transitioning to hosted voice
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TRANSITIONING TO HOSTED VOICE A GUIDEBOOK TO TRANSFORM HOW YOUR ORGANIZATION COMMUNICATES. ◆ LEARN.◆ COMPARE.◆ PLAN.◆ MAKE IT SIMPLE.
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THIS GUIDEBOOK IS FOR YOU. In the following pages, we’ll break down the process of transitioning to a Hosted Voice solution, with a collection of our best-practice knowledge and guidance. Above all, we’ll make it a simple solution.
Learn how IP Centrex and Cox Business can transform your operation.
ARE YOU AT A CROSSROADS?Your productivity is being eroded by frequent phone downtime.
Your staff is screaming for anywhere, anytime phone service.
Your organization is bracing for growth.
You are living in the Dark Ages without call forwarding or voice mail-to-email.
You need 24/7 reliability with expert on-call service.
You need options for mobility, out-of-office connectivity and Outlook collaboration.
You need flexibility and scalability without capital outlays.
You need a more sophisticated technology that won’t bust your budget.
NEXT: WHAT’S INSIDE
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WHAT’S INSIDE
QUICK VIDEO OVERVIEW:
NEXT: WHY COX BUSINESS?
LEARN MORE
COMPARE
PLAN
Why change your phone system?What is Hosted Voice?Is Hosted Voice right for you?Why Hosted Voice? Why now?
How do you select a provider?What other features does Hosted Voice offer?How does Cox Business make it simple?
What is the Cox Business formula for success?What do you need? A Hosted Voice capabilities checklistHow did others do it? Hosted Voice success storiesContact us
WHY COX BUSINESS?
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SUCCESS IS BEST ACHIEVED THROUGH EXPERIENCE. With our focus on business-to-business services, Cox Business provides voice, data and video services for more than 300,000 businesses. We also serve most of the top-tier wireless and wireline telecommunications carriers in the U.S. According to Vertical Systems Group, Cox Business is one of the largest providers of business Ethernet services in the U.S. based on customer ports and has been consistently recognized for its leadership among telecommunications service providers.
And as a division of Cox Communications, we are backed by a solid and financially stable leader in the cable, broadband and telephone industry.
OUR APPROACH TO TECHNOLOGY.Serving the needs of our customers is our top priority. To that end, Cox Business offers 24x7x365 support to each Cox Business customer in addition to a dedicated account team that oversees all of your communications technology. That means you can work with one vendor who understands your complete data, voice and video needs. Because we take a holistic view of your organization, we are proactive partners, looking out for opportunities to utilize technology to improve your business.
That’s important because organizations these days are under pressure to provide more with fewer resources. Many of our customers consider us as an extension of their own teams. It is a close partnership that we thrive on.
WHY COX BUSINESS?
Learn more about COX BUSINESS NEXT: START THE TRANSFORMATION
LEARN ABOUT HOSTED VOICE
◆ WHAT IS HOSTED VOICE?◆ IS HOSTED VOICE RIGHT FOR YOU?◆ WHY HOSTED VOICE? WHY NOW?
◆ WHY CHANGE YOUR PHONE SYSTEM?
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WHY CHANGE YOUR PHONE SYSTEM?SO YOU’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT PHONE SYSTEM. HERE’S WHAT YOU’VE DISCOVERED.
1. You spend a lot of money on your phone system. Onsite phone hardware is expensive. And it may need to be upgraded every five years.
2. You spend a lot of time on your phone service. Onsite phone system hardware and software have to be managed regularly. If you aren’t vigilant about system or virus upgrades, downtimes become more frequent.
3. You work with separate voice and data vendors. Not only is it a hassle to deal with multiple communications vendors, but you also may be paying more than you need to. There are cost savings to be had with bundled services.
4. You want to be more productive and collaborative. Remote workers need mobile anytime, anywhere access to their business calls and voice mail. And wouldn’t it be great to coordinate your phone calls with your office and customer data on Outlook?
5. You aren’t able to answer all of the calls coming in. What if one of those unanswered calls is your best customer? You need a way to manage incoming calls, send them to voice mail, or even forward them to your cell phone when you are out of the office.
6. You want to be able to scale up or down in a flash. Whether you’ve got a decentralized office situation or your operation is in a growth mode, you need a fast way to onboard new users and bring on new facilities without labor-intensive cabling or costly hardware.
NEXT: WHAT IS HOSTED VOICE?Learn more about COX BUSINESS
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WHAT IS HOSTED VOICE?YOU’VE GOT SOME OPTIONS. HOW ABOUT HOSTED VOICE?
What is Hosted Voice and VoIP?Hosted Voice utilizes VoIP. VoIP is short for Voice Over Internet Protocol. Simply put, it means using the Internet for your phone communications, rather than using a dedicated phone line. Yes, that’s right. You can get rid of your dedicated phone plan.
Is Hosted Voice new? The concept of Hosted Voice was developed in the late 1980s. But in the last 10 years, its popularity has taken off with the ability to leverage existing broadband Internet lines for phone. During the last few years, Hosted Voice has been growing 8% annually, according to Infonetics Research. Hosted Voice is one component of the growing unified communications movement. Unified communications (UC for short) integrates instant messaging, phone, videoconferencing, desktop sharing and data sharing.
In fact, you may already use Hosted Voice without knowing it. Skype and Google+ are forms of Hosted Voice, but with far fewer capabilities than an enterprise-level unified communications solution that you probably want and need.
NEXT: IS HOSTED VOICE RIGHT FOR YOU?Learn more about COX BUSINESS
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IS HOSTED VOICE RIGHT FOR YOU?HOSTED VOICE CAN TRANSFORM THE WAY ALL ORGANIZATIONS COMMUNICATE, from small single-location operations to Fortune 500-level global corporations.
Here are a few of the questions that we get from organizations that are considering Hosted Voice.
We are a group of six manufacturer reps. We’re on the road a lot, and a few of us work from our home offices. Is Hosted Voice right for us?Wouldn’t it be great to have one phone system that you all can tap into? Maybe you want to be able to forward a call from one rep to another. Maybe your reps want to direct calls to their cell phones automatically when they are on the road. Maybe you want to have voice mails turn into emails when you are unable to reply by voice. The business specialists at Cox Business can guide you during the transition.
We have a two-person IT department. How can we transition our company to Hosted Voice? It sounds like you don’t have extra administrative resources to take on a new technology. Not to worry. Hosted Voice is completely managed offsite by your provider, so there are no more help desk calls to answer. If you choose Cox Business IP Centrex, we’ll make it even simpler for you. We provide training from one of our Customer Education Specialists, plus we’ve got on-demand videos to help all of your users get onboarded quickly.
We operate multiple business locations. Is Hosted Voice right for us?Each of your facilities probably has its own dedicated phone system. That means you are paying for duplicate plans. And no doubt you are using an aging and ad hoc fleet manufactured by multiple vendors. That contributes to higher-than-needed maintenance costs. Any additional facilities you add will pile on more administrative work and service plans. If you choose Cox Business IP Centrex, we’ll take over your system management tasks, with 24/7 support. And if your facilities are spread out, you’ll get unlimited calls anywhere in the U.S.
NEXT: WHY HOSTED VOICE? WHY NOW?Learn more about COX BUSINESS
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WHY HOSTED VOICE? WHY NOW?SO YOU’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT YOUR CURRENT PHONE SYSTEM. HERE’S WHAT YOU’VE DISCOVERED.
1. You want to maximize sales opportunities. You’ll be able to triage multiple incoming calls by rerouting important calls to anyone you choose, without any hangups.
2. You want low, predictable costs. No more upfront hardware costs.
3. Your customers deserve a better customer experience. No more dropped calls, system downtime or ringing calls that go unanswered. Caller ID tells you when an important customer is on the line.
4. Your staff deserves tools that improve their productivity. Redirect your calls based on the day, time, caller and your availability. Receive voice mails in your email box. Receive work calls remotely.
5. Your business deserves reliability when it matters most. You’ll have phone service anywhere, anytime, with disaster recovery even through disruptive events.
6. You want to remain competitive. Your peers are probably switching to Hosted Voice, too, if they haven’t already.
NEXT: WHY COX BUSINESS FOR HOSTED VOICE?Learn more about COX BUSINESS
COMPAREOPTIONS
◆ WHAT OTHER FEATURES DOES HOSTED VOICE OFFER?◆ HOW DOES COX BUSINESS MAKE IT SIMPLE?
◆ HOW DO YOU SELECT A PROVIDER?
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HOW DO YOU SELECT A PROVIDER?MAYBE YOU’VE LOOKED AT OTHER HOSTED VOICE PROVIDERS. Carefully evaluate all of your options. Your decision could affect your business continuity, your customer experience and your ability to remain competitive.
Are all Hosted Voice providers the same?Although Hosted Voice is really simple for the user, Hosted Voice technology is fairly complex. This technology includes Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. The IP part of VoIP means that your phone calls are sent and received through your Internet line. But you also use those lines for a whole lot of activities. For instance, someone in Sales could be finalizing an important contract, while someone in Purchasing is downloading a large catalog, and someone in Customer Support is hosting a webinar, and someone in the warehouse is streaming music.
Even small operations, like five-person offices, are conducting a lot of critical business simultaneously. Internet traffic needs to be high speed and secure. A reliable provider like Cox Business will deliver critical data through dedicated fiber connections and hybrid fiber coaxial cable that are part of a robust communications network infrastructure.
Because we deliver Hosted Voice over our own network, Cox Business has end-to-end control over the process. This means better quality of service, better reliability and better security.
NEXT: OTHER FEATURES HOSTED VOICE OFFERSLearn more about COX BUSINESS
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EACH PROVIDER OFFERS A DIFFERENT PORTFOLIO OF FEATURES. You want a solution that makes your operation more productive.With Cox Business IP Centrex, you get an advanced, cloud-based, hosted telephone system with:
• RELIABILITY WHEN IT MATTERS MOST Fully hosted and managed through easy online controls for operation even during disruptive events
• LOW, PREDICTABLE COSTS to your business, no upfront hardware costs, no hardware obsolescence, no need for a large IT staff
• UNLIMITED CALLS ANYWHERE IN THE U.S. and low per-minute international rates
• FASTER RESOLUTION With expert local support, no more finger-pointing between your IT department, service provider or vendor—if there is a service issue, Cox Business will resolve it
• BUSINESS CONTINUITY Automatically reroute calls in the event of unforeseen service disruptions
• MULTIPLE PHONE OPTIONS A portfolio of Cisco® IP phones: reliable, high-quality, multi-functional, easy to use
Additional IP Centrex features include:
• FIND ME/FOLLOW ME Allows you to redirect your calls based on the day, time, caller and your availability
• VOICE MAIL-TO-EMAIL enables you to receive voice mails in your email inbox
• REMOTE OFFICE Receive work calls anywhere and displays your work number from any phone
• VOICEMANAGER TOOLBAR Controls all standard calling features from your computer or any phone
• MULTI-LOCATION EXTENSION DIALING Uses extension dialing to support multiple locations
• PUSH TO TALK Allows you to set up an intercom-like system between you and your coworkers
• AUTO ATTENDANT Automatically speaks to customers without interrupting your day
• HOTELING FUNCTIONALITY Enables mobile users to share both office space and phones
NEXT: HOW WE MAKE IT SIMPLE FOR YOULearn more about COX BUSINESS
WHAT OTHER FEATURES DOES HOSTED VOICE OFFER
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HOW DOES COX BUSINESS MAKE IT SIMPLE?MAYBE YOU ARE WORRIED SWITCHING TO HOSTED VOICE WILL BE TOO COMPLICATED. Here’s how Cox Business makes it easy for you.
We manage and support the entire deployment. Our local service manufacturer-certified technicians are available 24/7.
We walk you through your account setup with onsite instruction, online videos and on-call support. We’re here to answer all of your questions. We provide training through our Customer Education Specialists, plus we’ve got on-demand videos to help all of your users get onboarded quickly.
You pay little—or no—upfront costs. Often there are no new cables to run. No expensive hardware or software to purchase.
Easy onboarding. New users get up and running much faster than with traditional telephony.
Our pricing is transparent. No hidden charges, with unlimited calls anywhere in the U.S. and low international rates. You can budget with confidence.
NEXT: MAKE A PLANLearn more about COX BUSINESS
MAKE A PLAN◆ WHAT IS THE COX BUSINESS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS?◆ WHAT DO YOU NEED? A HOSTED VOICE CAPABILITIES CHECKLIST◆ HOW DID OTHERS DO IT? HOSTED VOICE SUCCESS STORIES◆ CONTACT US
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WHAT IS THE COX BUSINESS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS?
DISCOVERY
PREPARATION
ANALYSIS
EXECUTION
DiscoveryBusiness ObjectivesBudgetTechnical NeedsShort- & Long-Term Goals
Migration MethodologiesMigration ProcessesProcess TestingProject Planning
EvaluationTechnical DesignProcess Design
Scheduling MigrationPost-Migration AnalysisDecommissioningCustomer After-Care
NEXT: WHAT DO YOU NEED?
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WHAT DO YOU NEED?TRANSITIONING TO HOSTED VOICE WILL ALLOW EXPANDED OPERATIONAL AND COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES. Check which features you might need.
CISCO HD IP PHONES
CALL FORWARDING
DISASTER CALL REROUTING
VOICE MAIL-TO-EMAIL CONVERSION
CONTROL TOOLBAR
MULTI-LOCATION EXTENSION DIALING
INTEROFFICE INTERCOM
AUTO ATTENDANT CALL ANSWERING
OFFICE-TO-CELL MOBILITY
NEXT: HOW THEY DID IT. HOSTED VOICE SUCCESS STORIES.
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HOW DID OTHERS DO IT?SOMETIMES IT’S HELPFUL TO LEARN HOW OTHERS HAVE TACKLED TECHNOLOGY TRANSITION PROJECTS. Maybe you’ll see a little of yourself in one of these success stories.
Strengthening Partnerships Through Reliable Voice TechnologyAt any given time, Nicholas, Mark and Paul, along with their three legal associates and three paralegals, are handling more than 40 cases simultaneously in different time zones across the country. They use IP Centrex to ensure they can communicate with their clients when response time is critical. Read their story.
Ensuring Operational Continuity and Future GrowthWesterly Community Credit Union was at a crossroads: its legacy phone system was aging and lacked a needed redundancy. As a financial institution, business continuity was critical. With an expensive hardware replacement on the horizon, the credit union instead selected IP Centrex. Not only have their risk management needs been met, but they also enhanced user productivity and gained scalability that will enable their plans for growth. Watch their story.
Enabling Business Development Away from the OfficeHaving the ability to meet with business leaders offsite was critical to the development efforts of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Yet their 20th century phone system did not allow for remote access to voice mail or call forwarding. After migrating to IP Centrex, they are now able to be out in the community actively attracting, recruiting and expanding business while still keeping in touch with their office phone and email communications. Watch their story.
NEXT: START THE TRANSFORMATION. CONTACT US TODAY.Learn more about COX BUSINESS
