subject: Hosted Telephony Solutions [print this page] Many organisations are recognising the flexibility which an externally hosted telephony service offers. At Numberstore, we've identified the 10 features of hosted telephony most frequently cited by our customers:
* Using an "overlay" number, be it geographic (i.e. a standard area code number) or non-geographic (0800, 0845, 0844, premium rate) allows organisations to grow without concern about the scalability of their inbound telecommunications. Frequently, companies outgrow their premises and a relocation often means a new telephone number. This can be extremely disrupting for customers and arrangements for changed number announcements have to be made. An overlay number avoids the need for new allocation as calls are simply redirected to the underlying destination number when the organisation relocates. This provides continuity of service for the company's callers.
* Online control ensures that call routing can be updated quickly and easily. This may be of particular benefit in a "crisis-management" situation such as an office evacuation. The telephony administrator simply logs into a web-based control panel and sets temporary routing to a new destination (for example, another site, a telephone call answering company, staff mobile numbers or voicemail services) ensuring that important inbound calls are not lost.
* Intelligent call management features are bundled in the service plans offered by hosted communications providers such as Numberstore. By obtaining such features using a software platform (rather than a hardware PBX approach) significant OPEX and CAPEX savings can be made. Typically, call management features include the following functionality:
o Call Hunt Groups;
o IVR Menus;
o Time of Day Routing Plans;
o Voice to Email Services;
o Fax to Email Services;
o Intelligent Location-Based Routing.
* Inbound call statistics provide invaluable information to organisations pertaining to the efficiency of their internal call handling (average call duration, time to answer, number of missed calls, call delivery paths) and the effectiveness of their marketing and promotional activities.
* Hosted overlay numbers provide anonymity. For obvious reasons, many employees are reluctant to carry two mobile telephones but giving a personal mobile number to business associates is not always desirable. Using an overlay number which routes calls to a mobile during appropriate hours solves this problem.
* A wide choice of numbers is available from many hosted telephony providers. These are frequently priced according to memorability. If your number will always appear in print or on the web, there is not always a requirement for a highly memorable number. However, if your organisation is involved in outdoor promotion, TV and / or radio advertising, a memorable number is highly desirable.
* Non geographic numbers are available across many different call tariffs - from freephone (0800 and 0808) to premium rate numbers (09). The organisation is free to decide how much it is prepared to subsidise inbound calls (for example by using a freephone number) or receive from its callers (typically via special and premium rate numbers - 0871 and 09XX).
* It is possible to deliver calls to a variety of destinations: fixed local and national numbers, mobile numbers and international fixed and mobile numbers seamlessly from the caller's point of view. This allows organisations to provide a "local" number (and tariff) for their callers even though calls may be answered on the other side of the world.
* Numbers can be ported from one provider to another. This ensures that communications providers such as Numberstore remain "on their toes", providing high quality call transit, network availability and customer serivce.
* A hosted solution negates the need for expensive PBX equipment which quickly becomes obsolete. Companies are free to choose the feature set which matches their needs and add new functionality as their requirements change. As with any software development, communications providers are constantly adding new features and improving the call management interface and these upgrades to the system are passed to their customers with each version release (generally with no additional charges).
For further information, please visit Numberstore now.
Numberstore is a trading name of Zimo Communications Limited, a UK digital communications company established with quality of service as its principal objective.
