Don’t replace your business phone system with mobiles!

Don’t replace your business phone system with mobiles!  In THIS ARTICLE we discussed why landline numbers and telephones are still important to businesses.  In this article we dive into why you shouldn’t replace your landline business telephone system with mobiles.

First up let’s acknowledge that the business use of mobile phones is well established and clearly no-one is going to stop using mobile phones for business – that would be bonkers.  But the use of mobile phones in a business setting carries an increasing number of risks which you should be aware of and guard against.

Landline numbers versus mobile numbers

As we explained in OUR PREVIOUS ARTICLE a geographic landline number could appeal to your local market who’d prefer not to deal with a national company.  A landline number also gives the perception of trustworthiness and an established company, crucial if your business involves large transactions.  Trades people often advertise mobile numbers to good effect as callers appreciate they’ll get through to the tradesperson no matter where they are.  But you might not want to look like a one-person business.

Useful phone system functionality

Transferring calls and call recording are rarely possible if you only use mobile phones.  Phone systems enhance the customer experience you offer.  Pick up groups (a colleague can pick up an absent colleague’s calls), hunt groups (incoming calls are distributed around a team of colleagues) and IVRs (Press 1 for sales and 2 for accounts) ensure calls are answered quickly and directed to the right people.

Cyber security risk

Unless properly locked down mobile devices are a proven cyber crime entry point into your IT systems.  And again unless locked down employees can take commercially sensitive outside your company systems and infrastructure.

Your customers leave with ex-employees

This is a particular risk iF employees are using their own devices or worse still their own mobile numbers for business purposes.  If your customers phone your employees on their personal numbers and your employees leaves to work for a competitor guess what might happen.  If employees use their own devices for work, customer contact details and calls logs can easily leave with them.

So what’s the solution?

Two answers…

Firstly, have a phone system as well as mobiles.  Cloud based phone systems are flexible and cost effective plus can deal with the consequences of the PSTN SWITCH OFF.  Your users can have a phone on their desk and by using a smartphone app can receive landline calls on a smartphone.  Or you needn’t have a desk phone at all, your smartphone becomes a desk phone in your pocket, read all about it HERE.

Secondly, in an ideal world you would issue your employees with a work phone and SIM.  Then using mobile device management (MDM) you can control access to your IT infrastructure, secure the device itself using secure lock codes and multi-factor authorisation, prevent the installation of unauthorised apps, prevent the viewing or distribution of inappropriate content, track the device and remotely wipe lost or stolen devices.

Next steps

We’d welcome the chance to talk to you about all the above discussion points.  Please GET IN TOUCH!