The moment we talk of collaboration, one thing that comes to our mind is telephony because we all tend to consider it to be an integral part of the process. Well, there is nothing wrong in thinking that way but with the advent IP communications things have changed a bit. Businesses that have adopted VoIP do not let go of their desk phones. However, the time for desk phones is running out and they will soon pave way for the softphones which offer a clutter free desk at office.
VoIP is eventually going to replace the traditional phone systems but the reality is that you and I are still using the old phone system. Most of the SMBs keep using the old phone system but with the growing use of VoIP, it is soon going to end. We are going to find that Unified Communication is a natural progression of VoIP and sooner than later the subject of collaboration is going to come up.
VoIP is definitely going to introduce you to the world of Internet and IP networks or communication. All growing businesses treat VoIP to be the backbone of different types of data and voice transmission. Since VoIP converts voice signals to digital data packets so it can automatically interact with other IP-communication modes like messaging, email, presence, video etc. Thus, we can see how VoIP is bridge that connects communication to collaboration. In such a scenario, multiple channels of communication are brought on a common platform.
VoIP plays an important role but it does not form a necessary condition for collaboration and certainly you would not require your desk phone to collaborate. In this blog post, we are going to look at some of the scenarios where employees will be able to collaborate even without the use of pone system.
Collaboration With Softphones
Communication is being redefined with the emergence of new technologies, especially the ones impacting the behaviour of end users. The implications are at different levels and the decision makers have to think differently when it comes to collaboration. Communication takes a larger size as all your employees would frequently be using the technology. Cost of collaborative tools has not only come down but they are getting easier to use.
All this has led to a point where the collaboration process has turned out to be more flexible and less formal. The legacy collaboration tools are costlier and complex to use because every time a conference is organized, call bridging and other methods have to be used – this is a costly affair. VoIP has made life easier because no matter where you are collaboration is extremely smooth.
Softphones are the most intelligent substitutes for desk phones as it helps people communicate as well as collaborate without having a physical phone at hand. IP based communication gives the advantage of carrying out a video call or voice call with a few clicks only. Since you will be using only the same broadband service, no extra costs are incurred in the form of telephone bills. Collaboration can be timed and managed with ease because of the flexibility offered by VoIP and Softphones.
Collaboration without a phone system has been turned into a reality by VoIP and tools like Softphones.