Sales Director
As we near the end of the analogue communication era, around 35% of businesses have already made the jump to VoIP-based solutions. If you’re ready to do the same, it’s important to choose a phone system that’s capable of growing alongside your business, while also being accessible to your employees. In this article, we’ll look at 7 reasons why 3CX is a fantastic choice for businesses wanting to elevate their telephony systems.
If you’re new to VoIP or 3CX and want a better understanding of what they are and how they work, read our articles on ‘3CX phone systems’ along with ‘What’s all the fuss about VoIP?’.
Whether you're upgrading from an ISDN connection or another VoIP solution, 3CX gives you a simple, yet powerful way to unite your phone and data-housing systems. It can also save you money on calls while allowing better communication between your workforce and customers.
3CX is a Unified Communication platform (UC), meaning it can integrate many of your existing tools under one system. Users can then share information, access data and communicate with customers and colleagues at home, in the office, or on the go.
By uniting your phone system and existing communication tools, 3CX removes many of the blockages that traditional ISDN or lower-end VoIP solutions present. It bridges this gap by giving your workforce access to multiple systems at once, making it easy to quickly retrieve important information as and when it’s needed.
Access to tools like video calling and instant messaging allows users to communicate in real-time, sharing ideas and new processes instantly. You’re also able to see who is currently available, making it easier to assign tasks and workloads.
With both businesses and employees worrying about the isolation of remote working, it’s important to spotlight how 3CX can enable inclusion.
With video conferencing, problems such as misinterpreted tone are removed; instead allowing colleagues to read each other’s body language and expressions. It also allows teams to collaborate and share tips that may be hard to describe via any other medium.
Another resourceful element of 3CX is its screen-sharing and recording features. This allows staff who prefer visual examples to better understand what is being described. It’s also a fantastic way to share new ideas and ask for advice – with no requirement for staff to be there in person.
Finally, screen recording lets you record virtual conferences or training. The contents are then accessible to anyone who may need them in the future. This creates efficiency around training new staff, giving them access to video training and freeing up more experienced employees for other work.
Much like its video capability, 3CX’s instant messaging features allow efficient communication between users. Less pressing issues can be solved with a short message, whereas a phone call may interrupt workflow.
You can also create dedicated chat channels for projects, teams, updates or ideas - allowing members to focus on one specific area, free from the distraction of other topics.
Users can also search for old or archived messages within their IM and email functions. This can be useful for referencing past projects or documents when planning for the future.
A great reason to switch to VoIP - specifically a 3CX system - is its cost-cutting incentive. It’s reported that businesses who switched to VoIP saved between 30-50%, which alongside 3CX’s additional money-saving features - means you’ll be able to invest those savings in other areas of your company.
3CX is a software-based service and can be installed directly into your network or a cloud-based environment. It doesn’t require a physical PBX and runs from your central IT system, meaning you’ll save money on the additional hardware that landline connections require.
It’s also extremely user-friendly, letting you update and maintain your system from a central management interface. This allows businesses to cut down on IT personnel, alongside call-out costs for maintenance.
You’ll also see a notable reduction in call costs. This comes from 3CX’s use of SIP trunking - an open standard. This means 3CX pays little to nothing to use SIP trunks, passing the savings onto you with lower rates - even with long-distance and international calls.
3CX makes it easy to adapt your phone system as your business grows. As 3CX exists within a virtual environment, you’re able to add new users via your central interface. You’ll also be able to monitor your call volume, only paying additional fees should you need to buy extra SIP trunks for capacity.
If your business has or plans to have multiple locations, you won’t need to interrupt your telephony operation to install new connections. Instead, thanks to the flexibility of SIP trunking, once you’ve placed your order, the SIP trunks will be integrated into your system, hassle-free.
With VoIP saving employees up to 32 minutes a day, 3CX’s features lean into this. Designed to boost productivity and efficiency of your workforce, it also gives you an insight into the quality of customer service being delivered.
CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce allow businesses to store customer details, call logs, recordings and other important data. 3CX allows integration with these systems, making it far simpler for employees to access the information they need, especially when speaking to customers. This shared access also means employees don’t have to jump between different platforms or programs to find the data they require.
For businesses looking to nurture their workforce, call recording and analytics are a gift. These features allow real-time monitoring alongside performance stats, giving you a clear picture of the training needs within your workforce.
Alternatively, you can save call recordings on your system, using them as role-playing examples when training new starters. Of course, you can also monitor and reward good work, helping to grow the confidence and trust of your team.
User accessibility is essential for any modern technology, particularly telephony operations which require regular onboarding of new members. Luckily, 3CX provides a clear, easy-to-use interface for their systems, which can be managed via desktop or mobile applications.
Using Apple’s IOS as an example of an easy-to-use, yet intuitive system, 3CX offers the same stripped-down functionality for your business phone system.
In contrast to the difficult-to-find settings of some VoIP services, 3CX’s features are right out front - reducing the learning curve for system admins. You’ll also find the central interface easy to use, allowing your IT admins to manage your 3CX system from any device with broadband access.
This flexible administration comes with handy automation features too. So instead of plodding through everyday tasks, you can offload and automate them, saving your time and reducing room for error.
Managing your system shouldn’t be difficult. With 3CX you can make changes whenever and wherever you need to. Similar to its call features, you can monitor your system's performance in real-time, while identifying potential problems before they escalate.
It also means your remote workforce won’t be neglected. Should a potential issue arise, you’ll be able to alert and direct them to internal or external support, all from your mobile device.
Similar to 3CX’s CRM integration, you can also use it alongside several popular business tools.
They include widely used email clients like Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, and project management tools like Asana, Trello and Jira. Combining these with your phone system allows staff instant access to information, allowing them to share ideas and ask for advice in real-time.
Unlike many other VoIP providers, 3CX doesn’t require upgrading your existing systems to ‘compatible models’, so you won’t need to waste money on additional software or hardware.
With traditional phone connections, data was rarely compromised as it wasn’t accessible over an ISDN connection. If you’re worried that upgrading to a broadband-based model could threaten your customer data, we’re here to reassure you.
VoIP technology encrypts the data it sends, ensuring it remains secure on its travels. You’ll also find that because 3CX relies on SIP trunking, its ‘SIP digest authentication’ prevents any unauthorised access to your system, limiting any potential threats or breaches. You also have authority over who can access certain information. 3CX’s access control lets you grant permission to relevant users based on their role within your organisation.
Finally, 3CX have worked hard to make sure their systems comply with data protection regulations. Its features are designed to adhere to GDPR and HIPAA standards - reassuring you that your phone system meets regulatory requirements.
Switching to a 3CX system is an investment in your present and future. As a unified communication model, it boosts efficiency by allowing employees to move seamlessly between multiple tools and programs with ease. You’ll also save money with reduced call charges while maintaining exceptional customer service with handy call monitoring and analytics at your fingertips.
Looking for a comprehensive telephony platform to transform your business? Contact T2K today to learn more about what 3CX can do for you.
Having worked for T2k for nearly 25 years, it's fair to say that Lee is an expert when it comes to all things telephony and business communications. Overseeing the commercial side of the business, he has helped the company evolve and grow through the decades. In recent years, and with the advent of VoIP and hosted telephony, Lee has made sure that T2k is at the forefront of technological developments. With a firm interest in helping businesses navigate the world of telecoms, Lee is responsible for the majority of the content on this website.
