Phone systems for hybrid working

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Hybrid working

Home IP phone system

VoIP phone system for home

Let's talk hybrid

Whether you’re working remotely, office-based, on the move or if you’ve embraced a hybrid working approach – we’re all now working in a world which demands flexibility. Choosing the right phone systems for hybrid working will support this new ‘norm’ could unlock untapped business potential, ensure efficiency and guarantee brilliant communication!

Here we consider the best options for successful hybrid working with a VoIP phone system, so no matter where you’re located, you’re always connected.

Hybrid working – buzzword or here to stay?

Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has revealed that 40 per cent of employers expect more than half of their workforce to work regularly from home from here – a trend which was vastly accelerated thanks to the global pandemic. These are big figures given that pre-pandemic, just five per cent of the UK’s workforce where is a remote working role. And, given the benefits such as work-life balance, lower travel costs and reduced office overheads, it’s a way of working that looks set to stay.

As we emerge from the pandemic and offices have re-opened, employees and organisations alike have uncovered a new way of working, which strikes a balance between home and office life: now widely known as ‘hybrid working’.

For employees, hybrid working offers the following benefits:

• Improved work-life balance
• Fewer distractions when working from home
• Saved commuting time and costs

For employers, advantages include:

• Saving on the cost of office space
• Higher levels of employee job satisfaction
• Reduced absence rates

Hybrid working is a term we’ve all become familiar with by now, but this is a flexible form of working that, to absolutely work for your business, will require a cultural and technological shift - a new way of thinking and the adoption of advanced VoIP telephony technology.

Steps to hybrid harmony with a home IP phone system

To truly achieve a hybrid environment, employees must have the necessary tools to support their day-today operations. Employees need to be able to work seamlessly between workplace and home, and there needs to be ease of connectivity between people in the office, those working remotely and – it goes without saying – your customers.

VoIP business phone systems are central to this, but is yours up to the job? Does it facilitate optimum hybrid working? Having a flexible home IP phone system is key to your staff interacting best with colleagues and clients and carrying out work consistently with no technical hiccups. Providing the ultimate remote working network setup which allows them to access their business phone from home.

The best VoIP phone systems for home office set-ups

For the ultimate in communication, most businesses are now operating in the cloud using VoIP phone systems that are feature-rich, agile, and secure, delivering all the call management features to do good business.

VoIP phone systems for the home also bring about huge benefits; they are quick and easy to install, there are no upfront connection costs, and they are easy to maintain and upgrade as all of this is undertaken seamlessly – and securely - in the cloud by your provider. An added attraction is that as your business grows or changes, you can quickly add, or reduce, users so you are only ever paying for exactly what you need!

There are several options for VoIP phone systems suitable for home use. Regardless of the solution, it’s important to guarantee a smooth transition to the cloud, with careful streamlined planning which will eliminate any downtime or disruption to the workflow.

• Focus Horizon – quite simply the best business VoIP phone system, the complete package! Suitable for small firms through to enterprise level, Horizon VoIP is cost effective, easy to get up and running and gives you oodles of features to manage your calls. These include call handling, voicemail-to-email, real-time analytics, auto attendant, call recording and much more. And should you require more, that’s not a problem. Horizon enhancements include Call Reporting, Call Recording and Collaborate , which features voice and video calling, instant messaging and conferencing capabilities.
• Microsoft Teams Phone System – this really took off in 2020, topping the charts as the pandemic home working saviour. And what’s not to love! Microsoft Teams phone systems provides a way to connect your telecoms services to Microsoft Teams and the power to call people outside of your Microsoft 365 business domain – and from any device! It’s cost-effective, reliable, scalable and packs a real punch with its impressive list of call management features.

Combine business mobile capabilities with your hybrid phone systems

To further support the hybrid working world, could you do with an overhaul of your business mobiles? From handsets to devices and SIM only options , there are plans that deliver on freedom, flexibility and value, guaranteed to keep your hybrid staff connected even while on the move. Additionally, VoIP phone systems integrate with your business mobiles , providing applications that allow you to bring your business phone with you on the go. This in turn transforms your mobile into a complete hybrid working tool with full access to your business contact, call diverts and the ability to bring your business phone number with you should whether at home or in the office.

Secure communications on your VoIP phone system for home use

One of the biggest concerns businesses have expressed with the increase in hybrid working is how to keep their employees and sheer volume of business and personal data safe from the dark side of the internet. With everyone under one roof this can be managed more readily, but with large numbers of employees operating from numerous locations, how can you ensure that your VoIP phone system for home use is keeping your data secure?

It’s vital to protect your business and there is a raft of cyber security measures that give peace of mind that no matter where your teams are located, you are not exposed to viruses, data breaches and loss of data and/or connectivity. Our cyber security offerings include:

• Cyber security awareness & training
• Security operation centre (managed SOC or SOC as a service)
• Email security
• Dark web monitoring
• GDPR awareness training

Make sure your business is impenetrable. Talk to our Cyber experts about what tools and training could keep you from falling foul to cyber-attacks!

Related content

> Remote working solutions

> VoIP phone systems

> Unify your communications

Let’s talk hybrid

Focus Group offer numerous, unrivalled hybrid working solutions to suit any business… so make sure your team is firing on all cylinders, wherever they are!