
Back in the 80s and 90s, field agents were the early adopters of the heavy and expensive car phone installations and have been at the cutting edge of mobile communication technology ever since. When you're out in the field, mobile devices and connection back to HQ are everything. With company phone plans phasing out in favor of hosted IP Voice, field agents may find themselves facing another set of tech and procedure. Instead of the traditional split between minutes and data, hosted IP Voice is based entirely on an internet connection, meaning that only signal from the wireless data network is necessary for every aspect of on the job communication.
Most unified communications solutions with hosted IP Voice services are cloud based, connecting you first to a shared remote server, then back out to whoever you want to contact. Like many of the cloud-based marvels, this means the SIM card hassle is over with. Accidentally drop your company phone in the river? With a normal mobile plan, that's the end of all your locally stored contacts and access to the number on your business cards. However, with hosted IP Voice the number works with a login instead of a specific device. This means that even on a borrowed or temporary device, your clients can reach you and all your data is saved in safe cloud storage.
Phone companies are so notorious for the customer service runaround that it has become the stuff of legends. There constant difficulty reaching a human operator is just the beginning. Hosted IP Voice, is a cloud solution that provides top of the line SaaS support. This means that if you do face performance difficulties with your phone number, a support tech will be on the job almost immediately to help you sort out the problem and get back to focusing on your clients.
For those of you clutching your favorite smartphones and worrying about the future, you can relax. hosted IP Voice works on any standard computing device, from high-powered desktop towers to sleek little smartphones so whether you work on a phone, tablet, laptop or some specialty device, hosted IP Voice access can be quickly and easily installed. This upgrade may even come with a key integrations, like CRM, Call Recording and UC Analytics. If your company is making the switch be sure to give yourself a little time to explore the new infrastructure before relying on it in the field.
Field services have a lot gain from the new corporate hosted IP Voice solution, but like any big change it will take some getting used to. Hosted IP Voice creates a complete communication infrastructure and an access system free from the limitations of cellphone plans and SIM cards. When implemented correctly, this can be an overwhelming upgrade by simplifying and streamlining your multiple communication tasks into a single easy to use dashboard and calling service. For the old pros, this new change will simply be the next in a long series of technological upgrades, starting from the humble car phone.
For more information about connecting your field service teams with hosted IP Voice contact us today!