Is Your Out-Dated Phone System Holding You Back?

By Shannon Champion

Isn’t it crazy to think that over 70% of midsize companies are still using outdated phone systems because they think IP-based systems are beyond their budget and IT skill level?

As we all know, with IP telephony the handset is no longer a digital device hanging off a copper loop from a PBX. Instead, the handset lives on the network as another computer device. And the overall goal is to no longer strictly on the telephony (or voice) portion of daily communications. Rather, it is on an affordable communications solution that integrates multiple UC applications on a single platform, including voice, mobility, messaging, conferencing, presence, and contact center capabilities that extends to all devices a person may use, enabling mobility.  The question becomes, “Can I get end-to-end collaboration capabilities, ready-to-run virtualization, an open and interoperable architecture, in a solution that is affordable, secure, and easy-to manage?” Read on for the answer. 

In today’s world, the workplace is no longer a place you go but instead it’s a thing you do. There are more remote workers now than ever before, and businesses need to be flexible with their workers in order to keep them happy and productive—not to mention in order to stay competitive. Allowing workers to be remote, though, means that outdated communication systems have got to go. On top of this, IT departments need to maintain and ensure the security of their data across all modes of communication. So how do you strike a balance between mobility and security? 

I can tell you that Cisco has a solution. Business Edition 6000 can help to improve business processes and collaboration throughout your entire organization. It can boost productivity, allow you to customize collaboration, let you respond quickly and effectively to your customers­­—improving satisfaction and loyalty—and reduce operations complexity. What I love most about it is that it comes with all the collaboration applications you may need. Don’t need (or want to pay for) them all? That’s fine. Just “turn on” (via licensing) the ones you need.

Worried about security?  Or how your communication technology might facilitate server virtualization and cloud-based applications? Check out this podcast by Manoj Bhatia for more information. He talks about all of this and more, and ultimately how to get rid of the old and bring in the new.