Landlines have been seeing a decline in not only personal use but business use as well. This is due to many factors, including the ease and usefulness of a mobile phone, and also because of the flexibility in the workplace. Workers out at lunch do not want to miss an urgent call so that a work phone will be instituted on their behalf. As for workers who work from home or co-working spaces, a mobile phone line is necessary. Because of this, most offices have gotten rid of their landlines completely. Is Your Business Still Using a Landline? Times Have Changed!
Virtual Technologies Support Today’s Dynamic Businesses
Companies are created to grow and change, and it would be a hassle to move in mass amounts of wires every year when you could simply install a powerful WiFi network. Landlines also restrict businesses to one spot. Employees would not have the freedom to leave their desks while waiting for an urgent phone call. Mobile phones are incredibly useful for employees who do not work regular business hours and need more flexibility as well. One example is workers who need to contact international clients in different time zones.
Mobile phones have also increased the number of meetings done over FaceTime and Skype. Instead of having to travel to multiple businesses, you can meet with your colleagues face-to-face wherever you currently are. As long as you have WiFi, you are available. Video conferencing has now become the chosen way to host meetings for many businesses across the world.
Gaining More Flexibility and Freedom with a Virtual Phone System
While virtual phone providers can solve some of the problems associated with the landline, such as being restricted to one location, it can not solve all of them. With a mobile line, you can gain access to even more features with your virtual phone line such as SMS messaging. Most Americans, especially the younger generations, prefer text messages to phone calls. Most Millenials hate speaking on the phone and will ignore a phone call from a business. However, if they’re sent a text message, it’s likely they’ll respond or at least read the message and the information.
Are Business Landlines Common?
Landlines can still be found in many businesses, but those companies have been in business for several years when there were no other options. Many new companies are worried about alternative business developments such as access to bike racks, stocking healthy snacks, pet-friendly workplaces, and meditation rooms. These growing businesses aren’t interested in having a working landline. As landline numbers decrease in homes across the country, business landlines are corresponding accordingly.
If you’re still choosing a virtual phone system to use for your business or office, you can select between VoIP lines and a landline. VoIP, though, has a lower setup cost and much lower maintenance costs than landlines.
Advancing into the Future with VoIP
VoIP or internet calling uses the internet to place your phone calls. This system has been around for a long time, but only recently has VoIP become the best way to place calls. Because of consistent technological achievements over the years, WiFi connections have become very reliable.
If you’re still not convinced that you should ditch the landline, consider a few of these points:
- VoIP offers many multimedia options, including video, unlike landlines, which only offers voice calling.
- Your business can expand easier without the addition of multiple phone sets and installing wires.
- Feature options are limited when choosing a landline, while VoIP comes with call waiting, call forwarding, and many others.
- Cordless phone sets for landlines will not work during a power outage.
- VoIP allows you to use mobile phones, landline phones, computers, laptops, and tablets to communicate.
- You can port your numbers easily with VoIP and make calls from your mobile phone wherever you go.
- VoIP has the benefit of rejecting anonymous callers, if you prefer.
- Auto attendants, voicemail to email, and voicemail to text are all available with a VoIP connection.