The 2020 pandemic took the entire world by storm. Schools not excluded, what we thought was going to be just a few weeks of classes being cancelled turned into months, and in some cases, years. And even though remote learning had been discussed prior to March, remote learning was pushed into reality. But not without several struggles, teachers struggled to communicate with students and parents. From being able to have physical classes one day to having to have them online the next, educators and school administrators needed to be prepared for everything.
This unpredictability has made everyone in the education field realize that an all-encompassing communication system is a necessity, even for schools. But the unfortunate truth is that most schools were not prepared for these circumstances as their communication systems are stuck in the past. But VoIP solutions for schools can take any institution from struggling to communicate efficiently to communicating completely and clearly with all involved.
What are the benefits of VoIP solutions for schools?
There are many benefits to adopting VoIP as your communications solution for your institution. Below, we have broken down three benefits and what that looks like to a school administrator.
Cost
VoIP systems are in fact less costly than traditional phone lines. Because VoIP is an internet-based service, you don’t need to worry about expensive equipment and complicated installations. Your VoIP provider will house anything that’s necessary to run the solution.
Having the equipment off-site makes for a stress-free communication experience for everyone involved. VoIP software is also very user friendly and easy to navigate so adapting to them will be fast and easy. This will also take stress off your educational IT staff’s shoulders since they do not have to worry about any maintenance. The provider will be responsible for any updates as well.
Furthermore, VoIP solutions for schools are charged through a low monthly fee instead of billed by phone call or phone line making them very cost-efficient. With the solution running through internet lines, the school does not need to worry about phone lines running to every room, especially with the use of WiFi.
Flexibility
With VoIP solutions for schools, you will be able to communicate with faculty and students from any device and any location. This means your staff can access your communications solution remotely as well as from their classroom.
Not only is it important for your staff to be able to access their information when teaching remotely, but this is also helpful for those staff members that are shared between buildings, or do not have a set location. This means maintenance staff, administration, and often specials teachers can be connected as they move about.
Reliability
Having your communications operating through the internet means you can rely on them from anywhere at any time, even when other buildings may be experiencing outages. Having a VoIP system in place for a school means you will be prepared for anything.
Features of VoIP Solutions for Schools
There are MANY features you can benefit from VoIP solutions for schools. While we will focus on video and voice, the are several other features that can help make your school communications run smoothly for all stakeholders.
Video Conferencing
The ability to easily hold video conferences is now more important than ever. In instances where physical meetings become impossible, you need to be able to virtually hold any meeting necessary. The option to chat via video is exactly what is needed to keep group communications going no matter what.
Meetings with staff, parent/teacher conferences, presentations by guest speakers, learning opportunities for students, and so much more can be done via video conferencing. Quality VoIP solutions for schools will offer necessary features like high quality audio and video. You will also be able to record your meetings, share your screen or documents and so much more.
Voice Features
Call features are also important in school communications especially for staff and stakeholders. These features are some of the many that come with VoIP solutions for schools:
- Call Routing
- Simple number management
- Comprehensive Call Center Module
Start Using a VoIP Solution for Schools Today
Ready to reap the benefits of a VoIP solution for schools? Over at Crocker Communications we offer a state-of-art hosted phone system that will for sure make your communication processes headache-free. We offer all the necessary features to give you the complete package at low prices. Contact us today to speak with one of our specialists and decide which one of our packages will work best for you!
