The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the way businesses operate, with remote work becoming the new normal. As a result, the need for reliable and efficient communication systems has become more critical than ever. Business phone systems have played a vital role in enabling remote work by providing a range of features that help remote workers stay connected and productive.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused countries to take immediate and forceful action to stop the spread of the virus. Governments are urging and in some cases forcing people to stay home. Businesses are in lockdown to protect staff and customers. Limiting face-to-face human interaction undoubtedly represents a challenge for Canadian companies. The Coronavirus has started taking its toll on many businesses’ bottom lines.
Cloud phone systems and cloud hosting of critical IT and communication applications can facilitate connectivity and communication between companies and their clients. A cloud solution can overcome the current limitations of not being able to provide face-to-face service.
Remotely Operated Apps and Phone Systems
Here are some ways that phone systems, cloud communication, and IT platforms can help your business operate more effectively amid the severe limitations caused by the Coronavirus:
- Move business-critical applications like ERP, accounting, and communication to the cloud so that critical servers are protected, data is centralized and backed up, and applications can run reliably, and fully maintained in a secure data center.
- Allow staff to telework using desktop softphones, mobile apps, web clients, and VPNs to securely access corporate data.
- Add “Click to Talk” and “Click to Chat” features to your website to improve live interaction with customers and partners and take the load off the public phone network.
- Provide front-line staff with the ability to easily host online meetings with rich Voice, Video, Whiteboard, and Screen Sharing capabilities. This will also take some load off the public phone network.
- Provide Sales staff with personalized “Reach Me” shortcut links that enable Click to Talk or Chat features to make them more easily accessible to customers regardless of their location.
- Securely integrate remote branches and teams to leverage available skillsets dispersed across many locations. This can help to backfill resources in a reduced staff situation.
- Integrate freelance staff securely and efficiently to fill resource gaps caused by staff on sick leave and to quickly scale the business when needed.
- Implement an Auto Attendant in place of a receptionist so callers can navigate through your company and easily communicate with anyone depending on time and day and staff availability.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role of business phone systems in enabling remote work and facilitating efficient communication. By leveraging the features of business phone systems, businesses can continue to stay connected, productive, and responsive to customer needs despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.
If you are looking for help with leveraging your IT and communication solutions or phone systems to weather the impact of the coronavirus, do not hesitate to contact our experts.
