Is your school or school board planning to replace your phone system? Then as you may have already discovered, sifting through the marketing hype and focusing on what really matters can be difficult.
To make your evaluation process simpler and faster, and ultimately to help you make the right decision, we have listed five questions for choosing the best school phone system. Along with each question, we also provide advice to help you know what to look for — and what to avoid.
Choosing the Best School Phone System Question 1: Do you offer a cloud phone system?
An all-in-one cloud system delivers several major advantages vs. a traditional landline phone system. Specifically, a cloud system:
- Enables significant up-front and ongoing cost-savings, including unlimited free domestic long distance.
- Enables multi-building/campus-wide connectivity — but without the need to dig and install wires.
- Ensures continuity during emergencies and disasters.
- Includes text/SMS/MMS messaging.
- Includes HD-quality video conferencing.
- Offers advanced calling features such as Auto Attendant, Voicemail-to-Email, and more.
- Enables flexibility — whether the staff is traveling between one school or 100, they can keep communications at their fingertips, and always be reachable by principals, teachers, administrators, parents, and other stakeholders.
- Is highly secure, and uses end-to-end encryption mechanisms including Transport Layer Security/TLS and Secure RTP for transmitting media.
Choosing the Best School Phone System Question #2: Do you have extensive experience?
Do not choose any vendor who only “dabbles” in cloud phone systems. Select a vendor that specializes in this technology, and that deeply understands what things are like in the educational space. Basically, whenever you have a question, concern, or challenge, you want a vendor that has “been there, done that”.
Choosing the Best School Phone System Question #3: Will you provide us with comprehensive support?
The best school phone system is backed by 24/7/365 technical support — which is included in the fee, and not tacked on as an extra cost. Furthermore, support should be delivered by LOCAL EXPERTS who can provide on-site service as necessary.
Choosing the Best School Phone System Question #4: Is your cloud phone system reliable?
Choose a vendor that commits to meeting a 99.99% guaranteed uptime standard, and that offers a mobile app that turns any smartphone into a school district-approved device — which is especially vital during emergencies and disasters.
Choosing the Best School Phone System Question #5: Is your cloud phone system affordable?
Many school boards across the country are facing severe and in some cases historic budget cuts that could last for decades because enrollment levels have not returned to their pre-pandemic norms. As such, the need for superintendents, board members, and other decision-makers to make prudent investment decisions is crucial.
Choose a vendor that understands these pressures, and whose cloud phone system is clearly and measurably affordable. Also, you should NEVER get billed for any of the following:
- Regulatory Recovery Fee
- Regulatory, Compliance, and Intellectual Property Fee
- Federal Universal Service Fund (USF)
- County and State Sales Tax
- State Telecommunications Sales Tax
- Miscellaneous Fees
- E911 Tax
- E911 and Information Services Fee
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At Carolina Digital Phone, we are proud to offer the best school phone system in North Carolina and throughout the Southeast. Some of our satisfied customers include Bertie County Schools, Graham County Schools, Moore County Schools, Yadkin County Schools, Tandem Friends Schools, Noble Academy, and many others.