Many companies are switching to business Internet phone service to
streamline telecom expenses
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- As experts continue to
call out the latest signs of an approaching recession, businesses respond
by cinching up their budgets.
But, for those already tasked with keeping their bottom line lean, new
ways of cutting costs are getting harder to find, says Bryan Martin, CEO of
Internet phone service provider 8x8, Inc.
"In an economy like this, there's a gut reaction to put the breaks on
new spending. But, we often overlook the fact that there is room to cut the
day-to-day costs of doing business," Martin says.
From remote towns to large metropolitan areas, businesses are adding
Internet-based digital phone service to their short list of cost-cutting
measures.
Internet telephony technology, otherwise known as VoIP (Voice over
Internet Protocol), lets companies deploy a full-featured business phone
system over their existing broadband network for a fraction of the cost of
traditional alternatives.
Joe Rork is no stranger to recession and the havoc it plays on
business. As a technology consultant with a long association with a top
U.S. automaker, his home state of Michigan was hit hard.
"We learned earlier than the rest of the country that we were going to
have to get pretty creative financially to keep our businesses running and
our customers coming in."
Rork currently serves as chief technologist for Plymouth's Green Street
Fair(TM) (http://www.greenstreetfair.com), an annual event to help educate
and inform people about the benefits of green, organic, and eco-friendly
products and services. The Green Street Fair has used 8x8's Packet8 Virtual
Office digital phone service every step of the way.
Watching every penny he spends is an art he's had to become very
proficient at -- quickly. "One of the easiest things I did right off was to
be sure we were using Internet technology for our phone systems. Not only
is it a huge savings for us in terms of cost, it's the safest and easiest
way we can move our office from headquarters to the event location without
missing a beat."
In Fort Myers, Fla., business owner Bert Hamilton of Harvey Software,
Inc. (http://www.harveysoft.com), can't go a day without being reminded of
the impact of a precarious economy roiled by soaring fuel prices. His
company writes shipping software that gives customers more control over
their shipping costs.
"We tell our customers that if our software does not save their company
money, we did not do our job." It's getting harder to say that these days.
"When carriers like UPS and FedEx have to increase their fuel surcharges,
we're left to figure out how to help our customers deal with it," says
Hamilton.
Hamilton had relied on traditional phone services for 25 years, but
after switching over to Packet8, he and his customers have been instantly
rewarded. "Virtual Office has cut our costs in half and our customers have
noticed a big difference in the way their calls are handled," says
Hamilton.
Using the Internet to make calls is a technological marvel to some. For
others, it comes down to simply making the smart play. "As to the future of
the Internet and its use as a business tool, we've barely scratched the
surface," says Martin.
SOURCE 8x8, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.harveysoft.com
http://www.greenstreetfair.com
CONTACT:
Joan Citelli of 8x8, Inc., +1-408-687-4320,
jcitelli@8x8.com
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