Reduce Reliance on Personal Devices for Business with VoIP Services
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for companies who rely on remote workers to keep business processes moving.
It’s one thing to have a handful of work-at-home staff. It’s another to manage entire departments of possibly permanent remote workers.
As organizations begin to map out what this transformation means to connectivity, collaboration, and productivity, a host of technologies are being harnessed to tackle some of the most critical elements of a successful work-from-home solution.
Key among them is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, a telecommunication solution that uses an internet connection to transmit data from audio and video to photos and files. This system allows a remote workforce to connect at any time in a real-time manner — over a traditional phone line, through video calls, or by sending files back and forth easily.
One of the main benefits of VoIP is its ability to reduce the use of personal devices for business in remote work situations.
Why is Personal Phone Use an Issue for Work from Home Environment?
Recently, an international law firm that specializes in labor and employment law developed a report that took a close look at why personal mobile devices should not be used in the workplace — or a work-from-home environment.
The report, published by Littler Mendelssohn, uncovered several data risks posed by personal devices used for business purposes:
- Devices Can Be Lost or Stolen
If employees use their mobile phone for work, your company data could be at risk if the device is lost or stolen. According to the Ponemon Institute, 39% of study respondents reported their businesses had sustained just such a breach as a result of stolen or lost devices.
- Malware is Prevalent
There’s been a huge increase in malicious software aimed at targeting mobile devices. As an example, from 2010 to 2011 alone, the number of malware targeting Android-based devices soared by 3,325%
- You Can’t Trust Your Friends
When the U.S. Treasury Department looked into suspicious activity reports filed by depository institutions, they found the identity theft victim was known to them — usually a friend, family member, or employee working in their home.
- Personal Cloud Usage
Some apps allow users to store their information in cloud-based storage. Employers must evaluate individual apps to ascertain if their proprietary clouds have the right security protocols to protect corporate information.
- Security Breaches
A security breach, particularly on a personal device, can expose your business to civil penalties, litigation, and more.
- Poor Business Behavior
According to the National Business Ethics Survey, active social networkers often engage in questionable business behaviors that are amplified with personal phone usage, such as:
- Friending a client
- Keeping copies of proprietary information
- Conducting work on their device while off the clock that requires compensation
- Conducting personal business while on the clock
Fortunately, because VoIP allows you to route calls to any device, employees can keep their office phone number and have calls routed to their home via a desktop phone supplied by your company.
VoIP, the Solution to Work-from-Home Telecommunications
VoIP removes the need for employees to use their devices for business by routing calls to their computers or traditional company-supplied phones that they keep in their home office.
Your employees don’t need a landline — traditional phones are easily converted with a VoIP adapter. And, if VoIP is installed properly, administrators can monitor employee telephone usage via call accounting and reporting applications.
With a host of features from call waiting and voicemail-to-email to text messaging and call recording, VoIP allows employers to offer secure, reliable business communications to the remote workers cost-effectively.
Edwards Business Systems Can Help You Get Started with VoIP
Our telecommunications specialists at Edwards Business Systems (EBS) can help your company navigate the challenges of managing a work-from-home staff.
Using the latest in VoIP technology, we focus on keeping your remote staff connected with feature-rich phone services, offer optimal security, and remove the need for your employees to use their phones for the business.
Our VoIP telecommunication systems offer convenient, easy access to voice communication while offering a collaboration platform that includes video conferencing, file sharing, archiving, and more.
Discover the convenience and security of a VoIP phone system. Contact an EBS representative now and learn how simple it is to get started.