* Why you should forge ahead with a VoIP strategy
During the past few months, I’ve noticed a shift in how many IT executives view their VoIP projects. Those who are forging ahead say they’ve pushed aside the importance of quick returns on investment and view a once-isolated project into a visionary move that has far-reaching consequences – the affects of which will emerge for years.
Then there are those who don’t see any reason to go to VoIP, using as their primary justification: “TDM works. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”
Both sides have their merits, but my recommendation is to forge ahead with a VoIP strategy – and, you guessed it, one of the big reasons is to improve communications at the branch office.
I rely on a few key factors for this recommendation.
First, vendors are no longer investing any R&D dollars into legacy TDM gear. At the same time, the number of remote workers and branch offices is growing at a healthy clip (8.9% increase in the number of branch offices). It’s wise to invest in technologies, such as VoIP, that are in the high-growth, competitive stage. Because R&D and investment dollars are pouring into VoIP, the likelihood of vendors and carriers innovating in a way that benefits you is pretty high.
Second, VoIP has simplified communications time and time again for numerous organizations. I’ve spoken with and advised hundreds of companies that have dozens, if not hundreds, of TDM PBXs across the organization. There is no interoperability, no way to transfer calls across locations, do five-digit dialing, or even transfer voice mail messages (because dozens of voicemail systems are in operation.
Sure, those organizations can fix the problem by installing all new TDM gear, but why invest in a soon-to-be-outdated technology? By using VoIP, the organizations get immediate productivity improvements with some very simple features – call transfer, five-digit dialing, intercom, remote extension, etc. Bottom line: VoIP improves the way a geographically distributed organization communicates.
Finally, VoIP deployments consistently prepare organizations for broader convergence projects. Once a VoIP system is in place, it’s quite easy to add other collaborative tools, from unified messaging to desktop videoconferencing to real-time communications dashboards. Those technologies help branch office workers collaborate with peers in other offices, or simply make them more productive period.
So yes, a hard-dollar ROI is imperative and compelling for any new project. But looking beyond the initial numbers and onto providing a better, more productive workplace for branch office workers is golden.
