Face it, the landline phone system you’ve been using at the office has to go. Sure, the legendary office administrator at the front desk has kept the seams from showing when customers call, messages come in and coordination has to click.
But, why are they wasting time coddling equipment that was cutting-edge 50 years ago?
Let’s have some fun and explore how HAL 9000, the notorious AI system from the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, shares issues with the ancient technology powering phone systems in offices around the world – and maybe you’ll reconsider the tech that’s been tying up your staff and budget.
HAL 9000 – The Office Assistant from Hell
HAL was responsible for keeping the lines of communication open, conveying important information to the crew and keeping the mission on track. You’d think that a billion-dollar, sentient supercomputer could keep things running smoothly.
Spoiler alert: HAL didn’t do the trick.
Somewhere along the line, technology breaks down (and maybe tries to kill you).
When HAL 9000 broke down, the crew ended up wasting valuable time trying to get it back up and running. Sound familiar?
VoIP solutions run circles around on-premise call-handling hardware and admin systems like HAL and his ancient landline-based counterparts. The main reason being the quality of service that VoIP like 4Voice’s offers.
The constant performance monitoring of VoIP means your staff won’t be stuck fiddling with the phone lines, looking up customer service numbers or calling IT to get the PBX back up and running.
This monitoring service isn’t just a matter of “on or off” functionality, either. Modern VoIP performance monitoring tracks the quality of voice and data transmission, meaning you’ll avoid calls that contain jitter, crackling and those strange voice delays that make conversations awkward.
Initial setup is also a big piece of the VoIP quality strategy, too. “Quality of Service” standards are determined based on your internet usage to determine how the network prioritizes and transmits voice data and other competing transmissions, ensuring that you enjoy the voice quality you expect as you transition from phone to VoIP.
Landline Phones Are Older than HAL!
HAL 9000 made his big-screen debut in 1968. It didn’t take long for his systems to result in dramatic issues with their mission.
That being said, landline phone tech and infrastructure are older than HAL – including those ghastly beige phones. The same goes for the telephone lines which enable them.
Despite their age, did you know that phone carriers are being allowed to deprioritize repairs on landlines? It’s true! A few years ago, the FCC issued a notice for new rules that “allow carriers to invest in modern networks rather than … [devoting] scarce resources to outmoded legacy services.”
That may explain why customers who depend on telephone lines for their business find themselves waiting days (and not minutes) for functionality to get restored after storms and other service-impacting events.
VoIP solutions, on the other hand, came into being just a handful of years ago alongside the explosive growth of the internet and the fresh, new infrastructure which powers its service.
Combined with the new lines and better pricing (keep reading), this puts VoIP far ahead of their ancient landline counterparts – and our old frenemy HAL.
HAL Was Quite Expensive, to Say the Least
Just like HAL, old hardware and landlines cost a good deal of cash. Fortunately, these systems haven’t achieved sentience, or they might find a way to prevent you from upgrading your setup and saving a stack of currency.
4Voice’s VoIP solution often saves businesses up to 50% on their phone bill, and includes local, domestic, long distance, toll-free, and eFax services – all for one low price.
Not only are the rates a source of savings, but you’ll no longer have to buy bundles of phone lines, replace aging PBX call routers or depend on phones that were manufactured prior to the development of the internet.
A Deeper Dive
If you’re on the lookout for more reasons to switch to a VoIP solution – and are ready to run from your old hardware before it drops your calls in a passive-aggressive temper tantrum – take a look at our guide: “10 Benefits of 4Voice’s Business VoIP Solutions.”
