VoIP technology streamlines, simplifies, and modernizes the interaction between business and customer, and it’s here to stay. In fact, since its inception, cutting-edge VoIP technology has transformed the face of phone communication. Therefore, it’s only natural that this technology will grow, change, and continue to transform the way businesses communicate in the future.
Today, we’re going to delve into some VoIP trends and predictions for 2020. Let’s take a look!
Say goodbye to traditional phone systems
In 2020 and beyond, we can expect the use of “traditional” non-VoIP phone systems to decline further. More and more businesses are making the switch to cloud-based communication systems and ditching the outdated traditional phone system due to its lack of versatility, mobility, and accessibility. As is the case with any widely-used system, there will be stragglers who hold on to “the old” out of comfort and convenience, but embracing “the new” is virtually inevitable in the coming years.
Say hello to 5G
It seems like every year offers new and improved cellular technology, and 2020 is no different. With 5G, the latest and greatest iteration of cellular technology, users can expect superfast mobile Internet at a lower cost. Specific advantages of 5G include speeds 100x faster than 4G, low latency, and the ability to do business just about anywhere that has an Internet connection. The downside? Its adoption may take some time since it requires new hardware. 5G will certainly change the game as it becomes more of a mainstream option in 2020 and beyond. Read more about the upcoming rollout of 5G here on TechRadar.
Get Mobile
Mobile devices allow businesses and their employees to have more personalized interactions with their clients. Who doesn’t love being texted rather than taking a call? The answer — Businesses that can’t track conversations between employees and customers. Currently, company-issued mobile devices lack many VoIP features that are standard on even the most basic VoIP service. Integral features such as caller ID management, call recording, and CRM integrations are important to most to all companies and are missing in the industry. In 2020, we see these issues being addressed and made available to the public. (Stay tuned!)
Continuing surge in the popularity of UCaaS
Unlike their prior reliance on traditional phones and email for most communication, in 2019, businesses have begun to recognize the limitations of these systems and opted to outsource their communications to the cloud. Not only does UCaaS offer lower costs, but it can also be managed by a third party, leading to higher productivity and, ultimately, corporate growth. Accessible anywhere, UCaaS is the future of business communication and will only continue to become more prevalent in 2020.
Increased remote work capability
These days, it seems like more and more people are making the switch from the traditional to the remote office. Even just a decade ago, working from home or on the road would have been impossible for most, but as Internet accessibility increases and VoIP capability expands, the mobile office has become a legitimate “place” to do business. Due to the accessibility of VoIP app features as well as mobile devices with native VoIP interfaces, we expect to see widespread growth in the number of businesses who take the leap from traditional office to mobile office in 2020. Conference calls, video meetings, and SMS messaging are just some of the many features that keep people connected despite the physical distance.
It’s all about AI
Let’s face it. We’ve become more and more accustomed to in-the-moment answers via virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa. But we’re not the only ones becoming dependent on AI. In the world of VoIP, AI features like “auto attendants” are increasing in popularity and prevalence. And these virtual helpers can, in many cases, do exactly what an actual human can quite efficiently and without the extra cost of labor. But that’s not all AI can do. In fact, cloud-based AI will also be effective at analyzing call data and customer interactions with uncanny accuracy which can only benefit companies as they strive to improve. As a result, we predict that VoIP service will become more and more dependent on AI, especially as its capabilities and functionality expand.
In-app communications will be expected with VoIP service
In-app communications are going to be instrumental in the growth and convenience of remote work. No user wants to deal with the frustration of jumping from app to app to get work done. So, in response to this issue, developers have begun focusing their attention on integrating VoIP service with real-time video, making distance collaboration all the more easy and convenient. These built-in communications features will inevitably expand the impact of VoIP service on business productivity.