Whether you love it or loathe it, international business travel is now considered almost a neccessity for any growing medium to large business. With numerous vertical markets, from telecoms to banking looking at new ways to achieve ‘global domination’, the growth in overseas travel isn’t set to stop anytime soon. Analysts may say that with an uncertain economic environment, businesses are looking towards export markets for sustained business growth, through expansion into international branch offices or the growth of homeogenous ‘global services’ offerings to appeal to the masses.
Personally, l very much enjoy business travel as it provides a welcome break from the office and the chance to see parts of the globe that l may not otherwise have considered visting. But whether you see it as a perk of the job or an annoying distraction, there will always be a cost associated with jaunts into foreign lands that has to be considered when looking at the attractiveness of any potential international opportunity.
Luckily for UK businesses, there is a highly saturated market for travel and accommodation that can ensure that costs are kept to an absolute minimum (when required). Lets take a look at some real figures that may be considered when planning a visit to our European Neighbours in Italy:
Flights to Milan on Easyjet.com (June 16th – June 17th 2011) £52.70
2* Hotel for 1 Nights from Laterooms.com (June 16th) £52.02
Price of a Face to Face Business Meeting & Deal Clincher Priceless
..oh wait, costs of mobile phone bill for international roaming & calls !!!!!!!!!!
Very often ignored is the cost of international roaming and charges that travellers face when using their mobile phone abroad. With close to 49% of business in the UK reported to be using some form of smartphone technology, there is now a reliance of staying connected on the move with business critical processes such as calls and e-mails. But how sustainable is international smartphone usage as devices become more data hungry and the associated cost with staying connected continues to climb?
Uniting the power of IP Communications on the move, ShoreTel Mobility has provided a glimpse into the future for businesses that are looking to keep down the costs of their mobile phone infrastructure. Compatible with any existing PBX on the market (including digital infrastructure), ShoreTel Mobility can reduce the costs of international roaming and call charges by up to 60% (based upon international roaming case studies) by harnessesing the power of SIP/SSL technology and increasing global WI-Fi coverage.
With seamless handover between GSM / Wi-Fi networks and functionality that you would expect from a IP Deskphone, ShoreTel Mobility is truly a unique solution that is changing the way in which global organisations look at their mobile workforce. So whether it’s London to Cairo, or Edinburgh to Berlin, let’s make sure that your global adventures don’t end up costing you the Earth.
About Lily Systems
Lily Systems, the Voice & Data Specialists bring together a team with over twenty years experience in IP Networking and Communications. Our goal is to work closely alongside our clients to understand their needs and introduce the most appropriate and advanced technology on the market for converged IP applications and unified communications solutions.
Contact Lily Systems – The Voice & Data Specialists today
Tel: 01858 450440 Email: info@lily-systems.co.uk