A couple of weeks ago we discussed how wired networks still had relevance in the wireless age. Today we’re going to do the same for telephony.
While a lot of attention is directed at mobile, fixed line telephony still has an important part to play in day to day business. Those copper pairs still have a lot of life left in them yet and are happy to prove it. Here are five ways fixed lines benefit business.
1.Non-geographic numbers
Whether we realise it or not, customers value 0800 or 0845 numbers. They not only add an air of legitimacy to a business, they also hint at scale, professionalism and quality. Non-geographic numbers can also be used to generate revenue. NGNs can only reach their potential when used in conjunction with fixed lines.
2.Unified communications
Excalibur are great exponents of unified communications. We think it is the only way forward for the growing business and fixed lines have an important part to play in that. The ability to seamlessly transfer calls between offices or mobile, share data layers on calls and use multiple devices in hunt groups add real business advantage to those that use them.
3.Contact centre services
Contact centre services such as inbound call management, hunt groups, out of hours services and IVR all depend on fixed lines to work at their full potential. While some of these can be configured for mobile, the customer experience is much better using fixed lines.
4.Internet
With only a portion of the UK cabled, many businesses depend on DSL internet to stay connected. That in turn demands fixed line telephony. Without those lines, you don’t have internet. This isn’t going to change for the foreseeable future either as cable is only being laid in a few new developments.
5.Security
While the majority of businesses don’t have to worry about wireless security, there are those that do. It is much, much harder to hack a fixed line than it is to hack mobile. For regulated industries that need fax and secure channels, this security is essential. Given how paranoid the world is right now, that extra layer of security is more important than ever.
There is no doubt that mobile is changing the way we live and work and will eventually dominate the communications market. But that’s not to say fixed lines don’t have a place because they do. They may be legacy technologies but they still have a relevance in the marketplace and until they are superseded by something else, they always will.
