As more people work from home or on the move and are expected to be contactable 24/7, the need for a fixed desk phone has decreased, whereas internet telephony has taken an increasing share of the telecoms market.
What’s more, at a cost of £200-300 per year for each unit, businesses are questioning the need for a desk phone when almost all staff use mobile and smart phones.
“There has been a real shift in the way we work in the past five years” said Gradwell, who set up his internet business from his university halls of residence. “Staff are requesting more flexible working arrangements and an expectation that people will be available all the time is growing.”
This shift in working practices has seen Gradwell take an increased share of the telecoms market, as Gradwell predicted that there would be increased demand for affordable telephone systems and high capacity broadband from SMEs.
“People’s working lives have changed dramatically in the past five years, never mind the past 20”, Gradwell continued. “As people go freelance, start up their own businesses and work from home they need the tech to support that. The bad weather that has forced people to stay at home this winter has reinforced the fact that businesses need to equip staff with the tools to work remotely. In many cases this will make the desk phone obsolete.”