U.S. Businesses Improve Productivity with VoIP

More than 79 percent of U.S. businesses will have a VoIP solution in place by 2013, according to a recent survey completed by a telecom provider.

As costs shrink to almost zero with a business VoIP product, by implementing these solutions companies can see an increase of about $1,000 in productivity savings for a company with 10 employee moves or changes in a year.

Organizations should consider a range of metrics when they calculate the return on investment (ROI) for business VoIP; however there are a few elements that should be closely analyzed.

First, businesses are encouraged to choose a business VoIP provider that does not charge for employee office moves and changes. The current average cost is $105 per move/change and this can be significantly reduced by leveraging VoIP.

Second, the chosen solution should help employees to seamlessly route their calls using a telephony toolbar and they should not have to manage multiple cabling infrastructures since the phone and Internet are converged into a single network.

Additionally, a capability to look for is the “find me/follow me” function that results in fewer missed calls and more sales and business opportunities from current and potential customers. A single inbox for voicemail and email should be in place as well to allow for faster response time and improved customer satisfaction and retention.

Late last month, Nextiva, a company that specializes in business VoIP solutions that increase efficiency in the workplace, received a new round of funding from both private equity and venture capital investors. 

The funding will help to support the company’s 2012 business plans to continue to up the ante on technology development, hiring, as well as sales, marketing tools and resources. The newly attained money will also enable the company to keep its leadership position in the growing industry, while simultaneously keeping its competitive edge against other telecommunications providers due its innovative offerings.