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Increase Business Efficiency through Telecommunications

Today’s businesses are operating under unprecedented conditions, with soaring costs and environmental concerns impacting operations across a range of industries. In addition to seeking improved efficiency to cut costs and enhance the bottom line, organizations are bowing to consumer pressure to adopt green practices and reduce their carbon footprints. Companies are also responding to the concerns of their employees, many of whom are struggling to cope with costly commutes.

With current technology, businesses are increasingly supporting telecommuting options to reduce expenses and increase efficiency. According to a CDW survey cited by Joel Kotkin of The Washington Independent, 76 percent of private sector employees provided technical support to remote workers in 2007, up 27 percent from the previous year. In the same article, Kotkin noted a report from the Gartner Group estimating that 13 million workers telecommuted one day per week in 2007, a 16 percent increase from 2004. What’s more, recent reports from Gartner predict that more than 27 percent of the American workforce will telecommute in 2009.

As part of a company’s infrastructure, telecommunications services are an integral component of day-to-day functionality. The question is: Are businesses taking full advantage of today’s technology? By understanding the potential of the telecommunications products available and implementing the right combination of services for their particular needs, organizations have an opportunity to increase business efficiency and remain competitive in a challenging economic environment.

Economic benefits of telecom

Effective use of telecommunications products and services can result in a variety of economic benefits. From cutting business travel expenses by opting for telephone or video conferencing to reducing paper waste and toner use, telecom solutions can help cut costs throughout an organization. Telecom solutions can also help companies meet the pressures of going green by saving trees from reduced paper needs and saving on fuel. Sun Microsystems reported that its employees, by telecommuting half-time, saved 5,400 kilowatt hours and up to an additional $1,700 in gasoline and vehicle wear and tear costs per employee per year.

Telecom providers can help their customers determine whether or not a system is providing optimal economic value. In addition to ensuring that systems meet a company’s basic needs, providers should be able to evaluate overarching business goals with their clients to determine the most cost effective telecom alternatives to daily activities to help achieve those goals.

Today’s telecom service providers offer a number of products that are a natural fit for companies coping with challenging economic times, but also for companies seeking to update their processes with advanced technology to remain competitive.

Unified communications solutions. Unified communications solutions are products that help consolidate communication channels. Such technologies let businesses integrate voicemail, fax and email into one central location—be it a Smartphone, office computer or home office. Messages can be easily routed to an email account in the form of audio files or written transcript, eliminating the need to check email, phone and fax for messages, saving both paper and time. Unified communications solutions are particularly beneficial to telecommuters and business travelers, making it easier to stay connected and responsive.

DSL services. Businesses count on reliable Internet access to ensure uninterrupted service to customers and potential clients, as well as optimal workforce productivity. Telecom providers that focus on the business segment typically offer a range of high-speed Internet options tailored to a growing company’s demands. A business-focused provider may also present a range of value-added services, such as local, 24-hour customer support dedicated to assisting businesses when they need it most.

Telecom services are an investment, and performance is critical to seamless operations. By selecting a business provider, companies are at less risk of competing for bandwidth with residential customers. In addition, investing in service through a business provider can encourage greater research and development of new products for the business sector. Ultimately, a business provider should be improving the reliability of its network consistently.

Dynamic voice and data services. Today, there are dynamic T-1 voice and data services that automatically allocate bandwidth to where a business needs it most. These services help companies improve the speed of doing business, enabling more transactions to take place in a given amount of time. For instance, when on the phone and not online, dynamic voice and data services will place priority—bandwidth—on the phone; when switching to the Internet, more bandwidth will be applied there to provide greater speed. Rather than investing in either voice or data technologies, businesses can now select one product to optimize their telecom capabilities.

Web and voice conferencing. Although organizations may  seek ways to reduce travel costs, the need to meet face-to-face remains critical in many business dealings. Nonverbal signals are just as important as verbal inflections, and seeing and hearing colleagues and clients adds a new dimension to presentations, discussions and negotiations. In appropriate situations, Web and voice conferencing lets businesses capture the intricacies of communication while saving on travel costs such as airfare and lodging. Many companies use conferencing capabilities to sustain communications between offices internally or to connect with vendors and other partners. With the right product, businesses can sync voice, video and presentations with ease, setting up conferences weeks in advance or at a moment’s notice with no difference in cost.

Talk to your provider. Businesses are focused more than ever on ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies and synergies. Telecommunications can help businesses achieve these goals, and doing so may be easier than you think. Contact your telecom provider to find out if your organization is fully exploiting the services already installed, and learn how new technologies can further support your evolving needs. Whether embracing telecommuting as a work option or simply reducing overhead and travel expenses, today’s telecommunications solutions have the power to enhance efficiency and help your business grow.


Josh Conklin is senior vice president for Integra Telecom of California. You can reach him at (916) 231-1400 or jeconklin@integratelecom.com.