Category: VoIP

Hosted telephone systems are great for businesses and organisations with the infrastructure to support them. Not only do they provide a range of features for improving the flexibility and effectiveness of day-to-day communications, but they offer cost-saving benefits as well.

Now, what exactly do we mean when we talk about hosted telephone systems? In case you’re not entirely sure, hosted telephone systems are stored off-premises and hosted in the cloud. They essentially enable you to make calls (amongst other things) over the internet.

Obviously, it’s not always as straightforward as that. There are many hosted telephone systems available on the market, and each comes with its own benefits. Today we’ll be taking a comparative look at two of the most widely used: Gamma Horizon and Microsoft Teams.

A quick glance at the two
Gamma Horizon is a complete communications platform that provides an extensive range of fixed and mobile telephony capabilities. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand — well, Microsoft Teams is essentially the same thing.

Both systems are controlled via an accessible, user-friendly dashboard; both systems are software as a service, and both systems are easily configurable to an organisation’s changing requirements.

Most importantly, both systems allow you to make phone calls over the internet. But there are quite a few key differences between the two.

Perhaps the biggest distinction is Microsoft Teams’ focus on internal communications. As a platform, Teams primarily classifies itself as “group chat software” and doesn’t natively cater to businesses and organisations requiring dedicated external comms — at least not without integrating a separate telephone system for making and receiving outside calls.

Microsoft Teams predominantly facilitates the work environment — combining messaging, voice, video, conferencing and a plethora of features designed to bring teams together (hence the name) and enable collaboration.

On the flip side of things, Gamma Horizon is equally comprehensive with its call handling and management features, but it takes things even further by supporting external comms right out of the box. Couple this with business continuity features that are inherent in all cloud-based telephone systems, and Gamma Horizon immediately stands out as an all-in-one solution for any organisation where maintaining customer service/communications is paramount.

A closer look at key benefits
Now that we’ve got the formalities out of the way, let’s dive into some common features across both platforms and the collaboration benefits they bring:

• Call allocation — Create groups for distributing and allocating calls across your team
• Call park — Hold a call and pick it up on another phone
• Call pickup — Answer a group member’s phone
• Call transfer & handling — Transfer a call to any internal or external number
• Conference calls & meetings — Hold voice and video meetings with up to 15 members
• Click to call — One click or touch to call
• Company directory — Group contacts across your site, department and company from a single handset
• Group calling — Go from 1:1 calling to multiple participants
• Multi-device — Have your choice of devices ring for incoming calls
• Multi-media messaging — Exchange messages (Chat), video files and images
• Voicemail — Play a message from your desktop and share with your team

When it comes to hosted telephone systems, Horizon and Teams are both solid choices for enhancing your organisation’s communications. Neither platform is necessarily better than the other, but there may be one that’s better suited to your current infrastructure and comms requirements.

If, for example, you are already embedded with Microsoft Office 365, then you will likely side with Teams. On the other hand, if you require an out of the box solution that supports both internal and external comms, then you’re probably better off with Horizon. Gamma Horizon supports external comms while enhancing internal communications through conferencing, video and a diverse suite of chat/update features for enabling group collaboration.

In either case, expert advice from a trusted provider is always encouraged. As a platinum Gamma partner, we at Fidelity Group have extensive experience assessing the best-hosted telephone systems for businesses of every size, in every sector.

We deliver unique, tailored solutions designed to nurture your communications, improve operations and strengthen your business. We then bolster this with 24/7/365 dedicated technical support and customer service. Our goal is to keep you connected and communicating always. Building relationships that last.

Speak to a member of our team today and see how we can implement the best telephony solution to accommodate your needs now and longer-term.

Ever since it was initially introduced in 1986, ISDN (Integrated Service Digital Network) has provided enhanced telecommunications to millions of businesses across the UK.

Considered a technical marvel at the time of its release, ISDN allowed for both voice and data services to be delivered over digital lines simultaneously. This not only paved the way for the high-speed internet era of the ’90s but also made it possible to incorporate early video-conferencing with traditional analogue phone systems.

With the recent advances in broadband connectivity, however, ISDN is now considered an outdated legacy system. And back in 2015, BT released a statement that it would phase out ISDN, with a view to switching off and permanently deactivating the network in 2025.

If this is the first time you’re hearing about the matter, then you’re not alone. As of right now, just over 2 million UK businesses are using an ISDN connection, with roughly a quarter unaware that the switch-off is even happening (source. TalkTalk).

But don’t worry, here’s everything you need to know.

What is ISDN and why is it being switched off?
In very simple terms, ISDN is a digital line that runs through copper wiring. Unfortunately, the main issue with ISDN is that it relies on physical infrastructure, the copper lines, which are costly to maintain and limited in their capabilities.

Newer connection types, such as FTTP and FTTC, use fibre technology, which is easier to maintain and provides better and quicker connectivity. As a result, copper lines will no longer be used for voice. However, the copper will remain in some circumstances, such as in FTTC — which is fibre to the cabinet and copper to the premises — but just for data purposes.

In either case, fibre technology looks to be the way for the future.

Businesses already using fibre typically benefit from 1,000 times more bandwidth, greater reliability, and up to 10 times faster internet speeds than using traditional lines. Having that faster, more reliable connectivity you get with fibre makes daily operations management a lot more efficient (think accessing your main server, uploading and sharing files and collaborating on the same work document etc.).

However, the most important change from the ISDN switch-off will be the effect it has on your existing telephone system.

Fibre and hosted telephone systems
As we mentioned earlier, copper lines will no longer be used for voice. This means anybody with an ISDN connection may need to update it to enable SIP functionality before the switch-off takes place. This will give businesses the option to move across to a hosted telephone system.

Hosted telephone systems operate via a data network hosted in the cloud instead of a circuit-switched network dedicated purely to telephony (e.g. ISDN) and are used to make calls (amongst other things) over the internet.

Typically referred to as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), making calls over the internet is generally cheaper and offers greater flexibility than traditional phone systems. That’s not to say that on-premises systems aren’t flexible, as they certainly provide a solid foundation for any comprehensive comms strategy, especially when integrated with the right hardware. It ultimately comes down to what system best meets your requirements going forward.

We covered many key benefits of hosted telephony in one of our previous blogs, as well as the differences between fully hosted solutions, hybrid solutions and on-premises solutions. For anybody unsure what those benefits and differences are, you can take a closer look here.

What should I do next?
Despite 2025 seeming a long way off, it’s always better to get a head start on preparations to ensure as smooth a transition as possible. Here at Fidelity Group, we can facilitate that transition for you — ensuring you have the right infrastructure in place to accommodate your communication requirements going forward in the digital age. We deliver unique, tailored solutions that are designed to nature your communications, improve operations and strengthen your business. We then bolster this with 24/7/365 dedicated technical support and customer service.

We can also look at your current setup, operations and activities to equip your business with the best combination of software and hardware, including mobile, to keep teams better connected and customers satisfied.

To discuss how the impending ISDN switch-off may affect your business and how you can take full advantage of hosted telephony, contact our experienced team today.

Between April and July last year, the number of newly registered businesses in the UK jumped from 7,000 to a staggering 18,000 (source. Office for National Statistics). And now, according to the business support organisation Enterprise Nation, it looks as though we’re well on track to exceed those numbers moving into a post-COVID era.

We could delve into the myriad of reasons why — ranging from widespread redundancies to the obvious and pragmatic shifts in the way services are now being consumed. But the real question should be aimed squarely at what it is, precisely, that will determine their success.

Starting a new enterprise is difficult at the best of times. Building something from scratch in the wake of a global pandemic, on the other hand, will be fraught with a very different set of challenges.

Here we outline the key reasons a robust telecommunications strategy is crucial for start-up success in 2021.

Business-grade internet / fibre
With online sales increasing by over 46% (source. Office for National Statistics), it’s not hard to see why so many new businesses will be digital-only or have online as a key component of their business model.

In which case, business-grade internet (otherwise known as fibre) will be imperative for any organisation looking to keep pace with the rapidly changing landscape. Unlike consumer connections, business-grade internet isn’t restricted by data limits. So, if you’re exchanging large files all day long, or you need to handle peak-time traffic from network users, fibre will add serious speed to your operation.

On top of all that, a business-grade internet connection lays a robust foundation for supporting various resources/communications across your entire business infrastructure. This brings us to our next point…

Telephony / mobile
Depending on your internet speeds, there will be different telephony systems you could theoretically implement within your new business — but we’ll come back to those in a moment.

Plenty of customers are still picking up the phone to enquire about services and business information. In fact, a study conducted by Invoca revealed that 75% of customers believe that calling a business is the best way to get a quick response — calling it the “most effective form of customer support”.

With this in mind, it’s pretty clear that new start-ups can’t afford to neglect telephony for fear of cutting out a pretty significant chunk of new enquiries. On the other side of things, a robust telephony system can also strengthen communications across different business areas, unify teams and improve productivity.

Circling back to what we said earlier about there being different kinds of telephony systems available, it really comes down to whether a hosted, on-premises or hybrid solution best fits your needs and infrastructure. If you’re unsure, you can check out a recent article we wrote about the subject that will definitely resonate with new businesses in 2021.

Regardless, a robust telephony system should be at the core of your telecommunications strategy. Other advantages include:

• Lower call costs
• Multi-media messaging
• Group calls / meetings
• Hot-desking
• Local area number no matter where you are located
• Mobile integration

On the subject of mobile, you can even get a landline telephone number for your smartphone. This is particularly ideal for small businesses who are just starting out, who perhaps don’t want the hassle or expense of a landline installation but require a professional front-facing telephone number.

If you’re starting a new venture and thinking of renewing your mobile contract, check out the top business smartphones for 2021 here.

Cloud hosting
We’ve already touched on hosted telephony systems. But the benefits of cloud hosting, on the whole, are even more immense.

The combination of virtual servers and software as a service makes cloud hosting ideal for new small businesses to enhance their resources without taking up too much space or expense. It also gives new companies the flexibility to scale operations appropriately and cost-effectively as the business continues to evolve and grow.

Another huge benefit of cloud hosting is data security. Offsite cloud-based backup services mean that new businesses don’t have to worry about forgetting to backup essential data. It also ensures certain resources that aren’t hosted locally (including telephone systems) remain operational and accessible in the event of a local disruption (flood, fire, local power outage, etc.), and business continuity can resume. These aren’t things new businesses tend to think about, but it’s always good to prepare for any eventuality.

Why choose Fidelity Group if you’re a start-up in 2021
2021 is going to be a trying year for all businesses — not just for start-ups.

With that in mind, new enterprises looking to start strong should be thinking about their telecommunications — which, as we’ve outlined, extends far beyond simple telephone systems.

Here at Fidelity Group, we look at the bigger picture. We deliver unique, tailored solutions that combine to form an overarching strategy designed to enhance your capabilities, improve operations and strengthen your business. We then bolster this with 24/7/365 dedicated technical support and customer service, forging relationships with all our clients to help ensure success on their journey. Everything is handled under one roof, including energy.

Get in touch with the team today and see how we can help your new business thrive now and for the longer term.

As Government restrictions continue to tighten, it looks as though businesses everywhere will be required to adopt longer-term remote working conditions for the majority of their staff.

According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, nearly half of all adults in employment were working from home due to last year’s social distancing measures. Now that efforts to maintain distancing throughout the most recent wave have only increased, it’s fair to say those numbers are likely to continue to grow.

In short, 2021 is shaping up to be another challenging year for everyone. Ensuring your business has a robust communication strategy in place for internal teams and customers has never been more important. This is where having the right — make that best — telephony system is going to be most vital.

So, where do you even begin to start?

On-premises, hosted telephony or both?
Whenever we think about remote working, it’s common to think only about using VoIP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) via a hosted telephony system. After all, a hosted voice system is stored in the cloud, with calls, signalling and features handled off-site.

Not only is VoIP typically cheaper than traditional calls but hosted telephony systems are also incredibly agile, accommodating a myriad of communication and collaboration requirements for teams working remotely. This includes multi-media messaging, file-sharing and the ability for users to set up a personal device to function as their work telephone; receiving and making calls using an existing business telephone number from their mobile.

For internal teams, scattered across multiple locations, this can prove invaluable for making sure day-to-day operations continue as usual. For external-facing teams, such as customer support and sales teams, this can mean all the difference between excellent customer service and the permanent loss of a client due to a communication breakdown.

Sounds like a pretty open and shut case, right? Well, not exactly.

Not everybody has the infrastructure or internet speeds to accommodate this kind of setup. For some organisations, an entirely on-premises system will be their only viable option. These systems are known as on-premises PBX (Private Branch Exchange) and are typically what we think of whenever we think of a traditional analogue or ISDN phone system.

At face value, PBX systems do appear to lack some of the qualities afforded by cloud-based systems. However, they still provide a solid foundation for building a comms strategy that will enable staff to work remotely, especially when integrated with the appropriate hardware. There are some extraordinary handsets and products available to broaden your on-premises system’s capabilities, giving teams greater functionality and flexibility.

If your business still uses traditional analogue and ISDN lines, it may be possible to implement a hybrid solution. Hosted PBX systems (also known as IP-PBX) combine the best elements of an on-premises system with all the benefits and flexibility of a system that’s hosted in the cloud. This means they can handle voice calls, video calls, data, and link up with a wide range of applications essential for teams collaborating both on-site and out of the office. In short, they make unified communications across an entire organisation simple and seamless.

And the answer is…
So, after all, is said and done, what exactly is the best telephony system for working remotely?

The answer to that question will ultimately come down to the depth and breadth of your organisation — as well as the logistics of being able to implement some of the options we’ve outlined in this article. Not all telephony systems are created equally, and not all businesses are completely alike.

Here at Fidelity Group, we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to telephony. We see every business as an individual, ensuring our clients receive the best solutions to meet their staff and customers’ needs.

One possible solution is Horizon Collaborate. With a comprehensive range of features, designed to work across a wide range of devices and operating systems with minimal connectivity requirements, including file-share, video and multi-party conferencing, this unified comms platform offers a more complete solution for teams working both on-site and remotely.

2021 is going to bring a myriad of challenges to businesses everywhere. Speak to us today and discover how we can implement the best telephony solution to accommodate your communication needs now and in the longer term.