We have already discussed how the unique circumstances of 2020—especially related to the coronavirus pandemic—have affected the news cycles regarding small business telecommunications and VoIP technologies. As we continue this exploration, let’s turn our attention to some news items that look forward—predicting how the events of 2020 will affect small business IT and VoIP use in the coming years.
Increased Mobile Marketing
Inc. recently published an article describing several small business trends of 2020 while looking forward to 2021. Among these trends: an expanded focus on mobile marketing. This trend is significant for two reasons. First, it highlights that small businesses can use VoIP not just for communicating with customers, but also for marketing to them via their smartphones. Second, with more people staying home (and often bored), folks are spending a lot more time on their smartphones and devices these days. Small businesses who invest more time, money, and energy into marketing pushed to mobile devices are likely to experience more growth in the days ahead.
Increased Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI technology is already revolutionizing the business world in many ways, but Financesonline recently predicted the increased use of AI with VoIP technology as a trend to watch—specifically, integrating AI into customer service through chatbots and incoming calls. Experts expect up to 85 percent of customer interactions to be handled without humans by the end of 2020 alone. Orange County business owners are also discovering other applications for AI as they explore new ways to automate—from employee scheduling to identifying best times for team meetings to cybersecurity enhancements.
Use of Blockchain in Telecom
Blockchain technology is effectively an open-source, permanent ledger system that instantly records transactions and propagates them across the network. For years, blockchain has been valued as a secure, un-hackable ledger to record cryptocurrency transactions and exchanges. But as Capacity recently reported, the telecom industry is eyeballing blockchain as a secure, effective way to standardize and optimize communications across devices and networks, potentially making telecommunications more streamlined and efficient than ever before. Look for more networks to begin implementing blockchain technology in the days ahead.
Regardless if these trends come to pass as predicted, it’s undeniable that VoIP technology and IT have become more critical for Orange County small businesses than ever before. NetServ can help you design and manage a VoIP system perfectly suited for your business’ needs, even in the midst of our changing circumstances. Call 1-877-NetServ to learn more.