What to Consider When Setting Up Your Business Communications
Modern businesses revolve around communications. Setting up the perfect communications infrastructure is key to business success. You need to ensure that your business network is adequate to support the flow of communications through your organisation. You also need to ensure that you have the right set-up that suits the way you want your company to operate. Having the right communications can make all the difference in terms of operational efficiency, costs and the level of service you are able to offer your customers. Here are a few things to consider when setting up your business communications.
Business telephone lines
Choosing the right business telephone lines is vital. It will determine the equipment that you are able to use as well as the number of users that can be supported. Having business telephone lines installed can be costly, so it’s important to make the right choice the first time. There’s no point simply choosing the cheapest option, only to have to pay for upgrades a few months down the line when it becomes apparent that your phone lines are no longer adequate for your needs.
When it comes to business telephone lines, there are three main options. You can choose between PSTN (basic analogue lines), ISDN (digital lines) and SIP (VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol). Analogue lines are rarely used by businesses these days. They don’t support many users and only offer the most basic features. Consequently, these lines are only really adequate for very small businesses with minimal requirements. In comparison, ISDN lines are much more widely used. These lines allow you to make multiple simultaneous calls and you can choose between ISDN2 and ISDN30, depending on the number of required users. Both options offer the same features, including all of the basic features as well as some more advanced features. Alternatively, SIP/VoIP offers an alternative to traditional phone lines. With VoIP, calls are made over an internet connection and you can enjoy a full range of advanced features. This option is suitable for businesses of all sizes and offers easy scalability, allowing users to be added or removed instantly to suit your requirements at any given time. The only downside is that a decent internet connection is required.
When choosing business telephone lines, then, the key factors to consider are the features that your business needs and the number of users that you need to support. It’s also important to factor in any future growth to ensure that your phone lines will serve your needs for some time to come. The location of your premises can also determine which lines are a more feasible option, as this can impact factors such as the quality of internet connections available (determining the suitability of VoIP) and the type of cabling that needs to be used (which can impact on cost).
Business telephone systems
When it comes to business telephone systems, there’s plenty of choice available. There are three main types of phone system – KSU, PBX and VoIP – however, there are variations within these categories and hybrid options available. KSU systems are the most basic and are only really suitable for very small businesses with minimal users and limited requirements for expansion. PBX systems can support many more users and offer much more advanced features. These systems are also highly scalable, so they can be extended to support a greater number of users as your business grows. With VoIP phone systems, calls are made over the internet. These phone systems are typically much lower on call costs and offer many advanced features at no extra cost, making them an extremely cost-effective option. VoIP phone systems are suitable for businesses of all sizes and offer instant scalability – up or down – whenever it’s required. You can either opt for an on-premises VoIP system or a hosted system. The only downside, for some, is that a decent internet connection is required.
When it comes to choosing the specific system, there are options from many different manufacturers and the features and costs can vary substantially. There’s something to suit the needs of businesses of varying sizes and budgets. The key factors to consider are the features that you need, your budget, the number of users that you need to support and any future growth. Consider whether you need to connect offices in different locations or integrate mobile workers, as some systems will offer these capabilities and others won’t.
Data cabling
The right data cabling is extremely important; your cabling network will determine the performance of your equipment and will be a key factor determining the efficiency of your operations. High-quality data cabling makes all the difference. Your cabling infrastructure is a significant investment that you should expect to last you between 10-20 years. Your office hardware will go through several upgrade cycles during this period, so it’s important to ensure that your cables can support new technologies as they emerge, without compromising the performance. It is likely that you will need a combination of different cables in your network – Cat5 cabling, Cat6 cabling, fibre optics and telecoms cabling as well as wireless solutions may all play a part.
When it comes to data cabling, it’s important to consult a reliable telecoms provider to help you design the perfect network. Make sure that the provider you choose has plenty of experience and uses high-quality cabling. The quality of the cabling and the standard of installation will impact on network performance, so don’t compromise just to cut costs as it could end up being much more expensive in the long run when you have to pay for early upgrades or additional maintenance and repairs.
Business mobiles
When setting up your business communications, it’s important to consider the role that mobile communications will play. Business operations, in general, are becoming more mobile. Most businesses, these days, utilise mobile communications to some degree. Do you simply want to have a fleet of business mobiles or do you want your mobile communications to be integrated with your main business telephone system? With integrated mobiles, you can have calls routed to mobile devices without callers having to dial different numbers, effectively making mobile devices extensions to your main phone system. This helps to minimise lost calls and allows you to support more flexible working.
You should consider whether you want to invest in company devices or operate a BYOD (bring your own device) policy. BYOD can save money on hardware costs but you may need to invest in tighter security measures to mitigate risks, so it’s important to do some research and weigh up the pros and cons. When choosing a mobile network, it’s important to consider coverage in your area and whether you will need mobile signal boosters in your premises.
There’s plenty to think about when setting up your business communications. Don’t consider each element in isolation, but think about how each element will work in combination with others as part of an entire network. Fully integrated communications help to streamline your operations and reduce costs. Take some time to think about the specific needs and requirements of your business and then approach a reputable provider for assistance.