When it came out in the late 2000s, Voice Over Internet Protocol—or VoIP, as we call it these days—made the climb to social prominence pretty quickly. The reason was simple enough: VoIP was an acronym that had become (and still is) almost synonymous with cost-saving and efficient communication. It was the modern mode of communication, come almost as if from the future to assist us using the internet that was already leaping high back in the day.
Even the Social Security Administration was game with changing the phones at 1,526 of its offices and replacing them with a centrally managed VoIP. There were measures being taken to ensure that the customers who were now receiving calls through the internet and not through conventional phone lines could not tell the switch from Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)—the network availability bar was raised to 99.999%.
But so far as everyone knew, businesses and residences alike were making the switch from conventional phones to VoIP phones for two reasons: improved connectivity and reduced costs.
Nobody, even in their remotest dreams, would have thought that this is a tool which can also help in one other, major issue—and it’s not one man’s or one business’s issue either. It’s an issue that engulfs the entire planet, and is a concern for us all.
That issue is protecting and preserving the environment.
VoIP Phones: Environment-Friendly and High-Functioning
Most of the machines that we know of today and that we use for our daily tasks—from cars to refrigerators—are a known hazard to the environment. Little could we have known that something as modern and as streamlined as VoIP phones could help reduce the adverse impact on the environment.
It’s a greener alternative to traditional phones, phone lines, and network solutions—which, in such a time of battling environmental pollution and destruction of the planet, is vital.
But we know what you’re thinking: how can phones be green (unless they’re not painted green)? Are VoIP systems helping eliminate the use of plastic?
We’ve got your answers ready.
Travel Costs
Let’s look at something that is one of the biggest contributors to environment pollution: cars. And trucks. And motorcycles. And vehicles of all sorts. For every gallon of gas, a car emits 24 pounds of poisonous carbon dioxide, and other noxious gases.
Let’s say, you have 100 employees working for you, out of which doubtless 50 will be coming in to work on their own cars. The greater the number of employees, the more cars on the road, and the more cars there are on the road, the more carbon dioxide there is in the air. And the more carbon dioxide there is in the atmosphere, the less oxygen there remains for you—get the idea?
Now with VoIP, none of this needs to happen. Work flexibility is ensured because your employee can stay at home and still be connected to your system. You can still monitor their work, and they can still take care of their tasks for the day, simply by sitting at home.
And voila—you’re a green company that believes in reducing carbon emissions.
Less Hardware
Gone are the days of hefty hardware and heavy equipment that you needed in order to function properly. VoIP requires only a working internet connection and a few handsets. In fact, you don’t even need to retire your older analog equipment, since it can be adapted into VoIP systems. Consequently, you don’t have to add new hardware, and don’t have to retire older hardware either, thereby reducing the amount of dump in landfills.
Lesser Paper
It’s said that one of the greatest ironies of this world is writing “Save Trees” on paper. Every year, the world loses 7 million hectares of trees and forests—most of which is cut down for furniture and paper. This rapid deforestation is only the tip of the iceberg—there’s also the heat and the rising temperatures that are caused by the cutting down of trees every year.
VoIP eliminates the need to do paperwork since the many features that VoIP service providers offer are cloud-based: whether it’s call logs or voicemail transcripts, nothing has to be written down, and no paper has to be used as a result.
Additionally, there’s fax over IP which is great in terms of reducing paper waste, as well as helps reduce the money you spend on equipment since you no longer have to have a fax machine, and the relevant supplies.
Lesser Space
Since there’s almost no heavy hardware involved, no cables and servers, you’re also saving space by opting for VoIP. You can have more free space in your office, which is ideal for ventilation and the general health of your employees.
Moreover, since you’re using fewer phones and devices, you’re cutting down on fuel costs, thus are also helping save energy. Electricity is an energy course that’s produced mostly using fossil fuels for urban areas, and has been known to harm the environment.
Why You Need to Go Green as a Business
If you thought going green was not fashionable, think again. Some of the biggest business enterprises in the world have recently gone green, most notably H&M and J.Crew. Even luxury fashion brands, such as Oerum and Tome’s, are moving toward more “sustainable” options. One might question the genuineness of their concern for the environment, but there’s one fact that no one can deny: going green is good for business.
The numbers corroborate this fact: over 80% of people have more respect for companies and businesses that adopt eco-friendly practices. Overall, there has been a rise in people’s interest in saving the planet, with more and more consumers choosing brands that are pro-Earth. The additional benefits—such as tax credits and other incentives—only add to the growing interest in going green.
At any rate, much of the current crop of shoppers is made up of millennials, who are very concerned about the environment, and eco-friendly practices matter for the millennial consumer. There’s a lot of research proving that millennials are pushing toward greener practices. This trend is only going to go up when Gen Z becomes the average shopper, and will be even more stringent about eco-friendly practices than the millennial population.
VoIP is a great way of ensuring that you’re doing your part for the environment. Not only is this beneficial for your business, but will also help you score more conscious customers, shoppers who will flock to your stores because you’ve gone green.
If you’ve made up your mind to opt for VoIP, go through the long list of VoIP service providers provided on Top5 Business VoIP. You’ll also find a great many additional resources on the site such as guides and articles, which you can use for further guidance.
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