To stay competitive in the ever-evolving business marketplace, companies must stay on top of changes in technology that affects how they do business, such as business phones news and trends. During a time when most of the world is throwing out their landline phones, businesses are holding strong and aren't so quick to toss out their landline office phones.

Many small- to medium-sized companies keep their landline business telephones because they're reliable. While cell phones are great for mobility, they aren’t a great communication tool when the signal drops in the midst of an important business deal. Landline business phones aren't as affected by dead spots and system troubles. Keep current on business phones news and trends by learning about:

1. Using cell phones versus landline phones for businesses.

2. Utilizing VoIP business phone systems.

3. Finding new style designs for business phones.

Action Steps for Business Phones
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Compare cell phones and landline business phones

Overall, the business sector has been resilient and not so quick to trade in its office telephones for cell phones. Landline phones offer a guaranteed clear reception that's not always available with cell phones. One major advantage of cell phones, however, is the ability to do business outside the office. To address the need for mobility while keeping the reliability of landline business office telephones, many business phone providers are now offering bundled services in which companies can obtain discounted wireline and wireless phone services.

I recommend: Learn more about business phones news and trends by visiting Virginia Business. Its article further explains why the trend still leans towards landline over wireless. Read more about trends in office phones by checking out STL Communications. This article discusses IP phones and the integration between cell phones and business phone systems.

Explore benefits of VoIP business phone systems

In recent years, Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP has been a hot topic among companies looking to save on business phone systems. VoIP is a technology that allows businesses to make and receive phone calls via the Internet. With Internet business phone systems, companies can integrate their data and voice communications into one single network.

I recommend: Check out Telephony World to read more about the trends in Internet business phone systems. You can also read more about Internet business phone systems by visiting Microsoft, which explains the five things you need to know before making the trendy switch to Internet phone service.

Research design trends for business phones

Whether landline or wireless, choosing a business phone system is one of the most important decisions any company can make. When customers call, you want to ensure that your business phones offer clear reception and reliable voicemail to answer calls when you and your staff are unavailable. New trends in technology offer a broad range of styles, including wireless speaker phones, cordless phones, conference business phones and many others from which companies can choose.

I recommend: Learn more about trends in business phone design by visiting IncTechnology.com. Read more about the trends in wireless office phones by visiting Technology Marketing Corporation.

Tips & Tactics for Finding Business Phones

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  On-hold messaging is a great feature for business phone systems. This technology allows businesses to take advantage of having customers on hold by using the time to communicate new services or products, store hours, locations and other promotional business information.

The back end of business telephone systems -- the hardware and software that runs office telephones -- really matters. But it's the handset and base, the actual physical apparatus of office phones, that can either help or hurt your actual business. Buying business phones can be complex, so knowing the key points helps when buying business telephones.

Covered in this guide to office phones:

1. Basic desktop business phones
2. Buying multi-line business telephones
3. Wireless office telephones
4. When to consider buying speaker phones
5. Headsets for business phone use

Action Steps
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For most users, standard desktop business phones will suffice

Whether you have five employees for 500, most will need only the business phone functionality they already understand: calling, voicemail, speaker phones and transfer-to-extension business telephone functions. Office telephones can be more complex, but why?

I recommend: Some of the larger vendors of business telephone systems include Avaya, Cisco, Nortel, Vertical (which owns the Comdial and Vodavi brands), and NEC.

Multi-line business telephones make your team more productive

Your sales people will be taking calls in all directions, more often than not. Having enough multi-line business telephones (capable of ringing through two or more calls) can make a difference. They'll need a second or third line, too, to do simple conference calls from their desks.

I recommend: Price multi-line business telephones at Bizrate and PriceGrabber. If you are buying an entire system from a major vendor, they should offer you a discount for purchasing more office phones.

Wireless systems will change your choice in office phones

If your company is running a wireless network for Internet, it is now possible to add lots of new phones to your operation quickly, should your business telephone needs expand. Adding office telephones is becoming less of a chore.

I recommend: Siemens and Mitel make phones or add-ons to business phones that allow the additional of multiple handsets using wireless communications. No wires, just plug and play.

Do business meetings better with quality speaker phones

In conference rooms and in executive offices, conference calls go easier with speaker phones that allow team members to take part in the conversation without straining to hear or be heard.

I recommend: Most desk phones come with speaker phone capabilities, but for the best quality take a look at real speaker phones at vendors like Polycom, ClearOne and Panasonic.

Some users of your office telephones will need headsets

Receptionists, salespeople, technical support, billing -- many modern office workers are on the phone constantly as part of the job. Do their necks and backs a favor and invest in headset systems for their business telephones.

I recommend: Consider headsets made for business telephone use by Plantronics and Logitech.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The best business phone is one your people will use. When considering office phones, don't overbuy features you yourself don't fully understand. If you don't get it, no one else will either.
• •  Don't skimp and buy consumer brand phones, even if they will work on your system. A few months of office use and they'll be kaput. Better to look into buying used office telephones instead, if price is a problem.
• •  Newer office phones come with wireless hardware built in, like Bluetooth, that will let your business phones communicate with nearby cellular phones or laptops.

Providing employees with access to business phones education and training will help you improve business phone etiquette in your offices and call centers. Business phones education and training involves much more than instruction on using business phone systems. Effective training programs for business telephones should also include etiquette training as well.

Business phone education and training can help you address a range of communication issues such as getting employees up to speed on a new office phone system, helping employees learn shortcuts and tips to improve productivity and efficiency. Addressing both the technical and communications aspects of business phone usage can also help you improve the professionalism of your employees. Consider the following tips to ensure your employees receive a comprehensive business phones education and training program:

1. Consult with business phone providers about custom business phone training to get all of your staff up to speed on your specific system.

2. Improve productivity by offering technical training for office phones so that all who use your phones do so efficiently.

3. Enhance your company’s reputation by arming staff with business telephone communications training to improve phone presence of those in contact with clients via telephone.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Talk to business phone providers about product training options

Implementing a new business phone system can be a costly expense for business owners. Therefore, it's important that you take the necessary steps to ensure that you are getting the best bang for your buck by ensuring that your staff knows how to use the new phone system to increase productivity, enhance communication and save time.

I recommend: You may consider checking out e-learning business phone tutorials offered by Cisco, a leading provider of business phone solutions. You may also consider taking online training courses offered by Valencia Community College for Nortel business phone systems.

Use training to maximize the use of your business phone systems

Ensuring your employees know how to use your office telephones helps to increase efficiency in handling calls as well as decrease stress for employees in using equipment with which they are unfamiliar. Training also helps employees learn tips and shortcuts on taking advantage of the various features provided by your office telephones and using those features to maximize the benefits of your company's customer service.

I recommend: Consider checking out video training guides provided by KTS Network Solutions. Check out business telephone training provided by Avaya, a leading business phone provider.

Improve your company's image with business phone etiquette training

Without adequate etiquette training on the usage of small business phone systems, it's very possible that companies aren't taking full advantage of opportunities to develop long-term loyal relationships with customers by providing top notch business phone customer service. This could prove to be a huge mistake for small business owners because in many cases, how they're perceived via phone is often a determining factor for customer retention.

I recommend: Consider checking out a free two-minute business office phone training video provided by The Phone Coach. You may also try a streaming video preview of office phone etiquette training provided by Learning Communications.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  By implementing incentives for employees to attend etiquette and technical training for office telephones, you can motivate your staff to improve their technical and social business skills while improving your company's overall productivity and ability to provide quality service to customers.

To get the most out of your business phones, you need to know your options. Now, business phone services offer more than just multiple lines and the ability to put customers on hold. With a business phone system that uses Internet features, your possibilities are endless. Some of the traditional phone services, like toll free calling, are still available. However, businesses also have the option of telephone over the Internet and video conference calls. To help you get the most out of your business phones, consider these key terms.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

IP Telephony (IPT)

IP Telephony (IPT) is a cost savings method for your business phones. IPT uses the Internet to help you obtain a phone connection, and it can sometimes offer significant savings over traditional land lines.

I recommend: Read basic information about IP Telephony (IPT) at iptel.org.

Video conferencing

Video conferencing allows you to meet 'face to face' with a colleague or client through your business phone system. With video conferencing on your business phones, and the proper equipment in your office, you can stream two-way audio and video signals through your business phone system.

I recommend: Discover how video conferencing works at the wiseGEEK website.

Business communications system

A business communications system encompasses all of your business phone needs in one system. With a business communications system, you can get all of the traditional voice features like transfer, hold, voice mail and music on hold as well as the benefits of IP Telephony.

I recommend: Vertical details the features of business communications systems.

Innovative Communications Alliance, unified communications

The Innovative Communications Alliance, established by Microsoft and Nortel, is designed to help promote unified communications. Unified communications technology allows you to obtain all of your voice and data services in a unified package.

I recommend: Microsoft explains unified communications.

Toll free

Toll free services as part of your business phone package allows customers to call you at no charge. Even customers who would normally incur long distance charges can make the call for free when they dial your unique toll free number.

I recommend: The Federal Communications Commission explains toll free numbers and services. Sprint Nextel details its toll free services available for business phones.

Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)

Many regional telephone carriers offer Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). Your business benefits because it allows voice, text, data, music, video and graphics to be transmitted over the existing telephone wires.

I recommend: Read about Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) on the Cisco Systems website.