Deploying IP telephony 'can free staff to work more productively'

Companies should free their staff to work from anywhere by deploying IP telephony systems, an expert has suggested.

Writing for TMCNet, Mae Kowalke said cloud-based unified communications (UC) can give customers a single, unified level of service, while enabling members of staff to up their productivity levels.

"Cloud-based UC means employees can truly extend tools associated with the office environment on to their mobile devices", she explained.

Ms Kowalke went on to remark that VoIP solutions are not location-specific, enabling employees to work wherever they are.

Employing a mobile workforce in this way can be challenging to manage, she continued, but can lead to massive efficiency savings, freeing employees to work smarter and provide better customer service.

The key to success is ensuring the technology operates effectively together, the expert concluded.

Recent research by Gartner suggested many bosses expect to increase IT budgets in 2011 as they seek to make operations as cost-efficient as possible.