If you want to realize the benefits of Unified Communications in your business, then Shaw SmartVoice solution may be a good option for you. It offers a solid set of functionality, flexible plans, and hassle-free installation/setup. In this article, we are going to walk through some of the benefits and features of the Shaw SmartVoice solution.
We’ll also answer the questions:
- What is Shaw SmartVoice?
- What Are the Advertised Advantages of SmartVoice? …and does the reality measure up?
- What About the Shaw SmartVoice Competitors?
- What Benefits Does SmartVoice Drive for Businesses?
- What Features of SmartVoice Are Most Desirable?
What’s the Scoop on Shaw Voice Solutions? Is Shaw SmartVoice Worth the Investment?
Have you heard about Unified Communications? Unified Communications is a term that is used to describe the harnessing of voice, video, data services and software applications to achieve:
- Greater Collaboration
- Better Communication
- Simpler Mobility
- Higher Efficiency
If you want to realize the benefits of Unified Communications in your business, then Shaw SmartVoice solution may be a good option for you.
What is Shaw SmartVoice Service?
Shaw SmartVoice is a highly scalable Unified Communications solution specially designed for small and medium business. It provides a rich set of features for seamless communication and collaboration, including messaging, email, calendars, video calling, conferencing and call waiting. Shaw has built this cloud-based solution to power the communications of the modern business. SmartVoice encompasses everything from the traditional desk phone setup to face-to-face video collaboration on a smartphone.
With a set of flexible and affordable plans, Shaw SmartVoice claims to allow businesses of all sizes to enjoy the benefits of Unified Communications.
What Are the Advertised Advantages of Shaw SmartVoice Service?
- Easy Setup
- Choose the features you want.
- Installation and setup handled by trained professionals
- No costly deployment projects
- No upgrade needed to your current infrastructure
- Flexible Pricing
- No substantial up-front equipment fees – (Shaw does sell equipment like desk phones to use with their service.)
- Pay only for the features that you need or want.
- Plans start at $26.95 per user per month in a multi-year contract.
- Every plan includes voicemail-to-email, on-hold music, and HD-quality voice features.
- Improved Availability
- No on-site server space needed
- Updates and upgrades are done by Shaw from their end
- Cloud-based disaster recovery allows companies to have access to their communications regardless of what happens to the equipment at their facility.
- Simplified Maintenance
- Includes an easy to use management web portal
- Customize features with a few clicks from the web-based control panel.
- IT support providers are very familiar with SmartVoice and can be brought on to help integrate it with other systems and keep everything running smoothly.
- Updates to the system are atomically deployed through the cloud, ensuring you always have the latest security and feature upgrades.
Reality Check: Does reality measure up to the claims of easy setup, flexible pricing, improved availability, and simplified maintenance?
In our determination, Shaw SmartVoice hits the mark. Shaw’s offering is ideal for startups up to businesses with 20+ users. Pricing is flexible, but it is ongoing. You will be paying for your phone system for as long as you have it. You never actually “own” your communications system. Shaw does allow for complete control by the user, but some users find this overwhelming and intimidating. Setup isn’t complex – but it’s not as easy as the advertisements may make it look either. To get the most out of SmartVoice, it should be set up by someone that’s done it before.
What About the Shaw SmartVoice Competitors?
A great question!
At last count, there were more than sixty players in the marketplace that offer a feature set that is similar to Shaw SmartVoice. Of course, the features and the depth of the features vary depending on the company’s target audience and the maturity of the software as a service company itself.
A few of the more prominent competitors are:
- Cisco
- Vonage
- Ring Central
- Jive
- Five9
- Mitel
- Fonality
- Zultys
- AT&T
- Speakeasy
- NEC
- Verizon
Each of these companies has advantages and disadvantages to their service offerings. Some compare more favourably against Shaw SmartVoice, while others fall short of what Shaw is offering. An IT consultant will be able to give you the best advice when comparing various unified communications systems.
What Are Some of the Real-World Benefits of Using Shaw SmartVoice?
- Improved Business Focus
SmartVoice is a fully managed solution. Your service provider can take care of the hardware, software upgrades, installation, training and ongoing support. With the right IT support partner at your side, you shouldn’t have to do anything but USE the service – freeing you and your staff to work on more pressing, pro-growth projects.
- Simplified Call Transfer
You can easily transfer ongoing calls between a landline phone and a cell phone with the press of a button. Transfers to other people within the organization are just as seamless.
- Always Connected to the Customer
Features like Multi-ring (which enables your office phone to ring at the same time as other assigned numbers or devices) are designed to help you avoid missing important calls. The Auto Attendant feature greets your customers with a professionally recorded message that directs their call to the right recipient.
What Features of Shaw SmartVoice Are Most Desirable?
As with any system, benefits and business value are driven by the feature set. Here are some of the most significant features of the Shaw SmartVoice offering.
- Instant Messaging – Connect with colleagues in real time and cut down on email clutter and voicemails.
- Multi-Conference – Connect with multiple colleagues at once. Team conferences are created by bridging up to six users into a single conference call.
- On Hold Messaging – Make waiting “on hold” more pleasant for customers by adding a custom message or music.
- Meet Me Conference – A dedicated conference line that can handle a large group of participants — connect with customers and co-workers from anywhere, anytime.
- Auto Attendant – Forward calls to employees or departments to ensure important clients are not left to voicemail.
- Call Queuing – With Call Queuing you know precisely the order in which each call was received, so you can answer them in the appropriate order.
- Call Recording – Record, store, and playback calls for training, compliance, or quality control purposes.
Is Shaw Smart Voice Right for My Business?
If you’re looking to join the thousands of Canadian businesses that are already using Shaw SmartVoice, Rafiki Technologies would be happy to assist you with any questions you may have or consult with you regarding the Shaw SmartVoice alternatives.
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Microsoft Workplace Analytics (Research/Insight)