Legacy phone systems are still the predominant form of communication for many small to medium size businesses (SMBs). However, maintaining a dedicated phone system independent of other forms of advanced communication such as email and instant messaging is becoming increasingly difficult. And although many SMBs believe that moving to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) will present a costly, laborious challenge, in actuality the opposite is often true.

Operating within tight budget constraints means that changes enacted within the business must be weighed and balanced for the value proposition generated. By understanding why it’s important to replace legacy phone systems now rather than later, companies can avoid increasing support costs and dwindling performance issues. Proactively switching to VoIP makes good business sense for SMBs for many reasons, but the following four are the most compelling.

An Altered Industry

From a telephony provider point of view, the transition to VoIP has already occurred. Maintaining legacy customers is important, but the costs associated with support services are progressively becoming prohibitive, which has generated many end-of-life announcements. SMBs that are hoping to rely on alternative legacy support for their phone systems will soon discover that the scarcity of technical expertise and parts availability will only increase, along with the costs of maintenance.

Vendor Incentives

Because of the costs involved with maintaining legacy phone systems, most vendors have a strong motivation to increase migration to VoIP, even for customers who have no current problems with their system. Moreover, current technology trends have generated greater competition among providers.
Businesses shouldn’t be surprised at an increase in special promotions and other incentives that are designed to make switching to VoIP appealing for legacy phone system customers. However, eventually these discounts will evaporate, so it’s wise to take advantage of vendor incentives while they last.

Operational Capacity

For many SMBs, current systems may be operational but are likely functioning at or beyond capacity, which creates business disruptions. Rather than prolonging the problem by trying to upgrade a legacy system that is rapidly becoming obsolete, this is the time to embrace the advantages available with new technology.

Planning for Future Growth

Companies that have already made the switch have typically done so because of cost considerations. By creating a strategic and comprehensive analysis concerning current networking and communication investments, transferring to VoIP often provides initial reduction ratios that contravene the carrying cost. In addition to long-term expense reductions, digital voice service also optimizes business performance, making it easier and faster to connect with suppliers and customers.

Even if a legacy phone system is working well, the best time to make the switch to VoIP is sooner rather than later. Because of changes in the industry, going proactive helps SMBs reduce the initial expense and avoid future costs incurred by legacy systems.