Communication between businesses has always been a tricky job.
As technology progresses, some will adopt the changes, and others will remain with the old stuff. While this saves money for some, it also makes it very hard for companies to talk to one another when they’re using different standards. Of course, though, this doesn’t have to be an issue if you’re willing to bend the rules a little bit.
It can be very tempting to abandon older forms of communication, like phones or faxing when you upgrade to something newer. But, without the right replacements in place, you will leave yourself without a way to talk to some organisations. To help you out with this, this post is going to be going through a procedure to turn your regular web server into an all-in-one communication station, including all of the popular methods.
Of course, with a web server, you will already have access to email functionality and will have a system in place to make it nice and easy for you. There are loads of ways to streamline this sort of service, though. A mail client, for example, is a simple piece of software which can make a very big difference. Using an option which makes you life easier and you work faster will only improve your communications. Along with this, it can be very worthwhile to make sure that everyone has access to their mail across their devices.
SMS
Being able to send a short message to someone when they don’t have an internet connection is impossible if you can’t send an SMS. Thankfully, with the web server you already have, you should have everything you need to start emailing SMS messages. Once you know which carrier someone is on, you only need their mobile number to be able to build a textable email address. From there, you simply send the email like normal, and they can reply as if it’s a normal SMS message.
Phone
It’s unlikely that phone services will die out anytime soon, as this form of communication is fundamental to society. Of course, though, there’s no need to have a phone line when you have a server, as you have everything you need to operate an exchange. Options like Skype for Business can make it incredibly easy to start making calls directly from the computer. Along with calling real numbers, Skype also enables you to connect with other people using the platform.
Fax
It may be an old format, but fax machines still have their place in a lot of offices. Being able to send a copy of a piece of paper to someone is an incredibly useful tool, especially when companies are very busy. Like your email, SMS, and phone, this can all be handled from the comfort of your computer. All you need is a little bit of software, a fax cover sheet, and an internet connection, and you’ll be ready to start getting faxes directly to your email client. While fax machines may be getting old, new technology like this is making them gain renewed popularity. Over the next few years, being able to send documents like this could see you being very far ahead of the curve.
Video
Finally, as your last communication method, it’s time to go back to Skype for a little bit. Over the last few years, business internet connections have gotten good enough to support HD video for multiple clients. Having a board meeting with people who are all over the world has never been easier. But, like any steamed technology, this sort of method can be a little flawed sometimes. If the weather is bad or a lot of people are using the web, it could become impossible to use your video feeds without terrible lag.
Stepping into the modern age isn’t always about leaving things behind. Instead, as new technology develops, more and more ways to handle old forms of communication are coming about. Being able to take these on is a great way to keep in touch with those that haven’t caught up yet, while also taking advantage of the benefits they can still provide.
Hopefully, with all of this in mind, it should be a lot easier to start working towards a unified communication system of your own. As time moves on, so will the ways people talk to one another. But, for now at least, there are some methods which simply can’t be forgotten, and businesses will always have to work hard to be on the edge of great change.
