The new year is upon us, and after a challenging 2020, chances are you’re looking forward to a better year ahead for your Orange County small business. The new challenge for 2021 is that most small businesses are in the same situation you’re in: after muddling through unprecedented circumstances over most of last year, they are now crowding the starting gate, anxious to make up for lost time. What can you do to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace this year?
The good news is that the tech/telecom industry has continued to make some surprising advances—in no small part due to overwhelming demand from an increase in remote work. Many of these advancements are in the VoIP sector, which has become a critical component for most small business functionality—and when used well, they can give your business a huge boost forward. Let’s begin by talking about some of these VoIP enhancements for 2021, and then let’s discuss how you can leverage some of these tools to gain a competitive edge.
Moving to the Cloud with UCaaS
Just as VoIP freed up small businesses from reliance on dated phone lines, the next step in the VoIP evolution is the growth of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). Offered and administered by IT providers, UCaaS provides cloud-based VoIP solutions that not only eliminate the need for on-site infrastructure, but also integrate these solutions seamlessly with other cloud-based communications like videoconferencing, fax, and team collaboration.
Merging VoIP with AI
When Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology gets together with VoIP, it offers a powerful combination for small businesses—especially in the realm of virtual assistants and customer service. AI bots can now receive incoming calls, route calls seamlessly to the right team members, and often answer customers’ basic questions without having to take up employees’ valuable time.
The Era of 5G
We’ve been hearing about the emergence of 5G wireless technology for ages, but it should come into wide use in 2021. With super-fast Internet speeds and response times, we typically think of 5G in the context of mobile devices, but it will also greatly improve call quality and connectivity for VoIP applications.
Integration with WebRTC
Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) is a protocol that enables audio and video communication within web browsers and web pages without the need for additional plugins. When you integrate VoIP within this framework, your customers can call or video chat with you (and vice versa) directly from your website without having to go to another device or platform—allowing for seamless communication and increased response.
NetServ can help you utilize these and other VoIP enhancements to help your Orange County small business have the most productive year yet. To learn more, call 1-877-NetServ.