Why Move My Landline Phone to Cloud?

10 May, 2015 | Small Business cat-item-16

Why Move My Landline Phone to Cloud?

Move Forward to Cloud Based Phone System

Change from traditional phone system to cloud based phone system is the right way to move forward

Like many areas of business applications and operations, efficient phone service is quickly shifting to a more modern approach with Internet based service that can either be hosted on-site or through a cloud facilitator.

Rick Warren once said, ‘We are products of our past, but we do not have to be prisoners of it.’ This same principal can be applied to the technology that is currently propelling modern businesses into the fast lane. Adapting to change can be overwhelming, especially when you are comfortable with certain practices and techniques involving business; however, change is a vital part of success.

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning. – Benjamin Franklin

Various improvements and advances are not only streamlining commercial transactions, but they are reducing costs and optimizing return on investment for business owners.

The choice between an in-house VoIP or cloud based phone system will certainly depend on each company’s individual needs, but the chances are, if you are an entrepreneur or small to medium sized business owner that supports fewer than 100 employees, a cloud based phone system with off site hosting will offer the most bang for your buck.

I know what you’re thinking: why fix my traditional landline phone system if it isn’t broken?

Landlines are phasing out. They have a plethora of limitations and restrictions that will ultimately get in the way of you conducting business in a manner that is most convenient to your customers and clients. As Spencer Johnson said, ‘If you don’t change, you can become extinct.’ Landlines confine communication to the realm of your office setting and do not allow for mobility that is common with on-the-go life, as we now know it.

A cloud based phone system offers all the same features that businesses use most:

Conference calls
Call waiting and forwarding
Voicemail to email
Internet Fax
Synchronization of office contact list
And more!

Unlike traditional landlines, cloud phone services are monitored 24/7 and the transmission signals can be rerouted in a matter of seconds to ensure that you never miss or drop a call due to technical malfunction. Power outages, line disruptions, construct etc. are no match for this incredibly efficient system. Best of all, business can be conducted anywhere, anytime from your smart phone, tablet, laptop or even a desktop computer.

So how do I go about deciding between on-site VoIP or a Cloud System managed elsewhere ?

Typically speaking, an in-house Voice Over IP system is most efficient for large scale companies that already have an information technology staff that can adequately monitor and maintain the on-site system. There is a greater up front cost for the on-site PBX system as business owners must invest in the appropriate servers and hardware. However; VoIP systems require maintenance and updates that must be conducted by staff, rather than a cloud service which takes a load off the client by offering easy and convenient maintenance as part of the contract agreement.

Start-ups and small to medium sized businesses usually find the most efficient and reliable service with a cloud managed system. With low to no initial equipment investment, choosing the cloud supports one or two employees, or can quickly change to accommodate exponential growth.

Temporary workers can also be quickly added or removed without hassle. An on- premise VoIP phone system is limited to the size and capabilities of the equipment initially purchased thus may not always support massive growth or facilitate effortless changes on a regular basis. In addition to growth allocation, cloud contracts can be paid on a month to month basis, significantly reducing overhead for companies.

The bottom line: choosing an Internet supported phone system will reduce operational costs for your business, without sacrificing the same basic features that a traditional landline service brings. In fact, managed cloud based phone systems actually provide users with even more features that will greatly impact the way they are able to conduct business transactions.

Auto attendant, call queue , unlimited extensions, and conference bridging are some of the benefits which are not always available with every traditional landline.