It’s time to admit that the landline is dead. According to a report from the Australian National University (ANU), July 31, 1995, has been dubbed “the day the landline telephone learned that it was terminally ill”, referencing the very same day that India’s first phone call was made from a mobile device.

“For disruption and social change, the mobile may have been the biggest thing since shoes,” the report explains. “It wasn’t sudden death for the landline. There were still 26 million landline subscribers in April 2015. But there were 970 million mobile subscribers. They owned devices with powers that would have seemed magical to most of India 20 years ago.”

But this issue is not just exclusive to India or the wider Asia region; since the year 2000, more than 100 million phonelines have been disconnected across the United States, with Verizon leading the charge of deflated telecom companies. Above all else, the landline’s cataclysmic decline reflects the breakneck pace of technological progression, and companies who fail to keep up risk the same calamitous fate.

As the world rides the wave of spreading digitization, businesses are turning to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software to maintain the utmost wellbeing and productivity. These current and innovative systems don’t only bolster overall communication quality and efficiency, but also greatly diminish telecoms expenditure, saving those important pennies you can then invest elsewhere.

But what exactly should you look for in a VoIP system to help your business thrive?

1. Cost Effectiveness

First off, figure out exactly how much you want to pay. It’s important to factor in elements like hardware and installation service costs, as well as to acknowledge how much your provider will charge to update and generally maintain your new imported system. For instance, a hosted VoIP service might require a lower start-up budget and no maintenance fees, but could also come lumbered with regular monthly fees that add up over time. A solution could seem great for the company now, but will it translate to its long-term plans?

The best VoIP vendor will tailor each solution to suit specific business needs – because there’s no point paying for features you find of little use. A smaller business may not utilize the international dial function, for example, but for a larger enterprise with a significant global presence, this is a necessity.

In a nutshell, there is never a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to VoIP systems.

2. Workforce Mobility

The 21^st century world is competitive, fast-moving and dynamic, so why restrict progression by condemning staff to the boardroom or the desk? This year’s all about high-quality connectivity, and giving people the power to work in any place at any time. Whether on the train, overseas or working from home, your employees will never miss a conference or a call with an integrated mobile VoIP system.

3. Outstanding Customer Service

To ensure you receive the best assistance now and into the future, it’s certainly worth checking out ratings and reviews of potential vendors before you commit to buy. Look for a history of reliability, fault-tolerant components and near-zero downtime. Another thing to observe is customer service quality, because you will need support to fall back on should you ever find a spanner in the works. Find out the availability of customer support reps and analyse how easy it will be to track them down should you VoIP system ever be at fault.

If you’re keen to invest in a new corporate telecommunications system, remember that finding a provider who adapts to your needs while promising strong, long-term network of support is just as important as the product itself. When shopping for the system, keep these considerations at the forefront of your mind, because seamless, connected and mobile communication will elevate both your business and your workforce to new connected heights.

Here are five global players leading the field in VoIP solutions…

YEASTAR

Since 2006, Yeastar has been refining strong and cost-effective VoIP products to enrich the corporate workplace.

Yeastar’s cutting-edge S-Series VoIP PBX, for example, provides seamless connection to TDM, VoIP, and GSM/3G networks. It’s as versatile as it is scalable – attributes you’d be hard-pushed to find in any existing market product.

Driven by new-fangled processor technology, the S-Series represents a system you can trust, embodying one of the highest MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) the industry has known. Built on the foundations of Asterisk 13, the S-Series is powered by sheer strength and is dedicated to your company’s needs. Above all else, one thing you can be guaranteed of is that the Yeastar S-Series blends flexible modular design, business-elevating features, and reliable performance in one integrated, trailblazing solution. Read the full profile….

MITEL

As a company that offers end-to-end solutions for high-quality corporate communication, Mitel is a recognized leader in VoIP services for all business sizes. Expertly blending communication with mobility and the cloud, the company provides a diverse range of products to suit your every business need, presenting a number of public, private and hybrid solutions that revolutionize cloud-based communications.

Mitel is receptive and contemporary, understanding that modern business demands a heap of tools. From desks to mobile phones, email to instant messaging, voicemail to presence information, to audio, video and web conferencing capabilities; the Mitel VoIP portfolio converges these assets in one integrated system that’s convenient to manage.

“Organizations are quickly moving applications to the cloud and realizing real benefits,” the company website notes. “With Mitel, you get the flexibility and rich premise-grade communication features you want in your choice of public, private or hybrid cloud deployment models.” Read the full profile…

ATCOM

ATCOM technology embodies a world-leading provider of VoIP solutions. Working alongside clients to cater to their needs, the company serves to maximize the value of VoIP communication, offering competitive terminals like IP phone and total solution for IP BPX suppliers, softswitch, IMS, and NGN providers and carriers to millions of clients in more than 100 countries.

“ATCOM is the first company in mainland China who introduced IP phone to the market, leaded the development of VoIP industry in China and push the R&D and manufacturing center to transfer to China in the world,” the company website notes.

“ATCOM is the first company in the world to introduce call center IP phone in the market, [leading] the IP phone to be more professional and diversified in [the] CTI industry,” ATCOM explains, empowering global business through the provision of a cutting-edge VoIP solution that optimizes the user experience and creates a wealth of value.

RINGCENTRAL

This organization offers cost-effective services for an advanced corporate VoIP solution. Pledging unrivalled functionality, reliability and value, RingCentral Office is as easy to set up as it is convenient to manage.

Lift your current corporate communication system with enterprise-class voice, fax, text, call handling, mobile apps, and BYOD capacity. And to make the transition simple and stress-free, your new phone system flawlessly merges with Salesforce, Oracle, Zendesk, Desk, Box, Dropbox, Google and Microsoft.

Complemented by visionary help functions like auto-attendant, call forwarding, answering rules and advanced voicemail service, RingCentral Office allows your entire staff base to keep on top of calls and thus considerably bolsters workplace productivity. Standing among the world’s most elite VoIP vendors, the RingCentral app connects directly to your smart device, supporting business as usual in any space and time.

*Some of the companies featured in this article are commercial partners of Tech Wire Asia