the 9 most important things to consider when upgading your phone system revised edition

© IP Gen Pty Ltd 2012 | www.ipgen.com.au | 1300 851 411 | page 1 All Rights reserved

The 9 Most Important

Things To Consider

When Purchasing a

Phone System

What is Beyond the Desk Phone?

By Greg Eicke


LEGAL NOTICE

The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this report, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Industry.

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. Any perceived slights of specific persons, peoples, or organisations are unintentional.

In practical advice books, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of savings made. Readers are cautioned to rely on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.

This book is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting and finance fields.


Introducing the founders of IP Gen Greg Eicke and Colin McKenzie have been working at the leading edge of voice communications for the past 29 years. In that time we’ve found that most companies are interested in two things when it comes to their phone technology. Firstly, how to increase their productivity with better voice and data communication and secondly, how to reduce the phone bill. we bring great news for the business owner who is looking for impressive productivity increases and equally enjoyable cost savings. Another key frustration for businesses is the sheer complexity of many phone and data solutions. The good news is that communications complexity ends with IP Gen! As do all of its painful implications. Almost three decades in this industry has enabled us to develop what we call ‘brilliantly simple’ phone solutions. These solutions will make communications and collaboration second nature for your workforce. And of course they save you big dollars in ongoing phone costs… another reason why they are brilliant! Now onto the ’9 Most Important Things to Consider when Upgrading Your Phone System…’ We put this document together to help people become aware of where the pitfalls are when purchasing new phone solutions and what options you have available to you. We’ve been able to piece all of this together because for the better part of our career’s we’ve installed, maintained and sold Telephone Systems. This has also allowed us to provide sound advice from ‘Feet on the Street and Hands on Technical Experience’ so that our clients get the best solution and value for money

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The nine most important questions you need to ask before you purchase a phone system.

1. What is beyond the desk phone?

We communicate in a bewildering array of ways every day, but we give little thought to the potential profit and efficiency increases of modern communications integrated into business processes. In most cases these technologies are almost always isolated Silo based, which means little or no integration and the true potential of the device or application is not realised. Here are some ideas you may not have considered.

? PC based applications – Softphones, Instant Messaging, Chat, VoIP. ? Smart Mobile Phones ? Tablets such as the iPad, Samsung Galaxy, BlackBerry Playbook. ? Screen Sharing where others can see your desk top ? Conferencing ? Voice Mail to email ? Video ? Fax to the desk top and smart phone ? Instant Messaging and chat ? Integrated Unified Communications Platforms, not Silo based system

used in isolation.

Some considerations about your business processes

? Do all employees work in the office or not? ? How do employees connect when they work remotely or travel ? Can I adopt IP telephony with my existing system?

Is the sales person trying to baffle you with techno babble and sell you on features that you don’t really need, offer no business improvement and may rarely use? A true professional telco expert will expand your knowledge and reveal ideas where you can gain significant financial advantage from smart telephony features.


2. Do I really need a Digital Key Telephone System or a more comprehensive Unified Communications (UC) solution?

Look beyond the phone system and Telco bills. It’s easy to stay put and stick with the status quo, however the world around us is changing very fast. The last big change was from Analog to Digital in the late 90’s. The development of digital has long since ceased making way for IP Telephony and unified communications.

The impact of smart phones places every user in easy reach with instant email, chat, Instant Message, presence, voice mail to email …

Just stop for a moment and think of when you didn’t have a mobile phone, let alone a smart phone. “How did I cope” I hear you say, well let’s look at telephone systems is the same light.

If you need some of these features … you need a DIGITAL system

Low hardware costs. Ease of maintenance. Basic call handling. Low IT literacy of Staff. Analog equipment like cordless phones and fax machines. Cordless Phones for staff on the move. Traditional PSTN & ISDN lines. Simple Voice Mail.

You need to purchase a Digital Key Telephone System

If you need some of these features ….

Multiple Branch Offices – so you can appear as ‘one’ to your customers.

Roaming staff between branch offices – simply log into your phone just like you do for your PC.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software Integration / email / voice mail

Access to key staff regardless of location – Teleworking Fast accurate access to contacts – means you can use familiar

CRM contact software to launch calls. Desktop Telephony Software for enhanced telephony features


Increased staff efficiencies and productivity – Many tiny improvements make quite a difference overall result.

In house administration which means lower cost of ownership. User Presence Information – know whether a person is busy

before you call. Advanced Call Management Conference calls so you can avoid the hefty cost incurred by carrier

supplied conference bridges. Central Telephone Operator / Reception means you can potentially

save thousands on staff wages. Desktop Fax – Means you can send direct from your desk top and

receive direct to your inbox. Perfect for sales orders, support requests and personal fax’s.

Instant Message across your enterprise Video conferencing – So users can easily take advantage of the

power of video, perfect for support sessions and when you need a face to face meeting with a colleague in another state or city.

Staff Mobility – So you be sure customers can reach staff with a single call no matter where they are and be able to work from anywhere.

Web Collaborative Conferencing – so you can easily create conference calls and share your desk top screen saving thousands on travel expenses.

Call Recording – So you can maintain best practices and enhance customer service.

You need to purchase a Unified Communications or IP Telephony solution

What is Unified Communications? Unified communications bridges the gap between IP Telephony and other computer related communication technologies.

Unified Communications is not a single product, but a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types.

What is IP Telephony? IP (Internet protocol) telephony is a technology that supports telephone calls on your computer network. In the office you will see that your telephone can now plug into the same cable as your computer bringing both devices and their full potential closer together.


3. How can I leverage the flexibility of mobile smart phones and tablets?

It takes more than a laptop and mobile phone to keep remote employees connected today Being connected means instant access no matter where and when. Many telephony manufacturers have developed applications for smart phones and tablets so users can instantly access the same information on their mobile devices just like they would on their desk top in the office.

Did you know?

60% of employees say they don’t need to be in an office 32% of employees globally now rely on more than one mobile device

38% of employees are most productive at home

Cisco Systems Mobility Survey, 2012

… The daily commute to work is stressing out Australian workers more than ever and technology is badly needed to improve things, according to a new study… technological solutions include introducing greater flexibility to work from home (35%)…

The smart phone has revoultionised our world, here are some ideas for you to consider.

– Empower mobile smart phones and tablets with Telephony applications so users can be productive no matter where they are.

– Before you call, instantly know if a person is busy or unavailable no matter where you are.

– One number contact features for key employees like “Find Me”, “Follow Me” and “Mobile Twinning”.

– Leverage flexibility with dynamic call routing like Have your mobile ring at the same time as your desk phone Have your mobile or desk phone ring based on the location of

your mobile phone using GPS coordinates.


4. Can I extend the value of my other business investments? You can potentially re harvest the initial investment in many other business applications enhancing business processes and employee efficiency. A small improvement in each business process amplified over each employee is a tangible and significant financial gain.

Seamlessly integrating communication and collaboration tools is essential for businesses wanting to remain ahead of the competition. Mobile employees, geographically diverse customers and demanding shareholders require access to communication tools that are flexible and easy to use.

By centralising and managing these capabilities provides your business with a transparent and scalable solution. Accelerated business processes and decision-making are key benefits that our customers experience because they have immediate access to people, data and applications: anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Imagine beginning an email or instant message to a colleague then realising that person is on line. Instead, you decide to connect with them via video from your desktop to discuss the content of your original message ... instantly. That is the power of unified communications.

Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) integration so you can click to dial, know who’s calling before you answer, easily logs calls from customers.

Voice Mail to email integration so you never miss an important message again.

Fax integration which means you can receive fax no matter where and when.

Multi party conference, collaborate with other staff easy and very cost effectively.

Desk Top Screen sharing takes conferencing to the next level.

Identify where integration can have a big impact. A tiny gain for each phone call or business process cannot be ignored.

– What are employees asking for? – How can you help improve productivity? – Cloud offerings increase flexibility and capability. – Look beyond the phone system.


Communications Enabled Business Processes is where you’ll see Unified Communications on steroids. You can build on your telephony solution investment gaining in many other areas of your business.

– Very Efficient. – Very Productive. – Improved investment value. – Enhanced strategic value. – Server and Cloud based Sales Force.com, Netsuite and Microsoft

Dynamics CRM – Microsoft Outlook

5. Have you considered all available options? What are the latest innovations?

? Cloud based solutions – Proven, Flexible and very capable ? What’s going on beyond the desk phone ? Mobility – Smart Phones and Tablets ? SIP trunking for lower call costs ? Unified Communications ? Presence – Beyond conventional telephony

– Instant Message – Chat – Text – Video – Availability – Make only one call – No Telephone Tag – More Efficient – Excellent Strategic Value

? Desk top Video – Beyond conference rooms, collaborate with staff and customers.

? Live video presentations and web seminars. ? High Definition Audio and Video – lots more value

Changing, upgrading or modifying one communication component can potentially impact your other communication means.

– So have you considered all aspects and potential implications? – Will your Telephone System keep up with the changing world? – Is your telephone system capable and flexible?

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7. Scalable - Don’t under estimate and overestimate growth.

Your customer needs may change over time and new competitors with better technology will certainly come your way. Don’t get stuck with massive hardware investments. Long term contracts should be avoided and don’t get cornered into an expensive “forklift” upgrade. Due diligence is key here.

8. Your phone system is not a commodity – Telephones are critical to the success of any business, don’t base your decision on price. Telephone calls may be a commodity, don’t get caught in the fatal trap of bundling your calls with the purchase of your phone system. The rule of thumb is “bundle and beware”, this is where telcos are only interested in your monthly spend not how to improve your business.

Telephone systems cannot be purchased anywhere; it must be specifically designed and engineered for your business needs. A correctly designed telephony system will return your investment faster through more efficient business processes so you can lead your competition and gain more market share.

It’s not just about the phone calls. Understand the value a good system can provide. Empower your business with advanced features like “Follow me” and

“Find Me”. Make sure it supports every part of your business.

Leverage its capabilities with other business processes.

Cost Verses Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Beware of hidden costs. The phone bill is only part of the real cost. Here are some things to consider.

Upfront Investment for hardware and phones Installation and cabling Ongoing administration and maintenance Upgrades and enhancements Remote access and diagnostics Adds moves and changes IT personnel involvement during deployment Eco friendly Training

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the 9 most important things to consider when upgading your phone system revised edition

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