If your business is planning an office relocation soon, there are countless things to think of and plan for when making the big move. Whether it is the new office space design, décor, or infrastructure, there are many things that need to be taken in account before operations are in full swing at the new location. A key consideration for your new office space is your company’s telecommunication or phone and internet services. Office relocation is perhaps the best time to evaluate your business’ phone and internet needs – current and future. Moving a company’s telecommunications and IT infrastructure is a major feat and best handled by a service provider that can assess your business needs at the new location. Here are a few things to consider while planning your office relocation:
Telecommunication and IT review Before your business relocates, it is advisable to check your existing contracts for internet and phone services. In many cases, you might have to provide anywhere from 90 days to 120 days’ notice for any changes. This is also an ideal time to ask yourself if your business is happy with the current service provider. Are the current services scalable? Can your current service provider meet your business’ changing needs? Does the existing provider offer services at the new office location? Are you satisfied with the cost and service level of the current service provider?
Internet services Prior to moving, check that the new office location supports high speed internet. If your business is looking for an upgrade from the existing internet service, consider using fibre optic internet. Eliminating interference, signal degradation, and other issues that affect copper-based lines, fibre optic internet has the highest speeds and is reliable.
Phone systems If your business operates a traditional phone system requiring an extensive amount of hardware, complex infrastructure, and maintenance staff, it might be time to rethink your telecommunications model. Moving such a complex phone system may not be worth the time and costs associated with reconfiguring the setup at a new and modern facility. Consider moving to a hosted PBX (private branch exchange), wherein the PBX systems are hosted and managed off-site by a third-party. When customers call the business, the hosted PBX routes the call to your office phone, mobile device, computer, voicemail, or email! This enables offices to be lean, employees to work remotely, and lets businesses remain connected at all times. Hosted PBX systems also provide businesses the flexibility to scale up or down as needs change.
Unified communications Your office relocation is also the right time to streamline services. Many service providers offer unified communications – internet and phone solutions (chat, audio and video conferencing, desktop and data sharing, etc.) that are built based on your business needs. Solutions are developed and managed remotely and your business doesn’t have to worry about repairs and maintenance; everything is taken care of automatically and you only have to deal with one vendor! While office relocation can be a stressful, exciting, and overwhelming – all at the same time – it is also the right time to evaluate your business’ current and future telecommunication needs. Check to see if the new office location supports the phone and internet services you are looking for. With the many technological advancements for business, there are a number of valuable upgrades to consider when it comes to internet and phone systems. Additionally, moving legacy phone systems and setting up cabling for high speed internet can be quite time consuming and expensive. Talk to your service provider to see what will work best for your business at the new location.