Telecommunications technology is becoming increasingly advanced every year, and your business would be well served to adopt the latest Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) tools. As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to affect business operations in 2021 and beyond, maximizing the latest VoIP platforms will help you stay ahead of the pack.
By integrating the following VoIP technologies into your business, you’ll benefit from more effective team collaboration, crystal-clear communications, and happier customers.
5G wireless technology
With staff working from different locations using a variety of devices, making voice or video calls — whether to conduct team meetings or to just catch up — requires fast and stable internet speeds. This is possible with a 5G connection.
5G is the fifth-generation of wireless network technology that promises to deliver greatly improved internet connectivity. It offers ultra-fast communication speeds, significantly reduced latency, expansive network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience across different devices.
Companies that often conduct mission-critical communications will benefit from excellent voice and video call quality, little to no instances of dropped calls, and better data transfer speeds, to name a few. 5G’s numerous benefits have been touted in the telecommunications industry since 2019, but it is poised to truly take off in 2021.
Growth of Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS)
A unified communications (UC) system integrates disparate communication tools, including messaging applications, voice and video call programs, and others into one orderly and easy-to-use platform. There are many components in a UC system, and making sure they all work seamlessly may require the assistance of VoIP tech experts.
This year, more small and large organizations are expected to adopt a UCaaS model, in which a third-party vendor supplies and sets up all the key components in their VoIP systems. This is largely due to the increasing demand for reliable VoIP phone systems by a distributed workforce that’s coping with work from home setups.
Earlier, it was reported that UCaaS is expected to grow from $15.8 billion in 2019 to $24.8 billion by 2024. Its further growth in 2021 is perfectly aligned with this prediction.
Death of legacy phones
2021 may be the year that home and business users finally ditch the landline. While still useful, landlines can’t compete with voice and video calling and a number of alternative communication options.
In the United States, fewer and fewer people are keeping (and using) a landline phone. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s phone ownership tracking data, this downward trend is likely to continue: in 2004, 90% of adults lived in homes with a landline, while in 2020, this number dropped to below 40%. Most companies will be smart to opt for internet phones that are much more intuitive and have more features and limitless capabilities.
Artificial intelligence- (AI) powered customer service
AI and machine learning (ML) have been making back-end operations involving business processes such as sales, marketing, and research a lot easier. Recent tech developments show that customer support processes, specifically those already powered by AI like chatbots and speech recognition software programs, will get a boost from further developments in AI and ML.
Simply put, automated customer service tools such as chatbots will become even smarter. They will do more than answer basic customer questions. They will also be deployed to perform tasks such as helping customers find items on the company’s web store and recommending products based on their purchase history, to name a few. Moreover, businesses will gain valuable insights into their customers’ behavior and, in best-case scenarios, boost sales from chatbot-funneled interactions.
Utilizing chatbots does, in fact, have substantial benefits including increased sales. It’s worth noting, however, that some consumers remain skeptical about their data’s safety when interacting with a chatbot and some still prefer to interact with a human.
Augmented reality (AR) integration
AR is a technology that overlays digital images with real-world objects. Many people are already familiar with AR because popular gaming and social media programs and applications (e.g., Pokemon Go, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook’s story feature, etc.) use this technology.
But beyond their entertainment and gaming uses, AR will have more practical applications for businesses in 2021 and in the foreseeable future. Soon, it will be integrated into business programs as scanning tools, as well as virtual reality headsets to be used during a video conference, rendering video calls more engaging and interactive.
If you’re a small- or medium-sized business owner in New Jersey who wants to explore the many ways your VoIP phones can be maximized, call the experts at Online Computers.
Or, download our free eBook, Voice-Over-Internet Phone Systems Are Bursting WIth Business Benefits to learn how advanced telecommunications technology can boost your company’s bottom line.
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