In the old days, a phone was a phone. It rang, you answered. You needed to call someone, you dialled and hoped somebody would pick up. Today, the phone is much much more.
Despite the introduction of technologies like web chat, email and social media, the telephone is still the most used medium of communication. According to multiple resources, these rival channels have been on the rise for the last 5-10 years. And they will continue to rise. There is no doubt that Generation Y and Generation Z will advocate the use of messaging and video more than any generation before. However, the use of the telephone should not be underestimated.
Phones on the rise
According to Statista, in 2019 the number of mobile phone users is forecast to reach 4.68 billion. And they are going to need someone to phone.
According to Frost and Sullivan, in 2014 hosted and cloud phone systems represented 22% of the IP desk phone market, with that number is expected to hit 55% by 2021. Cloud phone systems continue to evolve and the UCaaS market continues to grow exponentially. Ultimately, the VoIP phone market has not gone away and won’t be going anywhere soon.
How we use the desk phone has changed
It used to be the case that when you started at a new company, you arrived at your PC and a desk phone. These were templated items that you just expected at a new job.
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Office based
As the modern workplace as evolved, we have identified different personas that have different personas. Users that come into the office desk mostly have the same template as before.
Field based
Users that are field-based have mobility requirements that lead them to using their mobile phone as their main source of calls. However, when they do come into the office, they still expect a desk phone. This no longer means you need to have an idle phone standing by reserved for a specific person. Hot desking is a frequent feature on an IP phone. Hot desking enables any user to log in to a spare desk phone, retrieve their voicemails and utilise that station as their position to make and receive calls for the day.
Home workers
Home workers may still require a handset. Just because they are not present in your office does not mean they are not present in your business. The same level of planning should go into setting up a home worker as it does an office or field worker. Their choice of handset is just as important.
Remote workers
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The stigma previously associated with remote working has quickly been tarnished. Remote working has been proven to increase productivity and output multiple times over. This would only be the case with the technology we have available today.
With all the technology like collaboration apps and video conferencing, it would be easy to suggest that the remote worker no longer requires a desk phone. However, my former colleague, Charles Bantoft, always used his desk phone at home. Together, we worked for a managed service provider that preached remote working and sold UCaaS and CCaaS platforms – but that didn’t mean he had to change his working style.
The point here is that personal preference is always key when deciding what devices to arm your employees with. Remote workers may not be in the office but that doesn’t mean the requirement for a handset has disappeared.
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