How a simple to use phone system can help you do business better

All businesses today are looking for innovative ways to stay ahead of the competition, and the Hardware industry is no different. One of the simplest and cost-effective ways to achieve this is by having a cloud-based phone system. By taking advantage of the cloud, businesses of all sizes can increase their efficiency and scalability, while reducing their costs.

Don’t be put off by some of the jargon out there – cloudbased just relates to how you control your phone calls – much as all your online banking, emails and even how you book your holidays is all done online, the same can now be done with the way your phone calls work. Traditional phone systems were a box that sat in the corner of your office or shop and acted as a way of routing calls. But things have moved on substantially since then.

It’s the same for the way that our calls are now being handled. Cloud-based phone systems handle calls via the internet rather than through traditional phone lines. Which means that if you have broadband, you can use that line to make and receive phone calls (and if you need broadband, we do that too) – so if you’re still paying line rental, this can be eliminated straight away. This system (known as Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP) isn’t a new technology, rather by 2025 nearly all phone calls across Europe will be carried this way.

Cloud-based phone systems offer a host of features and benefits that can help businesses expand their reach and increase their productivity. These systems are often more cost-effective than traditional phone systems because they don’t require any hardware, and they don’t require a longterm contract or commitment. Additionally, they provide businesses with the ability to scale quickly and easily as their business grows.

We’ve all been in the hardware shop where the phone is ringing but all the staff are busy. And that could be the next big sale, going unanswered. With cloud-based systems such as IP Telecom’s, calls can go to multiple devices at the same time or be sent to specific numbers if all staff are busy. Calls can go to physical phones, laptops, mobiles – wherever you want it to go. If you’re in the storeroom ofthe yard, you can answer calls through a wireless headset or earpiece that allows you to take the call and have both hands free.

And if you are a larger operation and run a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, our system integrates with multiple systems, so customer records are kept up to date and you can see who is calling and what it’s about even before you answer.

With flexibility and connectivity key to any business, cloudbased phone systems allow businesses to access the same features and services from any location, at any time. This makes it easier for businesses to stay connected and reach customers, no matter where they are. There’s often no need for any new handsets either as we can deploy second lines onto your mobile devices using VoIP based softphones – which allows you access to your landline number or extension from anywhere, so you can keep your business number separate from your personal mobile number.

We’ve worked with many in the hardware sector, from single shops through to combining six different phone systems and premises under the one system – and removing loads of line rentals – for Grange Builders
Providers, you can read more about this on our website. IP Telecom is a dedicated, Irish-owned, business to business communications provider and proud to be a Corporate Partner of HAI.

For more information visit www.iptelecom.ie or call us on 01 687 7777.

This Business Support article featured in the July/August 2023 issue of The Hardware Journal.