Business Phone System

IP-based telephony often is touted as the be-all and end-all of next-generation, business phone systems and other IT applications. Perhaps that is true, but it also remains true that no technology can be all things to all businesses; one-size-fits-all solutions rarely work well.

 

This is especially true in the small to medium-sized business market, where, depending on the nature of products or services being offered, very specific requirements for a business phone system may need to be met.

 

A report from IDC (News - Alert) out this week backs up that observation. In the report, the industry research firm notes that SMBs, when choosing next-generation information technology (IT) solutions (such as business phone systems and other IP-based solutions), are paying increasing attention to industry-specific products.

 

Fifty-one percent of SMBs surveyed for the report indicate that, when it comes to IT solutions, they already are using packaged software and are much more interested in supplementing current applications than investing in new solutions.

 

While this report focuses broadly on IT, it definitely has specific applicability for the business phone system/voice solutions market. If SMBs are finding it necessary to develop systems already in place rather than rip and replace, then providers of IP PBXs like FacetCorp’s (News - Alert) FacetPhone would be well served to make sure their solutions meet the needs of various industries from the start, or provide a relatively painless migration path to enhanced features.

 

FacetPhone is a good example, because it’s designed to meet just such needs. It’s an IP-PBX that runs on industry-standard servers using industry-standard VoIP gateways on a company’s local or wide area network. Individual components of FacetPhone can be replaced or added as technology or the needs of an SMB changes.

 

When it comes to the incidence of SMBs seeking out customized or industry-specific applications, not all industries are created equal. IDC found, for example, that the sector with the highest need for customization is the banking industry.

 

Geographically, the demand for customization also varies. Spanish and German SMBs generally prefer packaged apps, while Italian companies look for customized solutions.

 

While some SMB needs are pretty clearly industry-specific, though, one thing seems true across the board: IDC found that the majority of small companies are much more likely to add functionality to existing systems, integrate various applications, or add new modules—rather than deploy new solutions from scratch.

 

“SMBs will focus their 2007 investments on ERP [enterprise resource planning], industry-specific applications, and CRM, adding new modules or undergoing custom functional modifications,” IDC analyst Nina Bonagura said in a statement. “The implementation of new solutions to replace old ones is more evident in the ERP area, especially among U.K. SMBs.”

 

IDC analyst Giuliana Folco added: “SMBs need to move from a fragmented approach to security investments to a more integrated and viable security strategy that leverages investments already made in the past. Vendor support will be essential in this move.”

 

To learn more about FacetCorp’s SMB-centric business phone system, please visit the company’s TMCnet.com channel, Business Phone System.