Modern Phone Systems Can Save You Money and Protect You and Students from Line Outages, Cyber-Attacks, and Worse
If your school’s phone system was last updated 10, 20, or even 30 years ago, your operations could be experiencing significant inefficiencies – and you may not even be aware of it.
So-called legacy phone systems are common at schools and institutions across the country, but many are showing their age and showing some obvious and not-so-obvious problems.
Not sure what your phone system is even like? That is perfectly acceptable – many schools simply use their phones without thinking about their structure, the hardware they rely on, the technology they are based on, and what features you could be missing out on by sticking with them.
Your old legacy school phone system may appear to work OK, but perhaps you have simply gotten used to its quirks and idiosyncrasies. Upgrading to a new digital system, one that operates in the cloud, can represent a significant leap forward in your school’s ability to communicate. Plus, it can introduce the ability to add new features and capabilities that you may not even have been aware of.
Let’s take a minute to look at what an old school phone system is like, what problems it could have, and what schools stand to gain from upgrading to new, modern, and efficient phone systems.
Legacy School Phone Systems – What They Are and Why They May Not Be Working For You
A legacy phone system is a system that uses traditional phone lines that are connected to your local telephone company.
In a legacy phone system, telephone landlines connected phones to an on-site computer or central processing unit. These units are typically slow, lack many features, are expensive to maintain, and can be surprisingly costly to simply operate.
Some “modern” systems are also quite old themselves. Many on-site digital systems, for example, take up lots of valuable floor space and cost hundreds of dollars each month in electricity usage while also requiring specialized technicians to service them.
Here Is What Is Wrong With Legacy Phone Systems
If it works, don’t fix it – right? Wrong! Your old legacy phone system might still ring when someone calls, but most of these systems are still due a full replacement. Here is why should replace your school’s legacy phone system:
- Legacy phone systems are expensive: While you may already own the hardware, you have recurring feeds such as upgrades, support, and maintenance. Plus, you pay extra if you want to pick up features like video conferencing or webinars.
- Legacy phone systems may not survive a disaster: Does your school operate in an area prone to storms? Ice storms, wind storms, strong thunderstorms, heavy snow, and more can conspire to down lines and leave your school isolated from the outside world.
- You may be susceptible to a cyber-attack: On-premise phone systems are vulnerable to cyberattacks, while cloud systems are much more robust.
- Your staff are tied to their desks: Just like the workplace, schools are changing quickly and your teachers and staff are as likely to be at home or in the field as they are at their desks. A modern phone system can give you the flexibility to create a truly modern learning environment – something an old system could not even dream of doing.
Cut the Cord: Modern Phone Systems Use the Cloud
Modern cloud-based phone systems use proven technology known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP – pronounced “voyp” – lets people place calls over an internet connection. With the growth of high-speed broadband connections, VoIP has become an increasingly popular and cost-efficient way for schools and other large institutions to build communication networks.
Rather than the sound of your voice traveling over wires, VoIP calls turn conversations into bits of data that are transmitted between your phone and your internet provider. This system bypasses the telephone company completely and represents a significant upgrade from old analog phone systems.
Formerly built on expensive, proprietary equipment, VoIP today is built on open standards that make the technology highly affordable – all you need is a broadband internet connection.
The Benefits of VoIP Phone Technology
- Lower costs: Savings of more than 50 percent are common, even for systems that have huge numbers of phones.
- Lower international calling costs: If you call internationally, your calling costs will be dramatically lower using VoIP than even with traditional phone plans.
- Better quality sound: Digital phone sound is much clearer than analog or even older technology digital sound.
- More features: Introducing VoIP technology into your phone system enables you to take advantage of modern calling features, such as call recording, auto attendants, and call queues.
- Enhanced communication tools: With the right VoIP you can integrate modern functions such as webinars and video calling seamlessly from your phone.
VoIP, Data, and Voice Services from Telco Data
Are you looking to modernize your legacy school phone system? Telco Data has the tools, technology, and expertise you need to say goodbye to your old system and hello to a modern system that will take your school into the modern era. Telco Data has professional business VoIP system capability, as well as audiovisual solutions, cell signal boosting, network rack clean up, structured cabling, and more.
Based in Austin, Telco Data is a team of professionals who are passionate about the benefits of new VoIP technologies and ready to share them with you. Call Telco Data today for a free quote to modernize your old phone system.
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