According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average education spending per pupil was $10,700 in 2013 for schools across the US. In 2016, The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that states have been providing less financial support for students since 2008.
Private schools are also feeling the squeeze. As any teacher can tell you, the costs have risen for textbooks, computer equipment, and classroom supplies, regardless of school affiliation.
In this financial climate, you want to save money on your school's phone bill. But you also want the best possible features and latest add-ons for your phone system.
With a VoIP phone system, you'll have a shot to lower your school's phone bill, implement the capabilities you need, and gain access to features you didn't even know that you needed. Here's how hosted VoIP can offer significant savings and incisive features for your educational institution.
Most VoIP providers allow you to call anyone on your phone network for free. You can call teachers, administrators, or any phone connected to the phone system without incurring a charge. School districts have the potential to save a significant amount of money by switching to VoIP, since much of the calls made in a school system are internal. Calls to other SIP-based phones, whether they're connected to your network or not, are usually free too.
Some hosted VoIP providers do not require monthly contracts for service. This allows your school to maintain fiscal flexibility. In contrast, other business phone services require you to enter phone service contracts, and purchase all-inclusive broadband Internet, which makes it even harder to leave the service once the phone contract expires.
Many schools still employ aging analog PBXes that become harder and costlier to maintain each year. Hosted VoIP does not require intensive maintenance. The fundamental components of your phone system - the servers, the feature sets, and the troubleshooting - are all handled offsite by the VoIP company.
Most hosted VoIP services also offer free 24/7 support staff via phone, email, and IM. Widespread service disruptions are acknowledged by the provider, and the VoIP company is responsible for getting service back up and running. Support staff can also help with problems that do not involve the VoIP company, such as router configuration issues. This saves your IT staff time and effort.
You can install a VoIP phone system in a few hours or less. With DIY-type services, you can also add or subtract phones from classrooms in a few minutes. Some features that distinguish VoIP setup include:
You could implement a VoIP phone system at night, while the students are home, and have it all in place by the next morning. See our blog, Think You Don't Have Time to Switch to VoIP, for more info on quick VoIP setups when you're crunched for time.
Intercom systems are found in most school rooms across the country. Intercoms are traditionally run by equipment separate from the phone system. But you can actually combine intercom into your VoIP phone system and make important announcements directly from a desk phone. Using third party devices, your IT staff can setup dedicated VoIP intercom lines for administrative phones, or anyone who needs intercom access.
CyberData's IP Paging Endpoints are overhead speakers that work best for classrooms. CyberData also has a collection of analog adapters that can merge the analog speaker system currently in your school with a VoIP configuration. Here's how to setup VoIP intercom systems with relative ease.
VoIP phone systems offer a wide array of features for schools of all sizes. Here are some of the most common hosted VoIP features implemented by school systems: