You have to wonder if, after that initial phone call, Alexander Graham Bell could ever have envisioned how his "simple" invention would reshape the entire world. Fact is, nothing has been the same since the invention of the telephone and we have reaped its benefits for more than 150 years. In fact, the hospitality industry would have no way to thrive these days without it, and the same is true with most, if not all, businesses.
Of course, as with most good things, the use of the traditional phone system is coming to an end. Both consumers and business persons alike are realizing that Voice over Internet Protocol, aka VoIP, is the wave of the future. Mr. Bell had a good reign, but were he around today, we would bet that he might even be willing to give VoIP a chance.
So why is the traditional phone system becoming obsolete in the hotel industry? It basically breaks down to four factors:
Quality of the Call
One of the most important elements of any communications system is quality. If your call quality is poor, you're never going to impress anyone. While it is true that VoIP had quality issues during its early years, the technology has improved by leaps and bounds, and is now at the level of, and sometimes exceeds, that of traditional phones. The only limiting factors that you need to worry about with VoIP to achieve quality that is above traditional phone systems are the robustness of your hardware and connection. If those two things are taken care of, your VoIP's call quality will be stellar.
Lower Price of VoIP
This is the most talked about feature regarding VoIP in the hotel industry, because everyone wants to save money. While there are times where the financial savings of VoIP are a bit exaggerated, you simply can't deny the fact that traditional phone systems typically cost much more for installation, maintenance, and operation. What's even better is that when you make a switch to VoIP, you can even choose to adapt your current analog phones to the new setup so that replacement of those phones is not necessary, thereby saving you even more money.
Included Features
Don't let the "voice" in Voice over Internet Protocol fool you. The fact is, VoIP isn't restricted to voice communications, as it also features elements like video chats, file transfers, file sharing, and group voice and video calls. These capabilities help to provide VoIP with greater flexibility than the traditional phone system. All of these features are possible with VoIP without an additional cost. Even if you're not a "techie," there's no need to worry -- these features are all very simple to use. And even if you run into any trouble, a VoIP provider like PhoneSuite is only a VoIP call away.
Hosted Solutions
The beauty of VoIP, which we've touched on, is the flexibility of the system and its features. Perhaps the greatest advantage that it has over a traditional phone system in a operational sense, however, is the ability to take the functionality and maintenance out of your own IT department and give it over a professional VoIP provider, if you choose to do so. A Hosted VoIP Solution will allow you to sit back and reap the benefits of VoIP without the headache of monitoring the system or making adjustments through your own IT person. Those responsibilities are given to your VoIP provider, and they are obligated to care for the system.
Are you interested in upgrading your phone system and VoIP and don't know where to start? The professionals at PhoneSuite can help you with that. Contact us today and we'll help you find the perfect solution to your hotel's needs.
