
These days it’s very common to take both phone and internet access for granted. When it comes to senior care facilities, it’s also easy to forget how important these two systems are for residents as well as the staff. They are very often a vital part of the daily operations and offers readily available access to the outside world. But we usually don’t notice systematic shortcomings soon enough to make sure the systems continue to perform as expected. Here are six tell-tale signs that you need to update your current system.
Your system is running near full capacity
While it might seem obvious that capacity is a limiting factor, it’s not always obvious when it’s time to expand. With Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)-based phone solutions and a growing number of internet services, it’s not always the number of actual users that determine the required capacity. More and more devices utilize internet access, and with streaming media and online services, it’s not uncommon for a single normal user to utilize resources that a few years ago would be equal to multiple users.
You are paying a lot but getting very little or maybe even too much
While there’s often no objectively correct price, it’s still true that the current market leaves a lot of room for negotiation and getting a little more for every single dollar spent. That’s why it’s important to regularly scan the market for better deals. In some cases, you might even want to scale down your current system to make sure you’re not paying for capacity that’s not being utilized.
There’s a demand for functions that you can’t provide
Modern systems are scalable and very flexible. Especially when dealing with cloud-based VoIP and modern internet service providers. Also, most existing hardware has capabilities that go far beyond what most of us are taking advantage of. Chances are your existing system can be upgraded and extended instantly by simply contacting your provider.
Lack of support is limiting efficiency and causing problems
Technical issues are often very time-consuming. When dealing with older systems, the combination of no support and outdated hardware can wreak havoc in any organization. If you’re in this situation, it’s usually a good idea to revamp the system and take advantage of available support and scalable hardware.
The existing system is prone to outages
Older systems often don’t handle unexpected situations very well. No matter if you’re dealing with a power surge or an outage, unless your system is equipped with redundancy and automatic recovery you might as well expect long periods of troubleshooting. This might put residents at risk, and put a great burden on your staff. By switching to a modern system, you can rest easy knowing that it will handle many unexpected situations without the need for external support.
Wires are limiting accessibility
Going wireless is a great way of increasing network range and providing access in areas where it’s simply not possible to offer wired access. Modern WiFi-systems combine great range with high-speed access and are very easy to extend.
Meeting the demands of the future – Why is it important?
Making sure that your phone and internet systems are up to date will not only safeguard you against technical problems, it will also make things a lot easier for both staff and residents. Modern systems have built-in safeguards against common problems and often require a minimum of maintenance. It’s a great way to future-proof so your organization will continue to meet the ever-increasing demand for simple and efficient systems.