In the News - Lawyers VoIP Systems

Technology is advancing rapidly and lawyers all over are keeping up. Nearly every lawyer uses his/her cell phone for the law practice, and a lot even use smartphone apps like Google Voice to manage their practice. A new trend that we’ve seen over the past few years is that lawyers are switching from traditional phone systems with the giant PBX in the closet, to hosted VoIP business phone systems. These newer systems are cheaper, more efficient, and allow for more robust features that can finally keep up with us in our fast-paced lifestyles. VoIP businesses phone systems are phones whose “PBX” is hosted in the cloud, allowing users to make phone calls over an internet connection, as opposed to a hardline telephone connection. Let’s discuss why lawyers are choosing VoIP business systems and freeing up some extra office space by getting rid of their PBX hardware.

Why VoIP is Better For Law Firms:

According to tech.co reports here’s how much businesses that switch to VoIP can save.

• Reduce local phone call costs by almost 40%.
• Reduce international phone call costs by up to 90%.
• Reduce initial startup costs for new businesses by up to 90%.

When starting your law firm, it is important to keep your initial costs low, and reducing costs for your phone system by up to 90% can be instrumental to your success. The lowered costs are due to the fact that the setup and implementation of your VoIP phone system requires a lot less than you might think. For example: when you initially setup phone service with a hardwired phone company, someone from the company will have to come to your office, setup all of the giant hardware, your PBX, and all of the other ponderous physical equipment that hardwired phone systems require.

When you purchase a VoIP business phone system from a provider like 3CX, TelcomSavvy, Ring Central, or other business solutions, your phones are setup for you based on the information you give to the phone provider, and there is absolutely no giant PBX in your office. You simply plug your VoIP business phone into an ethernet jack, and your phones are fully operational! You also don’t have to pay someone to come and update the PBX and maintain the hardware, because your phone system is stored in the cloud.

So How Many Businesses Are Actually Making the Switch?

An infonetics report has stated that VoIP usage has increased by 14% every year since 2009. It also reports that there will have been an increase of 15.3% by 2017. So last year was one of the biggest ever for migration to VoIP for businesses, so what does that mean for landlines? Wel,, Michigan state legislature, according to MizBiz.com is considering drafting a bill that would essentially cause phone companies to phase out landline services and offer VoIP services instead. This would only happen where VoIP and internet based communications are possible.

So, Should I Switch?

In our opinion, yes. Traditional landlines are dying out and being replaced with internet based communications and hosted PBX solutions. Here are some of the benefits to switching:

• Make changes to your phone system by yourself, using an admin account.
• Reduce your current phone bill by up to 40%.
• Store your data securely in the cloud.
• Enjoy a myriad of robust telephone features, including:
  • Simultaneous or sequential call ringing, so that multiple employees have the ability to answer the phone.
  • The ability to instantly move an active call from your landline to your cell phone, for when you are on the run.
  • Record your calls with the touch of a button to save important details for later.
  • Manage virtual extensions seamlessly without having to wait on hold with your phone provider.
  • Enable and customize auto-attendants so that callers always speak to the right person.
• Allow your employees to travel and/or work from different locations by just unplugging the phone and taking it with them!

VoIP business phone systems are the most robust phone systems available, and with these convenient features and a lower cost than what you are probably paying now, you might want to explore this option.

Sources:

https://mibiz.com/item/21284-technology-calling-voip-systems-becoming-more-ubiquitous-among-small-business-owners

http://bebusinessed.com/voip/numbers-dont-lie-impressive-stats-of-voip/