There have been increasing reports across the country of towns and cities retreating back into lockdown due to developing Coronavirus cases. On 9th September, it was announced that, once again, social gatherings of more than 6 people will be illegal in England from Monday 14th September, preparing us for the potential of a second wave of the virus.

As a nation, we have learnt new ways of communicating online for both personal and business purposes. However, many businesses suffered in the early stages of lockdown and had no disaster recovery plans or systems in place. Now we know what to expect, it is important to stay ahead of the game and prepare for what may come.

Reviewing business improvements

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s important to review your current systems and look at the key issues you may have faced during the pandemic and what to improve on. Ask yourself…

1. Could I communicate with my staff effectively through voice and video?

2. Could I route calls easily to my landline or mobile device?

3. Did my home broadband speeds cope with daily business (despite additional family use)?

4. Could I identify the difference between personal and business calls when using my personal mobile?

Once you have answered simple questions such as this, you’ll know exactly what needs to be improved for the second wave if/when it arrives. At Telecoms World, we have several Home Working Solutions that supports your business through a disaster, helping to future-proof your business ready for anything that life throws at you.

Hosted telephony

Communicating with your clients and employees is one of the most important aspects to running a successful business. Dated telephone systems can not only be harmful to your business in the event of a disaster but can also cost you a significant amount of money in the long run. Hosted telephony systems connect to through the internet (in the Cloud), enabling you to stay connected wherever you are working.

Hosted telephony (also referred to as cloud telephony or hosted VoIP) is a business phone system which is hosted in the cloud with online access. Users can make and receive calls using a variety of internet-enabled devices including desk phones, desktop computers, laptops, and smart phones.

Cloud PBX Phone Systems are completely browser-based; meaning real-time updates are automatic and the system has an everlasting lifespan. A Cloud PBX telephone system is the next-generation replacement to traditional phone systems using WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) technology. WebRTC is a secure, 2-way communication feature, connecting directly between a web browser and the contact centre agent. This is used for online chat, messaging, calls file sharing, conference call and video.

See our “5 Reasons to Upgrade to Hosted Telephony” blog post to learn more.
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Voice and video

Many businesses have used video applications such as ‘Zoom’ for their conference calling; however, you can never really know how secure apps such as this are. Unfortunately, due to the largely increased amount of user traffic in recent times, many video applications have been criticised for not being secure, creating an unsafe platform for hackers to jump in, listen to, and record calls by hijacking user accounts.

At Telecoms World, we want to ensure that your Video Conferencing is 100% secure and at no risk to cyber-crime and the dark web. That is why we are a Gold partner to Wildix, the first 100% secure, easy-to-use and professional web-based Unified Communications and Collaboration (UC&C) system provider, using Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) for complete security. This ensures that you increase interactions with your customers and can communicate with voice, text, images, and video safely.

No installation is required, and your business can be set-up in minutes with the best audio and video quality out there. Contact our Wildix expert Derek Read on 0800 774 7772 or use his Contact Form for a demo.
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Business calls and mobile

Have you been using your mobile throughout 2020 due to COVID-19? Whether you are simply keeping in touch with clients and colleagues or using your mobile to manage inbound business calls. There are a number of mobile friendly solutions available to make your life easier.

• Inbound Numbers – choose a specific business number to increase inbound calls

• Call Routing – route calls to any landline or mobile device

• Business Mobile SIM Only – avoid bill shock with a business SIM Only tariff

• Call Whisper – identify the difference between personal and business calls

• Dial-out App – display your business number when calling from your personal mobile

We offer numerous inbound and outbound call and mobile solutions from just £0.99p per month.

Broadband

As your business requirements change, the speed and resilience of your internet connection should be able to meet your needs, wherever you are located. Our range of Business Broadband options can boost your connection and increase download and upload speeds ready for a second wave. Fibre broadband is getting rolled across the country including many rural areas. Our team of experts review your needs and location to ensure the best, most cost-effective broadband is provided for your business.

Awaiting a fibre broadband connection?

Our Office in a Box solution could be the perfect solution for your business while you wait. Office in a Box allows you to operate up to four IP phones together with super-fast wireless broadband over our 4G business mobile network. We deliver quality broadband performance in a simple Plug and Play solution with instant access to connectivity up to 50mbps, rapid deployment of service and router (within 5 days), choice of data packages from 50GB up to 400GB and instant resilience.

For more information on our Home Working Solutions or a friendly chat on how to prepare your business for a second wave of COVID-19, please contact our team of experts on 0800 774 7772.

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