How old is your phone system in “phone system years”? If it’s time for it to retire from your company, you’ve got an important decision ahead of you.

Buying the correct communications platform can truly make a difference to the success of your business in the next 5 to 10 years. Choosing the right system could mean winning more contracts, worrying less about disasters, and even saving you money.

Before you take the plunge and upgrade your phone system, take the time to find answers to these 9 key questions.

#1: Costs

Check what is included and not included in the minutes bundle. Are there any exit clauses in the service contract? Do you have to rent the phones for longer than the service contract?

#2: Flexibility

Can you add or remove users during the service contract? Do you have to pay for devices or for users?

#3: Disasters

Can the system divert calls to mobile devices when the access network is down? Are there restrictions in the features available when people are remote?

#4: Consistency

Are all features available to remote workers, or do some get removed? Is the quality the same? For example, some mobile systems could have poor voice quality if the network is congested.

#5: Usability

Are the features the same on the phone, desktop, and mobile devices, or are they different? Do you still have to rely on a desk phone?

#6: Professionalism

Does the system support features such as auto attendant, music on hold, automatic call distribution, and call queuing, so you never miss a call?

#7: Productivity

Does the system have features like conferencing, room-based collaboration, and instant messaging and presence (IM&P)?

#8: Mobility

Does the system support iOS and Android devices? Can it support all of the productivity features when users are mobile?

#9: Maintenance

Does the system have web-based user self-administration, allowing you to control features from a single web page? Does the service support diagnostics, so the service provider can quickly identify any issues that you may run into?

Be sure to ask about the underlying technologies that the service providers have in place, as this allows them to innovate rapidly and drive the biggest impact for your business. The fanciest features or the lowest price won’t do you much good if quality, reliability, or security are not core components of the platform your service relies on.

About the Author

Stacey Kendall is a Product Marketing Manager at TPx Communications. Her role is focused on marketing for TPx’s suite of Communications & Collaboration offerings, including the UCx Hosted Unified Communications Service and SmartVoice SIP Trunking. Stacey holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing with a specialization in Information Technology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She resides in the greater Boston area.