Is cloud telephony right for your business?

 Maybe you’re the kind of business for whom cloud telephony is the right answer.

What businesses are opting for a cloud telephony system and why?

• Organisations with offices spanning multiple locations and/or having a remote workforce.

For organisations whose employees are spread across various locales, setting up an on-premise phone system can be quite the trial. Security, implementation — it has all the aspects of a logistical nightmare.
Enter the cloud, where all you need is an internet connection and the proper credentials and you can access data from any corner of the world without having to worry about security — that’s your provider’s headache, not yours. With a cloud system, the possibilities become endless. Your people can talk to your customers from any corner of the world. People on opposite ends of the globe can jump in on the same call. One click, and magic can happen.

• Companies on the rise looking to sustainably scale their communications.

As the head of a growing business, the last thing you should worry about is scaling your IT team along with your customer base so that they can continue maintaining your phone system setup. Not when cloud telephony can be a far more efficient, cost-effective alternative, with rich features like Auto-Receptionist, Voicemail, Call Forwarding and IVR that help your agents work smarter and not harder. When every call matters, your best bet is the cloud.

•   Businesses that need more interactive forms of communication and ways to share media and content.

Keeping your call centre up with the times can feel an awful lot like swimming upstream. Especially now when a phone call is no longer the most optimal channel for a fast resolution — features like video conferencing, virtual meeting rooms and collaboration tools like screen, file, media and content sharing are fast becoming the modus operandi, features that traditional phone systems cannot accommodate with ease. A cloud phone provider can do all of this for you, and the best part: you won’t have to lift a finger to get it done.

• Companies with limited budgets looking for more bang for buck.

When you have a cap on your expenditure, spending lavishly is not an option. But being on a budget doesn’t have to mean settling for less. Everything that a system that’s on premises can offer and much more for a fraction of the cost? Cloud telephony can do just that in addition to being that much lighter, faster and more mobile. Granted, most cloud telephony solutions would charge based on subscription, but the cumulative recurring expense is still better than the one-time capital – that’s not all that one-time – for a local system.

• Organisations that want to focus more on their core business rather than auxiliary functions.

The IT department of an organisation is entirely responsible for any on-premise system and there are times when they can be pushed to the brink of implosion. It can get too much for them to handle and there is little they can do. Hiring and expanding the team to focus on a function that isn’t their primary business is not really the most sensible decision. Moving your centre to the cloud can give IT the chance to destress a little. And they can comfortably direct their attention towards the core function of your business. It’s wins all around.