5 Benefits of a cloud-based phone system
What’s a cloud-based phone system and why should you consider one? A cloud phone service is a voice-over IP telephone (VoIP) system hosted by a third-party provider. Also called a cloud PBX or a hosted PBX, a cloud-based phone system offers the same functionality of a traditional PBX without having to maintain your own server. Voice calls are converted into data packets that ravel over the internet to a hosted PBX provider (that third party we mentioned) that establishes the calling path or hands the call off to the public network (PSTN). This is well-established technology that works for desk phones, smartphones, conference phones, phone apps, etc. Growing reliance on a hybrid workforce has pushed many companies to finally forsake their on-premise PBX in favor of this “from anywhere” technology.
Here are five benefits of a cloud-based phone system.
1. Cost savings
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First and foremost for any company is the bottom line, and a cloud-based phone system offers a low-cost alternative to hosting your phone system—not only in equipment savings but also in the employee hours to maintain and implement your system internally. Savings of 50% to 75% overall are common after switching to a cloud-based system over self-hosted.
2. Increased security
Cloud-based phone systems are more secure than a traditional PBX or in-house VoIP system. A common issue with internally hosted VoIP systems is that they are hacked and your phone system is hijacked and used to make calls, often in scams or expensive overseas connections. Any decent cloud service will have the highest level of security implemented, as their existence depends on providing secure telephone systems.
3. Constant improvements
Cloud-based phone companies are constantly improving their systems and doing the requisite research to ensure they’re cutting edge. That means their offerings will be more advanced and feature-rich than the ones you would produce in-house. With the recent influx of remote workers, many of these features are especially beneficial, such as web phones with click-to-call app functionality, automated logging, and scalability.
4. No interruptions during transition
While not a benefit of a cloud-based system per se, the fact that you can transition from an in-house system to a cloud-based system without interruption makes the decision to switch that much easier. This is typically done by utilizing temporary numbers and then calls with the current numbers are routed to these temporary numbers set up on the new cloud-based system. The porting process, done by your telco provider, usually takes anywhere from one to four weeks. You can switch to the new cloud-based system before the porting is completed, presenting no interruption.
5. No infrastructure update needed
An understandable concern about upgrading to a cloud-based system is that your networking and internet infrastructure needs to be upgraded. Many businesses already have high-bandwidth internet configurations that would be more than sufficient to handle a cloud-based system.
For comparison’s sake, a standard phone call utilizes about 100 Kbps of bandwidth. A low-quality YouTube video consumes about 1,000 Kbps of bandwidth. Thus, you can make 10 calls for the exact bandwidth utilization as one low-quality video, which your internet can most likely handle easily.
In addition to these cloud-based phone system benefits, a cloud-based phone system is also easy to use, providing your business with the phone service and security needed to operate.
For help in finding the best cloud-based phone solution for your business contact vCom. Our Buyer’s Journey methodology ensures a best-fit solution no matter what your needs.
