There is no denying we’re a society that likes to meet and communicate. Monday staff meetings. Emails. Instant messages. Phone calls. PowerPoint presentations. Webinars. Until recently, all of these had to be done across multiple communications tools and was complex and disparate.
Skype for Business brings it all under one affordable, scalable, all around easy platform. Screen sharing, presentation capabilities, instant meetings, messaging, email and calendar integration, presence reporting, and phone calls.
Does your office phone system have the features you need for your business? Check these 9 features to find out:
- It’s easy to use. Of all the features Skype for Business offers, this is the most pleasant and unexpected. Skype for Business has simple administration, a graphic user-interface and user-friendly plug-and-play type technology that makes it easy for any company to set up and any employee to quickly join the network.
- It’s low cost and doesn’t require a long-term lock in. Big investments and long-term commitments are a thing of the past. They tie you down to the desk for years. Skype for Business is a nominal, per user cost that doesn’t involve any commitment. Not only do you no longer have to purchase devices and instances that you won’t use, but you won’t be tethered to any communications system as your company grows and changes.
- Simple set up. Setting up Skype for Business is simpler than traditional unified communications platforms or on-premises that require a large investment and complex infrastructure. It is a simple download. You can easily move between providers and port numbers with ease. You can even use the handsets you already have. If you’re using handsets, that is.
- It works globally. Your phones should be able to call easily in just about any country Cloud phones are rapidly expanding to develop the infrastructure and standards required to dial from other countries. In the meantime, those countries are accessible from North America quite easily with software like Skype for Business.
- Mobile-friendly. Cloud systems like Skype for Business work with a variety of end points. Employees are free to work from whatever device they’re comfortable with. They can work at home on their laptop, switch to cellular if the internet is down or dial in to calls on their tablets – it doesn’t matter what the device is, their phone is actually a software application, not a device.
- Emergency features work. 9-1-1 dialing is a requirement for all phone systems, and cloud is no exception. Previously, the challenge was location tracking, but that has long since been addressed. With e911 features, cloud phones like Skype for Business can be used in an emergency and will offer location tracking regardless of where you are.
- User-friendly conferencing. In the old world, phone systems required you to know the magic buttons to push to invite other people onto a call, forward a call, hold calls or switch to a conference. Skype for Business simplifies all of that and adds collaboration tools to boot. With a graphic-based user interface, it’s a matter of clicking visual icons that make sense to add new people to a call, flip on video or desktop sharing and create meetings.
- Video and collaboration tools. Skype for Business has a unique ability to do everything from instant messaging to regular person-to-person calls to video conferences, webinars, document reviews or collaboration. All with a few simple, straightforward steps. No cheat sheet required.
- Open Standard. It used to be that everything related to your phone was proprietary. Only Mitel phones and switches worked with a Mitel system, and so forth. As the legacy providers fall one by one, this model is dwindling fast. Skype for Business offers the ability to use anything for headsets, handsets and cameras.
Companies are looking for advanced functionality in their communications at a time when most businesses need to lower their expenses. The cost of communication used to be hefty, but it doesn’t need to be anymore. You can gain access to more advanced features than ever before, retain the essential features you’re used to and spend only a fraction of the cost. What are you waiting for? Phones have advanced. Make sure your next investment isn’t a dinosaur.
Phones have you tongue-tied? Contact Nortec and find out how to modernize your communications for less.