Before the internet, the telephone was a ground breaking communication system that allowed individuals and businesses to communicate with one another. The connection was possible thanks to miles of telephone lines erected across states, countries and continents. When the internet became a household name, the telephone became the main channel allowing computers to connect with others globally. Businesses and home owners were able to browse websites thanks to the telephone. Even though smartphones, tablets and computers have been integrated with wireless communication technology, the business telephone systems is not ready to go away. This is because there are so many benefits for having PBX phone systems in a business. Take advantage of VOIP Voice over Internet Protocol is technology that allows businesses to conduct video conferencing as well making calls across the internet. This technology has become very beneficial to businesses especially where many branches are spread across the state, country or world. The technology converts traditional voice into IP packets which are transmitted from one router to the other. This can be accessed by a PBX phone system, telephone or mobile device in another region. The system offers a significant benefit to small business as they are able to combine both analog and digital modes of communication. Improve on customer support Today there are several technologies that allow businesses to offer customer support. Chat system, web based ticketing systems and social media pages are services used by businesses to provide support. Customers have thousands of queries regarding products and services offered by a business. They need the answers in order to make better decisions. Free toll numbers are still available and they allow customers to call and speak directly to a customer support agent. In order to redirect the calls from one department to another or from one agent to another, a PBX phone system is needed. Stay ahead of competitors The business world is changing and in order to stay ahead of your competition, you need to embrace the business phone systems. While you may view it as old technology, it is still very useful. You can always update the system and have the best installed in your business. You can integrate it with chat systems and web based ticketing system allowing you to redirect calls to the right department or agent for help. It can also be integrated with video conferencing, email and fax allowing you to have multiple communication channels. Provides secure communication You have field agents working and you need to communicate with them. The business phone systems offers secure and reliable form of communication. Team members can communicate from the comfort of the office space and customers are able to contact field agents from the comfort of their homes or offices. As the business owner, you and your team members will get to communicate between each other as well as with customers effectively and efficiently. Reduces expenses When compared to mobile plans, telephone expenses are minimal especially for a business operating on a limited budget. Implementation of an integrated phone system allows many employees to be connected. You don’t have to set up several systems around the office which will increase your expenses. The telephone bill is easy to understand which comes along with the system allowing the business to identify costly patterns. For example telephone invoices can help to identify workers who are making long distance phone calls of a personal nature. Availability of useful features Telephone systems come with advanced features that are useful for the business. The features are designed to increase productivity levels in the business. This improves profit levels. The features include call waiting, call forwarding, caller ID, voicemail services and many more. Call forwarding allows one to forward a call to the right department; caller ID displays the number and other information of the caller. In case of many calls, the call waiting features places the business customers on hold before being connected. Simple to expand and scale When a business starts, the capital available is used to finance the business for the first year. During this time, the business will invest in a smaller business phone system. This allows the business to connect the limited number of workers available. As the business grows, it will expand to a larger PBX system which makes integration of telephones to be easier. The system is worth it as the business will be able to manage the growing number of customers. Final Thoughts Regardless of the industry a small business belongs in, communication via the telephone is vital. For a business to attain its goals, it needs to sell products and services as well as research the market. This means that field agents and branches need to be set up. To ensure that the flow of communication is not disrupted, a business phone system is needed. Workers can receive hundreds of calls each day; they can communicate with field agents and branches receiving information useful for market research. The PBX phone system is vital and beneficial in a business. It allows for expansion, improves communication, easy to bill, adds advanced features to the communication channel and allows for scalability.