Modern technologies like hosted PBX and mobile devices are already prevalent in small business environments, but many companies may not be doing enough to maximize the efficacy of these solutions.
Take the bring your own device trend, for example. Mobile devices are becoming more popular than ever, as the most recent research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 91 percent of all U.S. adults own a cellphone and 55 percent of that group has a smartphone. These devices are increasingly permeating the workforce as well, and employees are more frequently using their personal smartphones, laptops and tablets to accomplish work-related tasks. According to a new report from IT solutions provider Citrix, 68 percent of American workers leverage personal devices for work-related purposes.
Technology Increase Productivity
However, just because smartphones and tablets are more commonplace now in business environments does not mean that companies are getting the most possible from these technologies. ZDNet noted that most small and medium-sized businesses so far have adopted a lackadaisical approach to mobile device management, using trial and error to determine the best use cases for these technologies instead of taking the time to develop more concrete applications.
In particular, the research found that many companies develop an overarching approach to dealing with mobile devices, even though the functionality offered by a tablet versus a smartphone varies significantly.
“This alone presents a problem for IT managers and business decision makers to figure out, as each medium comes with its own productivity use cases (which apps, how often they’re toted around and where, etc.), which in turn contribute[s] further to security issues [that] need to be addressed,” ZDNet said about the report. “The only conclusive link among all of these results is that there isn’t a generic approach either from the employee or IT perspective yet.”
BYOD Increase Productivity with Virtual PBX
Although SMBs can significantly benefit from a BYOD policy, those bonuses will only come to life if the right workflows are established. Smaller firms have a number of options for enhancing the efficacy of a BYOD program, and one in particular that can be especially helpful is a hosted PBX system from AccessDirect.
Although this technology is most frequently associated with VoIP and desktop telephones, it holds great potential for mobility as well. In particular, a core functionality of virtual PBX is its ability to easily provision additional lines. With PBX for business in place, even small companies on extremely limited budgets can turn employee cellphones into another company number.
Another key benefit of hosted PBX is that the technology leverages one of the top bonuses offered by tablets and smartphones: the ability to access company email from just about any location. In particular, AccessDirect’s professional business voicemail solution includes a voicemail-to-email feature that sends a voice message directly into any end user’s inbox. With this configuration in place, employees can use their preferred personal mobile device to stay on top of client or customer communications even if they are miles away from the central office. AccessDirect also offers a fax-to-email feature that similarly enables workers to use smartphones or tablets to stay in touch with anyone, even if the other person prefers legacy communication methods like fax machines. Increase employee productivity with BYOD policies and a Virtual PBX from AccessDirect today!
