One survey of CFOs and other finance leaders revealed that 74% of respondents planned to permanently transition 5% or more of their employees to remote positions. As we move toward a world with more and more remote work, office collaboration tools will be front and center for businesses looking to succeed in this new landscape.

What Are Online Collaboration Tools?

Remote collaboration is the process of getting employees to work together and building team rapport regardless of geographic separation. With remote collaboration, teams spread all over the world can work together cohesively and productively through the use of collaboration tools made for businesses.

Online collaboration tools are applications that leverage the internet to provide services essential to remote teamwork. These tools offer teams a way to share documents and other data, communicate instantaneously and easily find the information they need to succeed.

How Do You Collaborate With a Remote Team?

A lot goes into managing a remote team, and it can be difficult to find the right starting point. Here are three key tips to consider when investigating how to improve remote collaboration:

1. Coordinate Timing

Staying on the same page in terms of timing is one of the biggest challenges of managing a remote workforce. Without a clear plan, workers may start adopting odd, inconsistent hours that make smooth communication a challenge. To help set expectations, these are the questions you will need to address for better virtual team collaboration:

• Is everyone working in the same time zone?
• What hours are each employee expected to keep, and how can you create an optimal overlap for those working from different time zones?
• How will workers communicate when they are taking a vacation or a trip?
• Are there any time periods that should be designated as “do not disturb” hours?
• How long should it take for team members to respond to communication, and will it vary by channel?

2. Choose Appropriate Channels

There are multiple formats you can choose to deliver communications virtually. The channel you choose should be related to the urgency of the message, and team members should all have an understanding of the hierarchy. The most common example of channel delineation is direct versus general messaging.

For instance, in Slack, sending someone a direct message is typically an indicator that the communication needs a response as soon as possible. Posting a message in a general channel, on the other hand, could mean it doesn’t need a response right away. Draw up clear expectations of how long team members have to respond to certain channels, so important messages don’t get overlooked, pushed back or forgotten.

3. Increase Communication Rates

With virtual team collaboration, over-communication is the best policy. Whenever any decision is made that affects more than one team member, the whole team should hear about it to ensure everyone stays on the same page. Not every decision needs a whole staff meeting, but at the least, you should have a central place where updates are visible to all appropriate parties.

The Best Remote Collaboration Tools for Businesses

What are the best collaboration tools for remote teams? How can you determine which solutions best fit your needs? Here are seven of the top remote collaboration tools to consider:

1. Zoom

Zoom is an affordable option for businesses large and small that offers all the basics you need in a collaboration tool. Your team can take advantage of videoconferencing, instant messaging across platforms and the ability to share files. Zoom allows you to conduct:

• One-on-one video chats
• Town hall meetings
• Trainings
• Webinars
• Marketing events

2. Microsoft Teams

The Teams offering from Microsoft is ideal if you already use Office 365, as it integrates with the productivity suite for easy file retrieval. Extensions are also available if you need to integrate Teams with non-Microsoft products.

3. Cisco WebEx

If your business relies on frequent meetings to get things done, WebEx is a smart option. The high definition videoconferencing capabilities allow teams to conduct meetings of all kinds, from sales demos to remote tech support. Additionally, WebEx is compatible with mobile devices to increase its versatility.

4. Slack

Slack is a lightweight communication channel with robust features. Its primary purpose is instant messaging, allowing the creation of multiple channels for multiple teams. Slack also allows users to share files and supports video calls.

5. Asana

If your business is heavy on project management, Asana can help you stay organized and on track. Its capabilities include Gantt chart planning, portfolios of project milestones and the ability to monitor each team member’s workload to ensure optimal efficiency. Asana also integrates with other tools like Slack, Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud.

6. ZoHo Project Management

If you are interested in packing as many useful features as possible into your office collaboration tools, ZoHo can satisfy your needs. In addition to remote working tools, like videoconferencing, chat and email integration, ZoHo offers CRM tools and a help desk. Its project management tools keep key members updated about the status of projects and can help with planning, tracking and bug testing. ZoHo also integrates with G Suite.

7. Basecamp

Basecamp has the appealing advantage of its paid service being completely unlimited. If your team or workload is rapidly expanding, you won’t have to worry about running out of user accounts or project slots. Basecamp provides messaging boards, to-do lists, scheduling, file storage and group chat, among other features. Its third-party integration capabilities make it a flexible solution for a wide variety of remote teams.

Contact Merlin Communications to Improve Your Remote Collaboration Today

There is no time to waste when it comes to making your team infrastructure remote work-ready. However, the above options are just a few of the collaboration tools for business, and it may be a challenge to find the one that works best for you.

Merlin Communications is ready to help you select the right conferencing and collaboration tools at the right price point for your Central PA or Northern MD business. If you’re ready to bring your business up to speed with virtual collaboration tools, contact us and get a quote today.

Enter the telecom broker, a qualified specialist ready to answer those questions (and then some) about your telecommunication service expenses, giving you sweet peace of mind.

What Is a Telecom Agent?

Telecom agents, also known as telecom brokers or consultants, counsel clients on their telecommunications service contracts. These contracts include the many voice and data-based communications that are fundamental in a modern office, including:

• Office landlines
• Internet access and services
• Mobile phones and wireless services
• Voice package amenities (caller ID, group or conference calling, call waiting, etc.)
• Fiber-optic technology with internet connection/integration
• Phone line and bandwidth management

Not every telecom agent is identical, though. For example, some brokers are supplier direct while others are supplier-neutral, meaning they do not have a pre-existing sales partnership with a carrier. Ensure you’re working with a supplier-neutral telecom agent to receive objective, unbiased information on service providers fitting your exact needs — not advice netting a sales commission.

Ten Benefits of Using a Telecom Broker

There are several benefits to using an independent telecom agent that any business — regardless of scale, specialty or industry — can experience.

1. Get the Best Telecom Deal

Telecom audits are an often-forgotten way to perform indirect spend analyses, identifying “hidden” or overlooked expenditures poking holes into your monthly budget. Because let’s face it, when was the last time you dove deep into the “federal subscriber line charges” on your bill — or even looked into what the heck something like that means? 

Telecom brokers audit your complete telecommunications bills, assuring you you’re getting the right deal. These experts know how to spot duplicate or erroneous charges as well as secure the best overall telecommunications contract prices, whether you’re interested in switching carriers or just temperature-checking costs.

2. Survey the Supplier Marketplace

Shopping around for new telecommunications carriers can be riddled with frustrations. Some carriers may not be forthright with contract quotes, turn pushy with aggressive sales pitches or promise sign-on deals and discounts that never fully materialize. You’re left with buyer’s remorse, locked into a package that misses the mark.

Telecom consultants perform holistic marketplace surveys matching you with the services you need at the prices you can afford. They filter through the marketplace looking for competitive phone, internet and cloud contracts based solely on your communicated objectives, letting you avoid the sales pitches and marketing promises altogether.

3. Maintain a One-and-Done Partnership

Using an independent telecom broker gives you a single contact for all your telecommunication questions or concerns. That go-to touchpoint is both convenient as well as constructive, allowing an organic relationship to form where your consultant understands your 360° telecommunication needs and pain points.

Their familiarity breeds better business results. You and your staff have one clear contact to reach out to any time issues arise. What’s more, an independent telecom broker offers fewer change-management risks compared to traditional carrier representatives who are more likely to change jobs, creating servicing headaches based on frequent turnover.

4. Get Unbiased Telecom Packages

A supplier-neutral telecom agent provides unparalleled trust and transparency. Few private carriers will offer the same depth and breadth of telecommunications expertise as independent consultants, often because there is no business incentive to do so. After all, carriers make money off selling their own contracts, not analyzing competitors’ contracts for you. 

Working with a supplier-neutral telecom broker also eliminates a high-pressure sales timeline. You vet and research new contracts on your own terms, using your own goals and objectives and without dealing with a pushy salesperson. The result is a telecommunications arrangement that’s less biased in design and less stressful to manage, a double win for you.

5. Receive Customized Offerings

Supplier-neutral telecom brokers make recommendations based on your exact business needs, not off-the-shelf information. That translates into a potential telecommunications suite based on in-depth and personalized research across your:

• Current and past invoices, profiling a more cost-conscious telecom expense management (TEM) plan
• Telecom inventory, determining optimized telecommunications infrastructure
• A thorough telecommunications needs assessment
• Contract recommendations based on what services you truly need versus what you’re currently being charged for

6. Expand Your Servicing Network

Given their carrier independence, telecom consultants must have knowledge of the wide spectrum of telecommunication brands and businesses in your area. Top-tier brokers may even maintain direct business connections with various telecom carriers, including cloud providers and similar commercial IT services.

Telecom agents leverage that knowledge for their clients. They help you shop around to procure best-fit contracts, including service amenities such as integration support or the ability to expedite service claims for quicker resolution.

7. Simplify Invoicing

Current telecommunications invoicing for businesses includes managing multiple service vendors, each with their own billing cycles, transaction-management systems and bookkeeping for your accounts payable personnel to manage.

That means multiple invoices to pour over to check for errors, as well as multiple manual inputting and routing responsibilities. Working with a telecom consultant or conducting a telecom inventory management audit simplifies your accounts payable workloads, ensuring you’re supporting (and paying for) only the technologies you use and even streamlining your final number of monthly invoices.

8. Use the Lastest Communication Technology

Telecom brokers help clients navigate through the rapidly shifting way we talk, connect and make transactions in the business world. As pure phone line-based communications expand into an ever-interconnected, internet-of-things ecosystem with multiple pieces of equipment and cloud-based infrastructure, a telecom broker is there to translate technology into your business framework, then get you the best deals.

9. Harmonized Communication Workflows, Processes

New, expanded or recently merged businesses frequently face challenges when integrating all available communication technology into their new telecom systems. They must also reconsider current phone line and bandwidth availability, among other telecommunications infrastructure capabilities that may no longer be suitably scaled.

Telecom agents ensure team members and office locations aren’t using disparate or ill-fitting technology. This is especially pertinent for organizations with remote or field employees and for employees who travel a lot in their roles yet need to stay connected and cross-functional regardless of location. 

10. Refocus on Your Business

Perhaps the most significant benefit of using a telecom agent is the peace of mind brought by their expertise. Organization leaders can turn their attention back onto what really matters —creating executable business strategies, bettering operations and creating pathways for growth — not obsessing over telecom bills and negotiating contracts.

Are Your Telecommunications Bills Too High?

Get an answer once and for all with a free telecom audit from Merlin Communications. We’ll assess your current telecommunications contracts so you understand what exactly you’re paying for — and more importantly, if there’s a better deal out there.

Are You Paying More than You Should on Your Phone Bill?

Have you ever really looked at your company’s phone bill? And by really looked, have you google what a “Federal Subscriber Line Charge” is? How about a PICC fee? Most people don’t, so don’t feel too bad. If you are one of those people who have looked at your bill, do you check it every month? Have you noticed your phone bill slowly creeping up at all? “We must have been on the phone a lot this month” or “Oh, I think we are out of contact now” are probably the excuses you have used in the past when your company’s bill has increased.

While that may be true, the real reason is usually far from it. Telecom companies are notorious for adding hidden fees, disguising a few dollars here and there as a necessary evil of sorts. We at Merlin Communications are here to tell you these extra fees are not necessary. Let us help you sort through your telecom bills and give you peace of mind without the headache.

Save Money On Your Company’s Phone Bill

At Merlin, we understand your frustration. We know all the terms of the telecommunications industry, know exactly what you should and should not be paying & can easily identify if your company is being billed improperly. Whatever the issue may be, we will find it and we will fight on your behalf for every penny.

In 2015, Merlin was contacted by a large company with several hundred locations spanning multiple states. They felt as if their phone bills kept increasing and were looking for help understanding why & if there was anything that could be done about it. We took every phone bill from each location and reviewed them with a fine-tooth comb, finding hundreds of billing errors spanning 4 different carriers. These errors ranged anywhere from $.35 – $40 charges & were being billed each month for several months. Some charges randomly appeared on the bill mid-contract, while other errors were made when the contract was initially signed.

Merlin went to work contacting each carrier on the client’s behalf. Several hours every day were spent on the phone fighting with the carriers for them to fix their mistakes, whether it was trying to explain to the carrier what exactly they billed incorrectly or contacting top-level managers for our client. After spending hundreds of hours on the phone, we successfully completed the initial telecom audit and our new client was thrilled with the several thousands of dollars in credits they received. We continued to monitor their phone bills over the next few months as well to ensure these same charges did not appear again.

Contact Merlin Communications for a Free Telecom Audit

The next time you are about to write a “blank check” to your telecom carrier, keep Merlin in mind. Take the countless hours of guesswork and stress out of your company’s hand by entrusting a company that will fight for you. Let us help you save time, money and the inevitable headaches from hours of staring at bills. Contact us today for a complimentary telecom audit!

What to Ask Yourself About Your Communications Network

“To understand the right questions to ask, you need to know what the wrong questions are.”

The first part of this equation is knowing when to ask a particular question. For example, when just starting out in the telecommunications system consultation process, some of the most common questions we encounter at Merlin Communications, Inc. include:

• Should we use hosted or digital communications?
• Can we use our existing hardware and software systems?
• How much speed does my network need?

While these are good questions, they are the wrong ones to ask at the beginning of a telecommunications process. At this stage, you haven’t set your goals for the system, something that is essential to any telecommunications consultation process. You want to begin with the end goal in mind. A better set of questions to ask includes:

• What do we need our communications systems to do?
• What do we wish our communications systems could do?
• Where are the pain points for internal communications now?
• Where are the pain points for clients and customers as they try to communicate with us currently?
• What impression do we want to give customers with our communication systems?

These questions help establish the goals of your new system, helping your communications specialist or consultant recognize the most important factors to include in your new system. They are the lens through which you should analyze each of your options. Once these questions are asked and your goals are set, you can then get down to the particulars, like hosted vs. digital, your system requirements and software options.

The most important question, however, is one that your decision-makers must continually ask throughout the telecommunications system upgrade process. This question is:

“Will the solution help you solve your problems and meet your goals?”

If a solution proposed doesn’t do anything to help streamline or improve your system in the way you want, it’s a waste of your time and money. In the end, the goal of any communications system upgrade is to improve productivity and efficiency in a way that works best for your business.

Trust Merlin Communications, Inc.

To make the most of your system, you need a single point of contact who will understand all your communication needs. Merlin Communications, Inc. are known as specialists in telecommunication systems, and we serve businesses in York, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Baltimore.

Merlin Communications, Inc. employs a team of expert technicians, engineers and consultants with years of experience in communications technology solutions and telecommunication systems. We will help you identify your needs and desires in a new system and will recommend solutions that are tailor-made for your business. We use our relationships with providers to take the confusion out of services and technologies. Our team will connect you directly to the providers of the solutions you need.

In the end, we promise you a telecommunications network that works for you when you need VoIP, cloud-based conference call services and more. To get the answers and solutions you require, contact us today.

What Is a Cloud-Based Phone System?

Essentially, a cloud-based business phone system is a phone service that runs through the internet instead of a traditional landline. So how does a cloud-based phone system work?

When you sign up for a cloud phone system, your business selects a single phone number with your account. Then, you make that phone number accessible to all verified users through their computer system or cell phone. Users can then see incoming calls and answer with a digital phone, cell phone or even their computer no matter where they are.

Because the phone system runs through the cloud, it stores all phone data in the cloud as well. Companies using these systems can access call records and store them on the company cloud without investing in new storage hardware. They also allow the setup of specific rules for incoming calls. For example, users can automatically route phone numbers or number types to specific staff members instead of going through a receptionist, speeding up customer service and response times.

Benefits of Using a Cloud-Based Phone System for Business

The prospect of switching your landline phone service to a cloud-based phone system may have piqued your curiosity, but you may still be struggling to understand how this is any better than your existing landline system. Some of the benefits of using a cloud phone system for business include the following.

• Improved customer experience: With a landline system, your business may need multiple numbers, one for each separate location. It can get very confusing for customers, and can also increase the amount of time they spend on the phone trying to reach the right person. With a cloud-based phone system, your business only needs a single number to access every location and contact any employee, reducing confusion for customers. Additionally, automation, auto-attendants and rules-based routing can reduce customer wait time overall, further improving their experience.
• Expanded integration: Cloud-based business tools integrate more easily into other business processes, which is a significant benefit to any company. According to research, integrating business communications with everyday workflow applications helps improve overall efficiency. Additionally, workflow integration makes the system more user-friendly for training purposes.
• Employee accessibility: Any cloud-based system is accessible from any location at any time, and cloud business phone systems are no exception. This reason is the primary driver behind 42% of companies that have chosen to switch operations to the cloud. With a cloud-based business phone system, any employee with a computer, smartphone or connected desk phone can have access to all their standard calling features. This technology enhances remote capabilities, allowing employees to work efficiently and respond to requests from any location. It also makes multi-location companies more connected.
• Maximized efficiency: Cloud phone services don’t just improve efficiency through improved integration and access. Web-based phone systems are also easier to manage from an IT standpoint. IT staff can more efficiently use insights to troubleshoot and reconfigure the system, resulting in fewer phone system errors overall and maximum uptime.
• Advanced features: Cloud phone systems for businesses come packed with a multitude of features, and many configurations have customizable options so you can select only the ones you need. Some advanced features include the capability to use multiple physical phone options, add a variety of extensions, manage messages and voicemail, forward calls and even provide business SMS options. Automation options are also available, including call routing, virtual assistants and auto attendants.
• Increased scalability: Business cloud phone services are scalable to fit your needs. If your business grows or downsizes, your phone system can scale up and down with your needs. Cloud-based systems allow you to add and remove extensions as needed and only charge you for the ones that you use. These systems also allow you to temporarily add premium features during busy seasons.
• Business continuity: One of the most notable benefits of cloud phone systems for businesses is their ability to provide excellent continuity. Cloud-based communications systems remain safe from severe weather or disasters, ensuring your communication lines remain open during storms. Additionally, the capacity for remote work allows your business to function even if your brick-and-mortar location becomes temporarily unavailable.
• Simplified setup: Another significant benefit of cloud phone systems is that they are exceedingly easy to implement. Cloud-based phone systems are fast and straightforward to set up and will integrate easily with much of your existing hardware and resources. Instead of rewiring and reprogramming a traditional phone system, you can skip all that and move straight to calling with cloud-based phone services.
• Reduced costs: The ultimate concern of any business is the bottom line, and cloud phone services can and will save businesses money. Cloud-based phone systems are significantly less expensive to install, maintain and upgrade than traditional phone systems. Even better, cloud business phone systems allow companies to access advanced features without higher costs. All of this means your business will experience improved functionality and profitability with one straightforward switch.

Should You Switch to the Cloud?

Even with all the benefits of a cloud phone service for business, you may be wondering if it’s worth it to switch right now. Here are a couple of things to consider to determine if your business phone systems should move to the cloud.

• Age of your system: If you’re using a phone system that is over five years old, you’re overdue for an update. Newer technological advancements are quickly leaving IP PBX and TDM systems behind. Soon, it may be difficult to find technicians, replacement parts and compatible software with these systems. Get ahead of the technological curve by upgrading to a cloud system that will continually update to integrate with the latest technology.
• Future transitions: If your business is looking to move within the next few years, you can’t afford to have any service downtime. On-premise phone systems can’t continue operating smoothly during a physical move, but cloud-based systems can. Considering a cloud-based system is vital if your business is looking to expand operations to multiple locations or increase its remote access capabilities. With a cloud-based system, your customers can reach all your locations and even remote employees with a single number.
• Potential automation: If you’re looking for more control and automation in your system, a cloud-based phone system is a good way to go about it. Cloud-based phone systems allow for an expanded set of features and integrations, including group conferencing, video calling, simple transfers and call recordings.
• Other cloud transitions: If your business is planning to transition other aspects of your operations to the cloud, it’s worth looking to see if your provider offers cloud-based phone services as part of their bundle. If so, making the switch all at once may be a good choice.

If your business meets any of these criteria, you might be the perfect candidate for a new cloud business phone system.

Switching Your Business’ Phone System to the Cloud

If you think your business is ready to make the switch, the next step is to start planning the transition. While cloud-based phone systems are a cinch to use and maintain once implemented, the changeover requires some time and planning. When you’re ready to make the change, here are a few guidelines to consider to help with the process.

1. Choose Your Vendor Wisely

The most significant factor in implementing the successful transition to a cloud-based business phone system is the right vendor. Your business needs to be able to trust your vendor, their credentials and their ability to manage your data appropriately and securely. Some of the major things to look for in a potential vendor include the following.

• Prioritizes security: Your vendor needs to take security as seriously as you do. Often, your vendor will shoulder the responsibility of making sure your cloud-based data is secure, so choosing a vendor with loose security protocols can endanger your data and potentially result in downtime.
• Carries essential features: When assessing vendors, ensure the companies you’re looking at can provide all the features your business wants. Additionally, look to see if they offer scaling and customization options — you don’t want to pay for functions your business doesn’t use.
• Provides support: Ask any potential vendor about the extent of their support services. Do they provide setup assistance? What is the availability of their support team, and how easy is it to reach them? You may also look into online reviews from businesses similar to yours to determine the quality of the vendor as well as their customer care practices.
• Exhibits reliability: Downtime is a danger to any company. While every company encounters some amount of downtime in their history, look into any potential vendor to see how often they’ve encountered downtime in the past, how long the incident occurred and the steps they took to handle it.

Don’t select a vendor until you have assessed a few viable options and have received detailed bids from each vendor.

2. Notify Your Current Provider

As soon as you select a provider for your cloud business phone system, notify your current phone service, if you have one. Determine if you have any contract to honor with your old service and set up a transition date. Ideally, this transition date will be slightly before your termination date with your old provider — this allows your business some time to set up your new system correctly and prevent any downtime.

3. Select or Hire a Team

With any migration or transition, you need a team dedicated to ensuring the transition goes as smoothly as possible. Select a few employees to lead the transition as soon as you have a transition date, and choose one to serve as the project manager. This team will be responsible for communicating with the old and new service providers, coordinating any hardware changes and implementing the changeover.

If your company is relatively small or cannot spare employees for the switch, look into hiring a company that specializes in cloud transitions. A specialized team from a trusted vendor can assess your current system from a third-party perspective, coordinate potential changes and help implement the transition smoothly.

4. Back up Your Data

If your company needs your old phone system data, back up and store this data consistently before and during the transition. Copy all critical information to cloud drives for easy access, or see if your provider offers extra storage for pre-transition data.

5. Set up Your System

On the day of the transition, it is your team’s responsibility to handle all the physical and technical changes. These will include making some choices and setting up some system fundamentals, such as the following.

• Choosing your number: With a cloud-based system, you can select a local or 1-800 number for your business.
• Set up automation options: Aim to implement essential automation options in your new system as quickly as possible. These include setting up your basic call routing rules or auto-attendant services.
• Set up user access: Select a group of individuals to access and test the system immediately after installation.

Again, it is generally best to set up your new system before the termination date for your old service, if you have one. This timing allows your business some leeway to set up your new system correctly and undergo appropriate testing.

6. Test the New System

Once your chosen vendor has installed your system, it’s time to test and adjust. Your testing team should implement any call routing rules or custom configurations and place test calls to ensure the new service is working as intended. Ideally, your testing team should have enough time to implement all configurations and do thorough testing, including dummy traffic tests, to be confident your system is working properly before launch.

Let Merlin Communications Help Move Your Business to the Cloud

If you’re ready to make the switch to a cloud phone service for your business, but don’t quite know where to start, Merlin can help.

Merlin Communications, Inc. is a telecommunications consulting firm in Central PA that focuses on simplifying technology acquisitions for our customers. We know there are hundreds of providers for every possible service, and sifting through them can be overwhelming. That’s why we study the industry and work with top providers to select the best options for our clients. We’ll provide your business with comprehensive plans and services to help you get the technology you need without the hassle or confusion.

At Merlin, your satisfaction is our primary goal. We pride ourselves on providing outstanding support for every customer, regardless of their needs. We go beyond the role of a sales rep selling you a plan — we serve you as a trusted partner who can help you navigate the complex world of telecommunications and technology services.

If you’re ready to get more with Merlin, contact us today for more information or to receive a free, no-obligation quote.

While there’s no surefire method for finding the right fit, there are ways you can narrow down the competition. The closer a company aligns with your business’ values and needs, the better. This guide will help you identify some of the top criteria you should consider when settling on a carrier.

What Telecom Provider Options Are There?

When you’re looking to partner with a telecommunication company, you have to be sure to consider all of your options thoroughly. Different companies will have their own areas of specialization, and some may work better within your industry than others. Understanding your company’s needs before committing is essential to making the best choice possible.

Generally, there are three main divisions when it comes to telecom carriers:

1. National Providers

The first tier of telecom service providers are the national carriers. Within this division, you’ll find some of the most recognizable companies out there. It includes big names like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast. Some of these companies have been around for the longest amount of time, making them the roots of the telecom industry.

Some of the benefits of going with a larger provider include financial stability and a broad range of capabilities. With such a large spotlight on their actions at all times and so many clients to keep them accountable, you likely won’t have to haggle for high-quality. They can keep their tech updated and offer more modern solutions than many smaller companies.

The negative side of going with a national level provider includes concerns like higher costs and less personalized care. While you can often catch a break on pricing with smaller providers, national carriers are typically viewed as the best option, giving them higher demand and allowing them to charge more for services. Also, since they deal with a high volume of clients, there is less of an opportunity to create a business relationship or find individualized customer service.

2. Regional Providers

The second tier consists of regional providers, working specifically within their localized area or in a small number of states. You may be familiar with these carriers’ names, whereas businesses a state over wouldn’t be. While their services work outside the region they serve, they’re usually smaller companies that can only cover so broad of an area.

Whereas national companies make it difficult to create a working relationship, you may find that regional providers are more attentive to your individual needs. You might even be able to strike up a familiarity with a particular service representative. They’ll also naturally be more in tune to the area, understanding issues that might affect your telecom systems, from wireless connectivity to weather emergencies. Your chances of getting a deal on pricing are far better with a regional company.

The only downside that might affect your decision is that they may not offer as many features or services as a larger provider. It might be more difficult for carriers with a smaller client base to provide a variety of plans, and their network may not be as strong as the national brands. However, this should be determined on a case-by-case basis — your regional provider could have exactly what you need with no significant losses. It’s crucial to conduct thorough research on your options.

3. Cable Combination Providers

If you’re looking for a guaranteed package deal, cable companies will combine their residential and business services. This means all your Internet and phone plans — mobile and landline — would be on a single account with one consolidated bill. It’s potentially the easiest and most hassle-free way to set up a telecom plan.

Cable combination providers make the process simpler and frequently provide discounts on multiple services in bundles. If your company needs multiple plans or would like to keep your Internet and phone services conveniently linked, this may be a good money-saving opportunity for you.

However, much like national carriers, you’ll be dealing with larger companies and their downsides. There’ll be much less of an opportunity to build a client relationship, and you won’t get the personalized service you might with a regional carrier.

7 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Telecom Carrier

Once you’ve considered the three tiers of providers and are looking to move forward with researching carriers, there are several criteria it would benefit you to look for in individual companies. By finding out as much as possible about your prospective providers first, you can often quickly weed out those that won’t suit your needs. The more you know in advance, the easier it is to make a final decision.

There are seven major factors you should pay attention to:

1. Services and Products

Depending on the type of business you run, you’re going to have specific needs when looking for a compatible service provider. Every industry, workflow style and company size will require different solutions. Before you look into what services prospective providers can offer your company, you should have a list of exactly what your business needs in their telecom services.

Once you begin looking into carrier specifics, note the services and products they offer as well as the range and check if any sound like a good fit for you. They should offer a variety of choices in all areas, including phone and security systems, IT managed services and equipment. If you don’t have an in-house IT team, you should also consider each company’s installation and support resources.

The best companies will work with you before you’ve committed to them. If they help you evaluate what you need and create a package to suit your requirements as well as your budget, they are a solid competitor.

2. Customer Service and Support

The best way to ensure you can work with a company is by looking at their customer service and support teams. Customer service can make a huge difference in your carrier experience, and it’s difficult to fake genuine, high-quality assistance. If they treat you well at the beginning of your relationship, chances are that they will continue to do so down the road. Working with polite, fast-acting and attentive teams will make solving issues and interacting with your provider much less complicated.

While reading reviews from current and former customers is a good preliminary way of feeling out their attitude, you should make a point of interacting with them personally. Pay attention to whether or not they are friendly, reliable, knowledgeable, fast and generally helpful. If the provider’s representatives sound like they want to finish the conversation as fast as possible, they may not be a good fit.

The mark of a stellar service and support team is if they can quickly and accurately handle questions and issues. Experiencing telecom difficulties can be extremely frustrating and cost you valuable time, so you need to know if you can get quick, professional support. Also, the more on top of things the service team is, the easier it will be to facilitate any necessary upgrades or future company growth.

3. Experience

With so many telecom providers for you to choose from, experience is a significant differentiator. You could find a carrier with rave reviews but no experience dealing with your style of business. Or, you could come across a smaller company that fits your niche perfectly.

Certain questions can tell you a lot about a provider’s experience level — be sure to ask about:

• Their previous experiences with companies in your industry
• Whether or not they partner with other providers
• How they handle growth for their current clients
• What they recommend in terms of their own products and services

By making inquiries and understanding where their field of expertise lies, you can better recognize how each provider aligns with the future of your business. When you hire a carrier, you’re leaving the telecommunication side of your company in their hands. With a background knowledge of their experience, you’ll have an idea of how well you can trust them to do right by your business.

4. Custom Systems and Pricing Models

If you can establish that a provider has the products and services you need, the next step is to dig deeper into what they can offer. Typically, carriers will have plans and packages laid out ahead of time, detailing different offers that might suit your business. Reliable providers will tailor a plan to your business, ensuring they suit your demands as closely as possible.

Unless a pre-planned package suits all your company’s needs exactly, providers that offer custom solutions should be some of your top options. Unique plans will allow your business to only pay for what it needs and uses, without getting trapped into purchasing additional services you’ll never use. You can also make any necessary changes or upgrades with relative ease.

5. Network Security

With the development of new technology comes the advent of new security issues. Targeted cyberattacks are more common now than ever, as hackers are finding new ways to get around network safety precautions. You need assurance that your system can withstand and shut down potential attacks, especially if your company deals with sensitive or personal information.

While you should look into security measures regardless of the type of network you run, fully converged networks need to make security a priority. Even if cyberattacks aren’t a prominent concern for your company, small disruptions in connectivity can cause you to lose a large amount of time and money. To avoid running into situations that hurt your business, look into what each carrier offers in the way of preventative security measures and fast restoration.

6. Flexibility and Scalability

Tech changes and adapts to consumer needs over time, as it does in the telecommunication industry. Your service provider should be as flexible as these shifts. To stay on top of business and serve your clients well, you need a carrier that will make adjustments in the form of network upgrades, product expansion and additional services. They should provide you with the latest tech on the market, enabling your company to stay as modern and efficient as possible.

Flexible companies often make updating and scaling a much smoother transition than those that are less flexible. They should encourage you to adapt to the inevitable changes and improvements in telecom tech. Staying up to date means you won’t suffer any performance issues from inferior or outdated systems that can’t handle your company’s peak load. Also, even if you aren’t looking to expand or scale anytime soon, it’s helpful to have a capable carrier in case the opportunity arises.

7. Reliability

On top of everything else, you need to know you’re working with a genuinely reliable service provider. For some businesses, it’s the most crucial factor to consider. If you can’t rely on your carrier to help you succeed, you need to find a new one.

Your provider dictates what services you have available and how well your telecommunications operate daily, and you’ll turn to them in an emergency. Service outages can put your business out of commission until they’re solved, so you need to trust that your carrier can restore your systems quickly. If they’re unreliable from the start, taking care of these issues can be incredibly frustrating and time-consuming.

Trustworthy providers will make everything easier, from settling on a service package to planning for future expansion to handling time-sensitive issues. The more confident you are in your provider’s ability, the less stressful your telecom experiences will be.

The Benefits of Working With Telecom Agents to Choose a Carrier

With so many factors and options to consider, choosing the right telecommunication service provider can be a daunting task. Fortunately, you can seek outside assistance from telecom agents. These agents will help you find the best fitting options for your company and incorporate a plan from a new provider. They bring a fresh, outside perspective to the table, and since they’re independent of carrier companies, they base their decisions on evaluations, not brand loyalty.

When you engage with a telecom carrier agent, you’ll have the benefits of:

• Solution comparisons: Agents will provide you with comprehensive details about which choice is best for your company. After performing an audit of your current systems, they can find the right fit for your needs and walk you through the top options. They typically have experience with multiple carriers they can bring to the table.
• Information updates: As telecom providers come out with new tech and plans, agents will inform you and keep you up to date. By understanding the industry shifts, you can adapt to the curve.
• Discount offers: Even if you can’t find offers yourself, agents may be able to get you access to discounted services. Using their knowledge of the industry and experience working with multiple carriers, they can create better deals.
• Reliable communication: Since agents are independent of any specific brands, they have your company’s best interests at heart. Therefore, you can trust their evaluations without having to worry about whether or not their concern lies with your success or their loyalty. Also, they act as a single point of contact, making your search far less extensive and preventing you from being stuck on customer service lines.
• Extra time: With an agent in your corner, your team can spend less time hunting for deals and more time working on future projects. It’s one less point of stress to hold you back from tending to your business’ internal needs.

Essentially, telecom agents are advocates for your business. You can trust them to narrow down your options efficiently and knowledgeably, presenting the best options on the market for your company. As a neutral party, they’ll give you the best chance of finding a carrier that has all the qualities you require in a telecom service provider.

Contact Merlin Communications for Telecom Services

If you want to find the best telecom solutions for your company, Merlin Communications can help. Our consulting agents will work with you to acquire and maintain services that suit your needs. With access to over 160 providers, we’ll put you in direct contact with carriers that align with your business.

We provide a variety of services to our clients, including performing an audit to see where you can cut costs, integrating cloud and VoIP, streamlining operations, consolidating your telecom systems to a single provider and more. Your agent will help simplify and integrate all of the processes, so you can worry less about telecom issues and spend more time taking care of your business.

Start working with a Merlin Communications consultant by getting a free quote or contacting us with any questions.

Now, what about your most recent conference call with participants sprinkled across different locations, likely both in and out of the office?

Nowadays, it seems near-impossible to think of a typical workday without these activities and tech affordances — mobile activities and affordances, that is.

The real impact of these mobile communication devices is felt when these tools are gone. Employees are relegated back to the days of landline-based phone calls and wired, desk-stationed hardware. They miss out on the powerful advantages of mobile technology and its state-of-the-art devices — devices that cut costs while freeing operations.

Read on to explore the vast influence the use of mobile technology has made in business today — and temperature check if your organization is taking full advantages of these devices.

What are the Benefits of Using Mobile Technology in Business?

The advantages of mobile technology in today’s workplace are numerous and dynamic.

1. Better Communication

“Better” here is the operative word. What exactly is better communication when organizations vary so greatly between purposes, values, scales, sizes, cultures and capacities?

Regardless of industry, businesses with good communication are ones that have established intuitive, unsiloed and easy-to-initiate communicative practices and behaviors. In other words, good business communication is when employees:

• Have the tools they need to contact whomever they need
• Feel empowered to do so
• Using real-time and asynchronous channels
• From wherever they are
• Whenever they need to

Mobile devices in business allow this to happen. It also unveils better communication beyond work teams:

• With customers: Use mobile technology for more interactive, personalized touchpoints between your business and its clients.
• With colleagues: Collaborate with colleagues in the building or another country via digital tools that house work documents, conversations and workflows accessible from anywhere.
• With vendors: Simplify vendor management with mobile apps or programs, allowing you to organize, order and manage vendor documents and pay invoices, plus contact those vendors wherever you are.
• With subject matter experts: Make intuitive and diplomatic contact with subject matter experts in your organization, whether you’ve formally met or not.
• With your network: Maintain professional connections more easily and more organically with mobile-friendly social apps and intranet chats on your wireless devices.

2. Increased Collaboration With Colleagues

Telecollaboration is one of the driving forces behind integrating mobile devices and technology into your business.

Because of its borderless and wireless nature, mobile technology means teams can connect from anywhere. Those connections liberate personnel from office-only functionality and give them instant access to the documents and materials needed to get collaborative work done.

As an example, consider the basic G Suite — employees can use email, chat and video to talk with one another, review collaborative spreadsheets, prepare group presentations and save project notes on a Google Doc. They can do all this simultaneously, so long as all parties have an internet connection.

3. Ability to Work From Anywhere

Over 95% of American workers say they’d enjoy working from home. Honoring the growing telecommuting desire, over 40% of American workers said their employer offers some form of a work-from-home policy, including up to once a week.

Mobile technology has been the catalyst for this new definition of work. The impact of mobile technology on business means employees are no longer relegated to their desks to access office programs, documents, communication tools or even the company’s network.

Research also supports the significant advantages of allowing employees to work from anywhere:

• Of those who do get to work from home, 86% say they “reach maximum productivity” from their home office, sheltered from surprise tasks, impromptu meetings and general office chit-chat.
• Remote workers report lower stress levels throughout their workdays, as well as a 69% drop in employee absenteeism.
• Telecommuters average an 80% morale rating, compared to less than half for full-time, in-office employees without any remote work flexibility.

4. Enhanced Responsiveness

Contrary to what many first believed, access to mobile technology actually improves the rates of employees responding to and managing work.

Remote or field-deployed personnel benefit the most from mobile communication technology. There are more ways than ever to get in touch with team members, meaning more ways for employees to receive notifications and respond to relevant communications. The days of using landline phones and hoping someone was at their desk are over.

Using mobile devices, workplaces can employ several quick-response communicative tools:

• Instant chat platforms allow managers, teams and individual colleagues to relay quick, ad-hoc questions or ideas.
• Laptops and tablets let employees hold multi-person conference calls from anywhere, in many cases even using multimedia or video.
• Smartphones keep all individuals plugged in, able to check email, send messages and — depending on the app and security protocols — even log into work portals to retrieve and review materials.

5. Reduced Operational Costs and Saved Time

Saving money and time is a dynamic business duo. Mobile technology in businesses has been shown to do both, offering mutually beneficial, time- and money-saving applications that can shave minutes — if not hours — off business tasks.

From mobile apps to the mobile devices operating systems themselves, there are numerous ways mobile technology ushers operational time and money savings:

• Online and mobile apps replacing old paper-based forms and manual inputting activities.
• Mobile phones and communication devices reduce the need for expensive and static legacy technology, such as landline carrier services.
• Cloud access alleviates error-prone and spatially cumbersome physical filing systems, plus simplifies managing and sharing those files and their data.
• Scanning and imaging technology expedite document itemization, reviews and workflows.
• Talk-to-text, voicemail-to-text and conference recording functions of voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) phones bring convenient and contemporary communication solutions to your teams.

6. Ability to Do More With Less

“More with less” doesn’t mean fewer people or smaller budgets. In this case, mobile-first technology makes it far more accessible for businesses of any size to harness the tools needed to get operations off the ground and therefore expedite growth.

From time-tracking and employee payment software to downloaded apps simplifying back-office tasks, digital file sharing and e-chatting all merged into the cloud, it takes businesses fewer physical resources to do the perfunctory tasks necessary to run the day-to-day office. Organizations have widely harnassed cloud-based integrative systems like DropBox, Google Suite, Intuit software and WordPress for this exact operational advantage — and show no signs of stopping.

Mobile technology has streamlined operations so much that it costs nearly 1000 times less to start a new business now than it did in the early 2000s, before the mobile revolution.

7. Increased Productivity

Mobile technology also allows employees to do more with less. With mobile software and applications liberating them from yesterday’s time-consuming tasks, personnel can redirect attention onto higher-order, value-adding activities — the kinds that propel an organization’s competitive advantage.

Studies continue to support the productivity-boosting impact of mobile technology for in and out-of-office employees:

• Mobile application integration in the workplace saves around 7.5 hours per employee, per week.
• Using smartphones and mobile devices for work purposes increases employee productivity based primarily on these devices’ familiarity and user-friendliness.
• Surveys of remote employees found those who can work from home are more likely to clock extra hours and perform tasks outside their immediate domains to help others’ and propel the organization.
• Surveys also discovered 73% of remote and field employees, aided by mobile devices, put more effort into their work, compared to only 68% of in-office workers.

8. A Contemporary Workplace

Employees today expect mobile technology integrated into the workplace. They assume BYOD policies for smartphones and even laptops, with an IT department assisting in securely connecting these devices to the company’s network. In fact, using these portable devices in and out of the office saves employees nearly an hour of work a day — a BYOD boost with huge morale benefits.

Organizations without smartphone, laptop and mobile device applications face serious shortcomings. Not only do they rely on legacy technology, but they also impede their employee’s efficiency and work outlook. Modern workplaces are ones that have embraced mobile technology and found ways to harmonize it with their network security and departmental operations, not avoid it.

9. Harness More Data — And Actually Use It

More data isn’t synonymous with better data. Yet mobile technology in businesses equips teams with resources to cut through the noise, simplifying our often data-saturated departments.

Mobile-integrated data software usage is also on the rise, as more businesses realize the importance of turning data actionable. Many popular enterprise resource planning (EPR) systems today, such as Microsoft Dynamics, SAP Business One and Oracle ERP Cloud, include mobile-friendly data dashboards as a main feature in their software. This allows users to access real-time, live data updates and reports wherever they are, plus tailor feeds and filters to generate only the most relevant data streams on their devices.

10. Access the Cloud

Last but never least, the usage of mobile technology in the workplace fuels business to take part in the cloud.

Cloud-based services have exploded in the past few years. Organizations of all sizes have worked to keep pace, implementing one of four main cloud architectures to store and share information better — private clouds, public clouds, community clouds or a hybrid version with private and public offerings.

The type of cloud architecture chosen depends on an organization’s needs and capacities. However, public, private, community and hybrid clouds all unlock a new world of mobile advantages for businesses, offering an information and file-sharing platform that can be accessed from anywhere, rather than storing everything in hardware on-site. Cloud systems can:

• “Host” programs and applications for unrivaled accessibility.
• Create a borderless repository for work documents, files and data.
• Reduce technology infrastructure and costs, once thought of as fixed.
• Introduce bolstered cybersecurity practices and, often, third-party security assistance.
• Scale as you do.

How Can Mobile Communications Be Used in a Business Setting?

The advantages of using mobile technology in the workplace are vast. Yet what are the exact devices businesses should use to harness these benefits? What pieces of technology can your organization implement starting today to see the benefits of mobile communication unfold? We’ve got a few recommendations.

1. VoIP Phones

VoIP phones swap traditional, landline-based phone calls for a wider variety of voice functions supported by your network. In other words, it allows businesses to place phone calls, hold conferences and perform other communicative functions — even multimedia — through their assigned, internet-connected VoIP number. That number enables individuals to send and receive call communications across mobile devices, so long as they’re connected to the internet.

2. Mobile Project and Document Management Suites

Mobile-friendly project and document management systems are the secret to “borderless” file sharing at the heart of mobile communication’s advantages.

Indeed, some of the most popular project management systems today offer mobile apps, including Smartsheet, Trello, Microsoft Planner, Basecamp, Asana and many more. Operating primarily in the cloud, businesses wield yet another way to stay connected and perform work regardless of location.

3. Voice Assistants

Voice assistant-enabled smartphones and devices can bring even more convenience to your workforce. Businesses have more AI-enhanced voice recognition software to choose from, too, including:

• Google Assistant
• Apple’s Siri
• Amazon’s Alexa
• Microsoft’s Cortana

As mobile app/voice assistant integration continues to mature, organizations introduce innovative new ways for their employees to stay connected on the go, coordinate schedules, execute workflows, answer questions and all-around improve their work productivity.

4. Mobile Chat Groups

Businesses can also initiate team and office chat forums that are mobile-friendly.

Many of these mobile chat platforms are already standard in ERP and other project management software systems such as Slack and Google Hangouts. Yet others exist solely for mobile technology, with interfaces and features designed for smartphone screens and remote telecommunications devices.

Organizations should review any current intra- or inter-office chat portals for mobile capacities, ensuring they’re performing optimally for wireless communication needs.

5. Wearables

Wearables will be the next generation of technology companies must integrate into their BYOD policies. Just as employees look for flexible smartphone and even personal laptop allowances in the workplace, soon they’ll desire the same for their smart watches, bracelets, healthcare and fitness accessories — even smart glasses.

Already in 2019, a quarter of American adults regularly use a wearable. Those numbers are projected to grow, particularly in the developing markets of wearables and smart clothing.

6. An Internet of Things-Primed Ecosystem

The internet of things stands to revolutionize the very way today’s mobile devices, hardware and nearly every other form of electronic technology connects — plus many non-electronic items, too. Once realized, the internet of things will create a 24/7 ecosystem of information and accessibility that will transform how we go about our daily lives.

With IoT sensors and readers becoming more commercially effective, businesses must respond by setting up and supporting an IoT-ready network. This is a gradual and incremental process. For most organizations, IoT integration will mean smooth, streamlined and evergreen flows revealing connections and data between hardware inventory, apps, software, mobile devices, service providers, edge IT and the cloud. Network bandwidths and data capacity must be able to monitor all this information without disrupting other activities — no small task, yet one vital to keeping pace with tomorrow’s tech landscape.

The Benefits of Today’s Mobile Technology Brought to Your Business, Conveniently and Cost-Effectively

It can be inundating to manage all the software, hardware, licenses, vendors and technology needed to run a contemporary business today. If you feel like you’re treading technology’s telecommunications waters, you’re not alone.

Contact Merlin Communications for help implementing mobile technology in your workplace. We exist to do one thing — simplify the inclusion of telecommunications and IoT technology in your business, for greater cost-savings — and greater sanity. Let’s get started today.

You know how it goes. In the hope to simplify old telecom network problems and modernize the office, your business adopts a new piece of software, hardware or even a brand new network. What happens, though, when those new systems end up introducing more problems than they solve?

If this all sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Offices of all sizes encounter speedbumps on their way to a contemporary telecommunications suite. In fact, we’ve seen and heard so many telecom issues and network problems over the years, we’ve compiled the top 10 telecommunications complaints businesses experience into one list.

What Are the Biggest Telecommunications Problems for Businesses Today?

Organizations today balance a number of challenges when choosing, implementing, managing and scaling their telecom systems, but here are the top 10.

1. High Telecom Costs

Both wireless and cabled telecommunication networks require extensive, cost-intensive infrastructure. Maintaining that infrastructure involves investment, capital and geographic reach that bars many organizations from entering the wireless and wireline industry arena, so it’s dominated by only a handful of major players.

These telecom conglomerates parent a delta of regional operations, which, in turn, break down into smaller subsidiaries. Independent telecom providers that do wish to provide phone and wireless services must often create partnerships with these larger companies to access and use much of the telecommunications’ pre-built infrastructure, such as fixed lines or wireless hotspots.

This bottom-down infrastructure is the foundation of telecom services’ high costs. What’s more, telecommunication providers must account for other factors today that drive up their operating expenses:

• Rapid technological change: Frequent advancements in telecommunications technology means telecom companies must prepare for shorter and shorter upgrade cycles to bring the latest technology to the masses. For example, consider what the burgeoning reality of 5G will require, with new infrastructure necessary to truly alter the IoT.
• Changing consumer tastes: Consumers, both private and commercial, want the best of the best — the best smartphones, the best wireless devices, the best data packages and the best interconnected, convenient apps and features.
• Continual network expansion: Telecom providers must also continually increase their networks’ capacities to handle more traffic, particularly due to today’s demand for data in both developed and emerging markets.

So what does all that mean for you? From the average business’ perspective, these concerns may seem like the phone company’s problem, not yours. However, as technological infrastructure advances more quickly and more complexly, it’s the customers — i.e., you — who pay the difference. High commercial telecom costs are a direct result of:

• Expensive contracts and high fees: Customers bear the brunt of the bill for today’s rapid developments in wireless, 5G, VoIP phones and other services. Telecommunications companies often pass on or make up their increased operating costs with contract rate hikes or by upping the amount of service add-on fees.
• The inevitability of legacy technology upgrades: Businesses must also face the reality that the technology they rely on today will be outdated tomorrow, triggering their own expensive hardware and software upgrades.

Receive a Free Telecom Audit Today

2. Coverage Outages

Coverage outages present a significant pain point for businesses that rely on phone, wireless and internet services daily. While some large companies may have back-up systems in place during outages, the vast majority are at the whims of properly functioning lines, cables and data signal transmitters, as well as other mechanical and human systems. Phone and internet capabilities are temporarily lost if any of those systems are damaged or interrupted.

Coverage outages can halt work and bring a company’s operations to a standstill. Within commercial businesses, these leading causes of coverage outages for phone and internet services are:

• Network congestion: Too many devices accessing the same network at the same time can cause a digital traffic jam. Network congestion is the leading cause of internet coverage problems today and is more common on wireless networks than any other telecom technology.
• Equipment failure: Improperly grounded fiber-optic or phone lines, fried or damaged circuits, infected computers and smartphones or otherwise malfunctioning chips, devices and hardware also lead to network outages that stymy office operations.
• Inclement weather line damage: Rain, wind, snow and storms can damage the fiber-optic cables that provide internet as well as conventional phone landlines.
• Change process crash: Failed launches of data migration programs, cloud deployments or converting to new technology from a legacy system make up another common reason for coverage outages. Often, these crashes come down to a mix of human or operations errors, from a lack of integration testing to even incorrectly configuring the company’s network firewall.

3. Poor Customer Service

Poor customer service presents the next major telecommunication problem for businesses. There are many examples of poor customer service plaguing clients as they interact with their carriers to resolve telecom issues:

• Long customer-service hold or wait times
• Unexpected rate hikes
• Opaque or deceitful answers to account-related questions
• Frustrating back-and-forth to resolve disputes or receive account solutions for your account ticket
• Automated or robo-generated responses to customer service phone calls, emails, online chat boxes and social media posts.
• Disingenuous, poorly received and near-identical customer-centric advertising
• A general culture that puts cost-reductions and profits over authentic customer service

As the proverbial bane of the telecom industry, many of today’s wireless, phone and even cloud providers are notorious for their poor customer service. Many of these megacorporations have spent years — and millions of dollars — trying to resurrect this aspect of their brand’s PR, yet they remain plagued by many of the industry issues listed above.

4. A Large Number of Invoice and Billing Disputes

Above-average billing errors — for both voice and data contracts — consistently haunt customers of telecom carriers, and this more than likely contributes to that poor customer service reputation. Businesses large and small are likely to experience one, if not many, of the following disputes:

• Inaccurate or deceitful rates: This is the leading cause of invoice billing disputes among companies and their telecommunication carriers. Inaccurate rates are almost always in the carrier’s favor, with invoice totals misaligned with what the customer was quoted or contracted.
• Unexpected rate hikes: Businesses frequently cite receiving invoices for their standard service package, yet prices have suddenly jumped without any apparent warning.
• Missing renewal or new-service discounts: Businesses promised certain credits or discounts could sometimes wait three to four billing cycles to see that credit applied.
• Continued billings after the stop-bill date: Continued billings strike even when businesses have proof of their cancellation, with evidence like disconnect request confirmations, dispute ticket number and the stop date committed in writing.
• Obscure third-party add-on fees: Businesses may be charged for things like network-security surveillance or voicemail transcription services they weren’t aware they received. This obscurity leads to invoice discrepancies plus many disgruntled phonecalls with your provider.
• Charges for services you don’t receive at all: Perhaps most frustratingly, it’s not uncommon for companies to be billed for telecom services they don’t even have in their contracts — complicated further by contract audits, overly complex bill reviews and reimbursement procedures.

5. Implementing Telecom Solutions in New Locations

Say your business wants to expand from its East Coast origins and open a regional office in the Midwest. Great! Does your current telecom carrier cover that new area?

If they do, what will billings for your extended services and state-jumping coverage be? If they don’t, can you thoroughly manage two or more carriers and still receive stable services, consistently and safely connected devices and the same suite of telecommunication functionality — voicemail-to-text transcriptions, online faxing, secure data sharing and network linking, just to name a few?

These are only a few scenarios where the logistics of multi-location business telecommunications grow complicated. While company expansions into new locations is a hallmark of success, it introduces inevitable process headaches and telecom issues that, at the very least, may require:

• New cloud-hosted and cloud-integrated services
• Custom collaborative intranet and software platforms
• Expanded long-distance conference call capabilities
• Software-as-a-service tools accessed through paying a monthly servicing fee

6. International Travel Costs and Services

Businesses used to spend significant time and money sending representatives overseas to conduct business. Meetings were done in person or over the phone — the latter of which held such exorbitant fees on special, per-minute international rates that it rendered such calls unfeasible for many.

The internet has altered this landscape, making international telecommunications more affordable and accessible, but not necessarily problem-free. Telecom issues particularly strike over global data sharing and network access and security.

Businesses today require a unified telecommunications suite that connects multiple devices in multiple locations onto the same server, giving individuals access when appropriate to your network, software and data. What’s more, that unified telecommunications suite can’t forget the basics that make contacting and connecting across borders intuitive, from audio, video and web-based conferencing to hybrid systems featuring all these capabilities.

7. Managing Telecom Inventory

Telecom inventory consists of all the hardware, propriety and licensed software, phones and digital assets a business uses to conduct daily communications. In total, that telecom inventory for the average company today might incorporate many of the following:

• Wireline phones and devices
• Wireless phone, smartphones and devices
• Voice over internet phones
• Software licenses
• Telecommunications network hardware
• Network surveillance and entry technology
• On-premise, hosted or hybrid cloud services

When managed cohesively, businesses can unlock competitive advantages, and, therefore, cost-savings, through more synchronized communication systems. When not managed effectively — or siloed altogether — businesses have a harder time performing basic operations, from holding meetings and transcribing customer service calls to sharing documents with remote employees and approving carrier billings and invoices.

Learn More About Our Telecom Inventory Management Services

The most common telecom inventory pain points include:

• Too many or too few communications programs/options in place
• Legacy telecommunications technology, including software
• Inventory ownership gray areas
• Complicated, individual invoices and billing cycles for each category of inventory
• Expensive billings due to lack of bundling
• No clear way to scale systems
• Increased risk for data breaches, insecure network endpoints
• Increased fraud exposure

8. Using Too Many Carriers — or Remaining Unsure of Which Telecom Provider to Use at All

Similar to the issues that come with managing telecom inventory, organizations today can face choice paralysis regarding which carriers to work with. Many end up stretching themselves too thin, partnering with numerous specialized carriers to outfit cloud, VoIP, software, wireline and wireless solutions in individual or regional offices.

Too many carriers for your business’ telecom inventory can also be a byproduct of time. More established enterprises may have opened offices when wireline phones and audio conference calls were all the technology they needed. Across the years, management may have secured ad-hoc technologies, without much exploration into the advantages of streamlined telecom expense and inventory management. Serious process gaps, employee headaches and misappropriated budgets are the inevitable results.

On the other side, a business can fall down the opposite rabbit hole: telecom carrier indecision. Carriers may seem to make similar service promises, offer indistinguishable technology and guarantee near-identical contract terms and rates. It can be overwhelming to determine which telecom carrier is right for your business, then feel confident, without any buyer’s remorse.

Choose The Right Telecom Carrier For Your Business

9. Selecting and Changing Telecom Service Plans

Anyone who’s ever attempted swapping their own phone, cable or internet carriers knows how cumbersome the process can be. Now scale that cancelation to cover an entire company’s communication suite — meaning voice, data and/or internet services. The results are, understandably, frustrating.

Companies shopping around for new telecom carriers frequently experience various degrees of problems, from getting out of their old contracts to acquiring the actual level of telecom services they need:

• Improper internal audits: Many companies forgo conducting a detailed telecom audit to see which communications platforms and channels they actually use, plus how billings charge for that usage.
• Ignoring bulk or consolidated services: Getting as many services from a single vendor will cut telecom costs as well as simplify inventory management, but businesses can’t consolidate when they don’t have a telecommunications audit informing package decisions.
• Trading long-term improvements for short-term discounts: Telecom carriers may dangle huge discounts, credits or package price-slashing quotes to entice your business to make the switch. Perform due diligence, ensuring these aren’t false promises that distract you from the smaller service offerings, difficult integrations or billings that end up being higher than what you paid before.
• Still being billed by your old vendor even after the cancellation stop date: Mentioned earlier, it isn’t uncommon for businesses to see billing overlaps between old and new carriers if their old telecom provider mismanages stop-date schedules.

10. Tracking, Managing Current and Unused Phone Lines

Both used and unused phone lines carry the same problem for businesses: If you don’t know which is which, how can they ever be improved?

For something that seems so simple, when was the last time your organization performed an in-depth telephone audit? These analyses can be performed wholly in-house or with the assistance of an independent auditor, who is likely to look for:

• Little or incomplete data on phoneline inventory
• Frequent errors in telephone billings and invoices, which could be costing organizations thousands every year
• Contract gaps or overcharges, where a business pays for phone features they don’t use or didn’t know they had
• Wireline and wireless phone questions without a clear answer or accountability chain-of-command
• Infrastructure analysis to determine which lines get used, for how long and by whom

What’s Your Business’ Top Telecommunications Pain Point? Merlin Can Help

Are any of the problems included above all-too-familiar for your office or business? Got a few unique telecommunications pain points of your own?

If so, the telecom acquisition and management experts here at Merlin Communications want to help.

It’s no secret businesses have more tools than ever connecting their people and processes. It’s also no secret that carriers can hurl promises, packages and systems your way that glitter but may not be gold. We’re here to build your business’ peace of mind, offering a range of auditing, hosting, management and consulting services for organizations to maximize their telecommunications operations and minimize headaches. Contact us with your questions or pain points today to see how.

Although things look bright for small businesses, company owners do face challenges. One challenge most commonly cited by business owners is the ability to maintain financial growth. Nearly 60 percent of businesses stated that financial concerns were a critical or major challenge to their ability to grow over the next few years.

Reducing costs in a small business is one way to help your company grow and thrive in the years to come. Cutting expenses doesn’t have to mean making considerable sacrifices or operating under austere conditions. In many ways, reducing business expenses means finding ways to think outside the box and finding new ways to approach familiar situations.

Cutting Costs for Your Small Business

When it comes to finding ways to reduce business expenses, it helps to look at cutting costs in a few different categories. Reducing major, recurring expenses, such as your rent and staffing costs, can make a considerable dent in your overall costs. At the same time, finding ways to reduce smaller or less significant costs might not seem to make much of a difference. But added together, trimming those smaller costs can also help to reduce your spending considerably. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

1. Create a Budget

On its own, a business budget isn’t a way to reduce expenses. But before you can figure how to reduce small business costs, you need to have a grasp of what those costs are. Creating a budget for your business will help you sort out and identify all of your regular expenses. It will also give you the opportunity to note any less frequently occurring costs or any “surprise” expenses that you might not have accounted for previously.

With a business budget, you can see how much income and revenue your company brings in each month, quarter or year. You can compare your revenue to your expenses to confirm that you’re earning more than you’re spending. Comparing your revenue and costs over time lets you see if your company is growing or not. It also enables you to see if you are spending too much compared to your income, reducing your overall profits.

Once you’ve put together a budget, you can begin to zero in on specific expenses and explore ways to lower them as needed.

2. Use New Technology

A world full of apps, online programs and low-cost hardware solutions is a world full of opportunities to save money. Nowadays, tasks and systems that once had to be done by hand can now be automated. For instance, instead of having employees track their hours worked, your business can use time tracking software that records working hours automatically and then tallies up the amount owed to each employee on payday.

Apps that are part of the sharing economy can also help your business save money. Ride-sharing services can often be less expensive and less time-consuming than calling a traditional taxi or limousine company when your employees need transportation.

Another way that technology can help to cut your business costs is by transforming how you store data. You can store files and documents in the cloud rather than on a computer’s hard drive, USB key or another physical disk. Cloud-based storage means that your data is kept on a remote server, located somewhere off-site.

Along with reducing your company’s costs by reducing the need for storage hardware, there are other benefits to switching to cloud-based storage. Instead of being dependent on one machine or on making sure you always have the right disk on you, you can access documents and other files stored in the cloud from any machine that can connect to the internet.

3. Switch Phone Systems

The phone system your company uses can have a considerable effect on its bottom line and overall expenses. Often, it’s common for companies to get a traditional landline phone system when they first get started, even if they also have mobile phones.

While landline phones do have some advantages, such as continuing to work when the power is out, they also tend to be more costly than other available options.

One lower cost option your business might consider is a voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) phone system. VoIP phones make and receive calls just like regular landlines.

The major difference is how the information is transmitted. Landline phone connections travel over copper wires. Meanwhile, VoIP connections are made over the internet. The call information doesn’t move over wiring but is instead transformed into a digital signal.

Due to the way VoIP calls are transmitted, they aren’t dependent on a physical telephone or physical connection. You can set up a VoIP phone to ring on a handset in your office as well as on your mobile phone. With a VoIP system, you and your employees can make and receive calls from pretty much anywhere, while still using your company’s main phone number.

Learn More About Our VoIP Services

Another way that changing phone system can help to reduce business expenses is by improving scalability. Both VoIP and landline phone systems allow you to have multiple lines. Since landline phone lines are physical connections, if your company grows and you want to add a connection or two later, you need to ask the phone company to come out to your office and install the physical lines. With a VoIP system, you have access to a nearly infinite number of phone lines, without the need to physically connect them.

4. Go Paperless

Going paperless saves your business money in multiple ways. First of all, it helps cut costs by reducing the amount of paper and ink you need to purchase. It can also save on equipment costs, as your company needs fewer printers and copiers when it reduces paper use. On average, a business that cuts out paper can save about $80 per employee annually.

Cutting out paper also helps you reduce postage costs. When you email invoices and other documents to clients and customers, you don’t have to pay for stamps, envelopes or shipping costs.

When your company goes paperless, it also saves on storage space and on the need to purchase furniture for storing documents. When you don’t have row upon row of filing cabinets cluttering up your office space, you can use that space for income-generating activities. Plus, if you’ve rented out a separate, off-site location for document storage, not having to use that space can further cut your business costs.

Going paperless can also be a time-saver. How many times has someone at your company spent hours looking for a document that was misfiled or that got swept up in a pile of other papers? When you store your paperwork in the cloud, you can easily search for it and find it. Once you’ve tracked down the document you need, you can use the search feature on your browser or word processor to find the information you need quickly.

5. Reduce Your Rent

Renting office space or other property can often be a significant business expense. In Harrisburg, Pa., for example, the average cost to rent office space is $15.42 per square foot per year. In Baltimore, Md., the average cost to rent office space is $18.78 per square foot per year.

You might be able to reduce your rent expenses by moving to a less expensive area, whether that means moving to a new neighborhood or relocating to a new city. Another way to cut rental costs is to reduce the amount of space you need. You can encourage more employees to work from home or transform your company into one that is entirely remote. For those times when you do need to meet in person or hold conferences, you can consider renting out space in a co-working space.

6. Rethink Your Software Needs

When you are trying to cut business costs, consider if you need all the software you currently have or if you can get a similar software program at a lower cost or even for free.

While certain brand-name software programs are happy to charge your company hundreds or thousands of dollars a month in licensing and use fees, there are often free or reduced cost versions available. Open source software programs usually offer the same functions and performance as closed source programs but for a significantly lower price.

Along with considering alternatives to high-priced software, it’s worth weighing the pros and cons of using specific programs in the first place. For example, your business might not have a real need for a photo editing program if you don’t often need to use or edit images.

7. Avoid or Reduce Waste

Few things can be more frustrating than waste for business owners. In many ways, wasting supplies and materials is the equivalent of throwing money in the trash. Small businesses can tackle waste in multiple ways, depending on the source.

If your company isn’t going entirely paper-free, one way to cut back on waste is to pay close attention to what you are printing. Only print when necessary to reduce the amount of paper you use. It’s also a good idea to print on both sides of the sheet.

When you do have to print something, consider repurposing it instead of throwing it out or recycling it when you are finished. If you don’t print on both sides and if the document isn’t confidential, you can use the blank side of the paper as a scratchpad for notes and thoughts.

Another way to reduce waste at your business is to evaluate the number of single-use products your company uses. Instead of stocking the break room or kitchen with paper plates, paper napkins and disposable cutlery, purchase real plates and silverware.

You might consider hiring a linen service to supply fresh cloth napkins and towels each week. To cut down on the number of throw-away cups used, encourage employees to bring in their own mugs for coffee and tea and to use refillable glass water bottles.

It’s also worth investigating waste in your inventory. How much of your stock ends up thrown away or unsold? Unsold products and inventory can really hurt your bottom line, as you’re paying for items that get put in the trash. One way to avoid waste when it comes to the items you sell is to stock fewer of them. You can always order more when you run out.

8. Increase Your Energy Efficiency

If your company’s energy bills are higher than you’d like them to be, there are ways to cut those costs. Reducing energy use involves switching to more energy efficient options and convincing your employees to change certain habits.

For example, if your team is in the habit of leaving computers and other equipment on all the time, remind them to power down before they head home at the end of the workday. You can also put small reminders by light switches to get people to turn lights off when they leave an empty room.

When it’s time to upgrade your office equipment, pay close attention to how much energy appliances, equipment and other devices use. Look for ENERGY STAR models to save on electricity and other costs.

9. Barter

Your business has something to offer, other people’s companies also have things to offer. One way to save money is to barter with others in exchange for goods and services. For example, an accounting firm can offer a few hours of accounting advice in exchange for having a painter paint the walls of its office or in exchange for a few hours of legal advice.

Before you try bartering with another company or with an individual, it’s worth assessing whether doing so will help you save money. For example, if you usually charge $200 per hour for accounting consulting, you want to make sure that the service or product you receive in exchange will be worth the same or slightly more than the service you are providing.

10. Reduce Staffing Costs

Staffing often accounts for a considerable amount of a company’s budget. Unless you are a sole proprietor, you are going to need to get creative when it comes to reducing staffing costs.

Fortunately, there are several ways to lower the expense of hiring people to work for your business. You can hire workers on a part-time basis so that you only pay them for the hours they work and don’t have to pay for benefits such as retirement or health insurance. Another option is to outsource certain tasks to freelancers or consultants. When you work with contractors and freelancers, your business isn’t responsible for Medicare and Social Security taxes, which can help to lower your costs.

It might also be worth re-assessing the benefits you offer full-time employees. Can you reduce the amount of paid time off you provide or find a lower cost healthcare plan?

You can also examine the perks you offer at the workplace to help lower your costs. For example, instead of a coffee maker with single-use pods, it might be more cost effective to have a drip coffee maker in the break room, so that employees can make a large, multi-serving pot of coffee at once.

Merlin Communications Can Help You Reduce Expenses

If your business is located in York, Lancaster or Harrisburg, Pa., or in Baltimore, Md., and you’re looking for ways to reduce your expenses, Merlin Communications, Inc. can help. We are a consulting firm that specializes in working with companies to help them control their telecommunications costs. We can perform a telecom audit to help you identify areas where you can save money.

Contact us today to learn more about how your business can reduce its telecom expenses.

There are many methods and factors to consider so you can maintain a professional image in the most cost-efficient way. Certain features, connection methods and technology are essential to achieving this goal. The best systems integrate voicemail, conference calling and more. Many different types of phone systems offer these capabilities alongside a multitude of other features, but settling on one can be confusing and stressful.

Thankfully, there are many different routes a business can take to ensure they make the right decision. To choose the right system, you must understand the options you have available and which would be best suited for your particular needs.

The Different Types of Phone Systems

There are a few significant types of business phone systems, and each one provides benefits and setbacks that must be evaluated to see which best fits your own specific needs.

1. Landline

The most traditional phone system is a landline. These systems work by plugging each phone into a wall and using a physical wire that allows for telecommunications with regional phone companies and the system itself.

Business landline phone systems are a reliable, tried-and-true method. However, the system provides far fewer features compared to Internet-based phone systems. As new business communications technologies are innovated, traditional landline telephones are fading. With phone system providers moving away from landline desk phones, they become increasingly difficult to purchase. Repairing components that will eventually become damaged is going to be more challenging.

Even though landlines are a dated phone system, that does not mean they are the least expensive. They usually require a private branch exchange (PBX). This hardware makes it possible for call transferring, and its acquisition may raise the cost of an office phone system higher than another method.

• Pros: They have a reliable connection and service.
• Cons: Additional hardware is expensive. They have fewer features than Internet alternatives, and repairs may be difficult as they are phased out.

2. Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Instead of relying on your local phone company to establish a connection, VoIP systems interact with an Internet service provider to connect with other users. The effectiveness of VoIP solutions correlates with how robust your Internet connectivity is in the office.

Setting up additional system features such as automated voicemail boxes and conference calling is easy with these office phone systems. Many of these benefits cannot be achieved easily or at all while using a landline. The benefits also do not need extra hardware and can be accessed through the Internet.

VoIP is an emerging technology and has vastly improved in recent years. The quality of the connection is on the same playing field as an expensive landline system and is more cost-efficient. They can also interact with computers and other devices so your employees can make their calls through other means than traditional phones.

There are a few options for how to host a business VoIP system. The two most common ways are at your business or the online cloud. Deciding to host an on-premise VoIP system requires pricey equipment and software plus a monthly fee. Your company is also responsible for managing and maintaining the technology. While this is unsurprisingly the more expensive route, some businesses choose an on-premise VoIP system if they want more power over their phone system.

Cloud-based systems do not require any extra hardware, and the maintenance is taken care of directly by the provider. A service fee is typical, and its price will depend on the size of your business. Not having to buy additional hardware or incur the upkeep associated with an on-premise system generally saves companies a great deal of money in the long run.

• Pros: You’ll get affordability and a vast amount of easily obtainable features with no need to purchase PBX system hardware.
• Cons: It requires a strong Internet connection.

3. Virtual Phone System

This type of phone system works by connecting remote workers to the company phone number through their mobile or home phones. Customer calls are transferred to the employee’s extension even if they are not at their desk or anywhere near the office. While they do not have as many advanced features as VoIP systems, they offer many useful features such as auto-attendants, call screening, voicemail and online faxing.

If your employees frequently travel or work from many different locations, a virtual phone system can be a great option. Although these systems are not as robust as the others mentioned, they provide many features while using a non-centralized network. They supply access to business calls while employees are away from their desk phones using home or mobile phones.

Virtual phone systems see a lot of use by smaller businesses that want to maintain a professional image without investing in a full-fledged VoIP or landline system. Another advantage is that employees no longer have to share their personal phone numbers with work contacts and convolute their home and work lives.

• Pros: Remote workers and those on business trips can make company calls on the go and take advantage of features their own device does not offer.
• Cons: It is not an all-inclusive phone system. Calls are processed by employee’s device and can incur charges.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Phone System

There are many questions to ask when buying an office phone system to ensure you make the best choice to fit your company’s particular needs. Consider the following aspects during your phone systems for business comparison to make a functional and cost-effective decision.

1. Current and Future Needs

Do you already have a phone system in place, or are you starting fresh? If you do not already have the infrastructure in place, it is more feasible to invest in a cloud-based phone system to save on upfront costs.

If you already have a PBX system and other equipment needed for a landline, it might not be profitable to switch to another system quite yet. VoIP phone systems and other digital forms of communication are rapidly improving. So, making use of your current system for a little longer might get you a better technology when you do switch in the future.

2. Price

No one wants to spend more than necessary. Although some types of phone systems generally cost more than others, deciding on a preferred cost structure and what you are comfortable with spending your money on will likely impact your decision.

No matter the phone system you choose, the price will likely vary depending on the size of your business and what equipment you want to be included. Usually, landline systems cost about $70 monthly per line. You can find a plan at this price point that will likely provide the number of minutes you need but does not include the PBX system software that significantly raises the expense.

Cloud-based VoIP and virtual phone systems are less expensive monthly and can be anywhere from $10 to $50 per user a month. If you include more features that come with premium plans, the price will increase. If a monthly cost structure is unappealing to you, on-premise VoIP costs only initial fees, which charge between $500 to $1,250 per user on top of an installation fee.

When choosing an option, you must consider both upfront and ongoing costs. On-premise VoIP and landline systems can have a high upfront cost, including equipment, licenses and installation fees. Cloud-based and virtual systems have no upfront costs, and instead charge a monthly fee per user. Do not be deceived by “too good to be true” discounts from vendors, because they will likely charge hidden fees later in the buying process.

3. Reliability and Connection

Maintaining stable connectivity is vital in any business. Ensure the phone system you select has many data centers that provide a high percentage of uptime so there is no service loss. In the event of a server crash, an emergency protocol should be put into place so the service can reach restoration quickly.

As more regions host fast and reliable Internet connections, VoIP is an acceptable option for most. If your business is in a rural area or somewhere that cannot guarantee a stable connection, a traditional landline might be the superior option until better Internet becomes available. This consideration is the largest when dealing with the VoIP vs. landline for business debate.

Choosing a VoIP system is not as cut and dry as what landlines once were. Making the wrong decision when choosing a package can be a waste of thousands of dollars. Common issues that can arise through mishandled VoIP systems include extended downtime, poor sound quality and other communication problems.

A stable and reliable connection is arguably the most critical element in a phone system. Besides the plan itself, you need an experienced IT staff to manage data centers and office places. If your business does not have an IT staff, 24/7 support from your provider is a must.

You will also want to familiarize yourself with how to contact support and when you can expect to get a response. The best telecommunications companies offer many ways of reaching them and can get back to you quickly. Read the phone companies’ information about their business as well as user reviews to get an idea of the most common complaints and issues.

4. Integration

If your company relies on tools such as CRM software, email services, ticket managing software, live chat and call scripts, choosing a system that can easily mesh with those business applications is essential.

5. Call Volume

Consider the amount of inbound and outbound calls you receive, and if these numbers fluctuate seasonally.

If you constantly get a large number of calls, as you might at a call center, a stable landline connection might work best. However, if these numbers vary throughout the year or if your team is considerably large, the digital route will likely save you some headaches. Adjusting the number of users is flexible, easy to do and avoids a surplus of equipment.

Choosing the Right Business Phone System Installation Service

Most voice service providers offer on-premise system installation services. For some companies, installing your phone system is free when you subscribe to their services. Others offer installation as a separate fee. Comparing the cost and quality of installation services is critical for choosing the right phone company.

1. Speed

2. Cabling or Infrastructure Needs

• Category 5
• Category 5e
• Category 6
• Category 6a
• Category 7
• Fiber Optic
• Coaxial

Your installer should work with many of the major manufacturers to find the cables and components that fit your network requirements and budget.

3. Services and Feature Needs

Need Help Choosing a Phone System for Your Business?

Wrestling with the pros and cons of business phone system options is not easy. If you feel you are drowning in comparisons and technology that you are not sure exactly what it is all about, there is no reason to be overwhelmed. In the fast-moving business world, your particular area of expertise is where the most effort should lie.

These feelings are why Merlin Communications have assisted their customers in meeting their business communications goals for many years by knowing precisely what to look for in a business phone system. In particular, we offer the following services:

• Telecom Services
• VoIP Services
• Cloud-Based Services
• Conference Call Services
• Telecom Expense Management
• Telecom Audit
• Telecom Inventory Management
• Cable Services
• Carrier Services
• Phone System Installation

Letting us take care of all your telecom necessities allows you to focus on the work you love doing while enjoying increased profits, streamlined operations and reduced risk by outsourcing your telecommunications management services.

Our team with over 80 years of combined experience in business telephone solutions and provides businesses with excellent service and custom products. We work with over 200 suppliers, so we make it as easy as possible to find the best phone solutions for your needs.

Before you bog yourself down with extensive research or make a compromise that could be less than ideal, contact us and receive a free quote today.