Since COVID-19 hit, interoffice communication has been a challenge for many companies. Because it happened so quickly, most were not prepared to make the change from working in the office to working from home.

But there were some companies that had a business model with the flexibility to work remotely. They had already been working under at least a hybrid version of that model for years. These were more able to weather the shutdowns and restrictions. Others had business models in which they had to work from the office. They had not yet previously explored the remote possibilities.

As an IT Service company, we have technicians moving throughout the southern parts of Idaho and the northern parts of Utah on a regular basis. Our business requires us to be consistently remotely connected. So, we were one of the companies that had already incorporated the remote interoffice communication and collaboration tools.

Interoffice Communication
& The Cloud

The number one tool that all businesses need to start with to maintain communication in a remote working environment is the Cloud. But what exactly is the Cloud? The Cloud is a large group of Internet Servers that store your data and services – software and applications. In the stone ages, everything had to be stored locally on your personal computer’s hard drive or on your company’s server. That made it so you could only access them from a specific location. But now, through Cloud Computing, data and services are stored on a network of computers that give you access from any location, even from your mobile phone.

The recent pandemic has made it very clear why using the Cloud is vital in maintaining business communication. Being a technology company, we have been using cloud tools like Autotask PSA and Microsoft Teams for a while.

Autotask PSA

A PSA is a Professional Services Automation system. It is a technology platform that provides a large array of communication tools like the following:

• expense management
• service desk
• project management
• CRM
• Ticketing system
• time tracking
• invoicing
• resource planning
• business intelligence
• notes and messaging

This system is crucial for our external communication with clients and our internal communication with service engineers. Other businesses use a similar type of software that is specifically created for their type of business. Medical offices use EHR (electronic health records) and EMR (electronic medical records). Accounting offices use accounting software packages. And fulfillment centers use logistics software.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is an interoffice communication tool that also provides a large array of tools under one roof. There’s no shortage of communication tools on the market, but we have found Teams to be the one bond holding it all together during this pandemic. In our experience, using multiple devices or programs to do our jobs is not as efficient as using one stream-lined tool. With Teams, we can track our processes and workflows, host conversations around certain projects or tasks, and share files. Additionally, you can access Teams on your desktop or mobile device.

The most useful features of Microsoft Teams for us have been:

Chat

Video Conferencing

Channels

File Sharing

Interoffice Communication through Chat

No matter where we are or what time of day, we can receive a chat message. It comes in exactly like a text message on our mobile phones, desktop computers, and laptops. If we’re working from home or in the field, we can still stay connected with the rest of our team members. If we can’t respond to the message immediately, we receive the traditional notification, and the message is saved in a secure location until we can. We can review the history of any conversation in the chat string.

Video Conferencing Is a Touch Away

We can start a video chat with the touch of one button. Microsoft Teams tracks Co-worker availability – free, busy, or offline. This way we know when someone can take our video call. And one really nice advantage is the video quality is high whether we’re using our desktop or mobile phone.

Video conferencing is also great for company meetings. It has a capacity of 250 people. It’s easy to invite someone from outside of our organization to a video meeting by sending them a link. They can access the meeting via their browser.

Channels Organize Interoffice Communication

A channel is a private group that only invited team members can see. We have set up channels for departments like service engineers, sales, and marketing. Additionally, segregating individual projects has increased our organization and productivity. Channels house all of our discussions and documents. It’s a lot easier to catch up on a project when it is all in one place.

File Sharing through Chat Facilitates Project Management

Because some team members are in Idaho and others are in Utah, we have to remotely collaborate on all projects. Through the chat we share out links, co-authored articles, agendas, pdfs, presentations, videos, images, screen shots, and spreadsheets. The files are stored in Teams by channel. We access them by clicking on the “Files” button in the top menu. During video conference meetings, we share the agenda and other files that we’re working on together. Teams makes communication and collaboration even better than face to face meetings.

Working remotely doesn’t have to be an overwhelming challenge. If your company is still struggling with it, please Contact Us Here or give us a call at (844) 400-0616. We can help you get set up with the Cloud services you need like Microsoft Teams to regain efficient interoffice communication and productivity.

Learn more about Microsoft Teams features and capabilities

Deciding which phone system is best for your business takes time to plan, research, and shop. To make an informed decision, you need to know what your choices are and the pros and cons of each. The phone system you want is one that meets your business’ needs. Because your business is unique, what works for another business may not work for yours. But if you want to replace or upgrade your phone system, you will need to choose between a PBX and a VoIP system.

What is a PBX System?

A PBX phone system is the on-premise phone system that has been in use for decades. It only came with direct copper wire line-to-line connections but in recent years has more options for the circuit that connects to it. If connected to the phone network with analog or digital lines, you are physically connected through the exchange network.

What is a VoIP System?

With a VoIP system, voice signals are converted into packets of data that are transmitted over the Internet. That means when you call a client, these signals travel through your network and out to the Internet.

Don’t get confused with the different types of VoIP systems that are out there. There are the following three options to choose from:

1. On-premise VoIP System, Self-managed (you manage this system yourself)
2. On-premise VoIP System, Partner-managed (a provider manages this system for you, but its brains are located at your place of business)
3. Hosted VoIP System, Partner-managed (a provider manages this system for you, but its brains are located in the cloud)

Another confusing point is that there are a variety of names people are using for VoIP. They are all referring to the same type of internet phone system. Here are a few of them:

• Hosted VoIP
• Hosted Voice
• Cloud Voice
• IP telephony
• Internet telephony
• Broadband telephony
• Broadband phone service

Read more about what a VoIP System is.

The Plan: Questions you need to answer for your business

• How many users do you have?
• Is everyone centrally located or geographically dispersed?
• How will they use your phone system?
• What features are you looking for in a phone system?
• What is your growth trajectory?
• How much are you spending on your current phone plan?
• What is your budget for your new phone system?

Comparing Costs

VoIP is the less expensive system compared to PBX. It requires less hardware, which ends up costing you less to install. You will need VoIP-enabled phones and a connection to the Internet. Your monthly bills are also lower with the VoIP system and your billing is less complicated because your Internet and phone bill are often combined.

Comparing Reliability

Direct copper wire line-to-line connections are always more reliable than Internet connections, which sometimes experience downtime or bandwidth limits. The quality of your VoIP connection will vary based on the quality of your Internet connection. If your Internet or power goes down, so will your phone system. PBX systems are set up independent of your internet.

Because of this, some businesses who choose VoIP will keep a few backup analog lines for emergency alarms that send signals to the fire or police department or for their fax machines that don’t work well with VoIP.

Comparing Flexibility

If you want more flexibility in terms of adding or removing users, choose the VoIP system. You can add as many users as your network’s bandwidth allows and increasing your bandwidth is usually an easier task than increasing PBX capacity.

PBX systems are not known for their flexibility. They are installed with the number of phone lines you initially choose. If your company grows and you need more phone lines or capacity, you will have to have a provider come out and install them.

A quality phone system that is compatible with your company’s needs is key to clear communication and productivity. We hope this guide helps you in your decision process of whether to go with a VoIP phone system or a PBX. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please give Fred (Idaho) or Joe (Utah) a call at (844) 400-0616.

Read a story about how our service engineers repaired a client’s VoIP phone system when they were experiencing Dropped VoIP Calls and Intermittent Internet Connection.