A reliable and efficient phone system can work wonders. With the right setup, you’ll boost productivity as well as customer experience. Cloud phone systems are becoming an increasingly popular choice for all kinds of businesses. But what exactly can a cloud phone system offer over an on-premise one?
We’ve compiled the top 5 benefits of cloud phone systems below. If you’re looking to migrate to a cloud system or have any questions that uCall can help with, head to our contact page.
1. Cloud phone systems are futureproof
With a cloud phone system, your calls are routed over the internet, using VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology. This is a big upgrade on calls over ISDN or PSTN lines, which are set to become obsolete anyway.
BT Openreach announced in 2012 that ISDN and PSTN lines would be switched off in the UK by 2025. This means that any companies that still use this outdated technology will need to have upgraded their phone systems by then. Quite simply, you will have to route calls via the internet
With a cloud phone system, your calls are futureproof for years to come. That’s reason enough to switch – but there’s plenty more where that came from!
2. Cloud phone systems can save you money
Cloud phone systems offer all kinds of cost savings. We’ve already mentioned VoIP calls, which are routed online. Well, this tends to be significantly cheaper than calls over ISDN lines. Line rental is a lot cheaper, and there’s just less infrastructure to maintain.
That’s also true of cloud phone systems over on-premise, which are hosted in hardware on your site. You have to pay for that hardware with on-premise. You also have to store it, maintain it, and eventually replace it. Cloud simply removes those costs from the equation. It’s hosted offsite, and you have no responsibility for maintenance or upgrades. They’ll happen without you even noticing.
Cloud also provides a big productivity boost. You can make and take calls on-screen and from different devices – which may not sound much, but it shaves a few seconds off every call. That time really adds up. Also, you can use the system on any device, anywhere with an internet connection. This means you can get more out of your remote workers. By reducing downtime and maximising efficiency, you’re going to save yourself money in the long term.
3. Cloud phone systems are more resilient and reduce downtime
Let’s say you’re currently using an on-premise system. If it goes down for whatever reason, your business communication will likely come to a grinding halt. A cloud phone system will keep downtime to a minimum.
Our systems are hosted in tier-one data centres away from your business site. The technical name for this is geographic redundancy, or geo-redundancy. This just means that your phone system isn’t vulnerable to outages in your area. In other words if anything goes wrong near you, the data centre that hosts your phone system will be unaffected. And if something goes wrong in your data centre, the service will instantly “fail over” to another – you won’t even notice it!
It’s a resilient solution, with more options for backup in the event of a failure. By putting your communication networks in our hands, you can let us handle the technical bits so that you can focus on other important areas of your business.
4. Cloud systems require less maintenance
An on-premise system is your responsibility, and may require regular technical maintenance from time to time. This is something you’ll have to keep on top of to keep your business running. With a cloud phone system, the maintenance is handled for you.
Cloud systems work the same as any other software. Updates are not your responsibility. This saves you time and money.
5. Cloud phone systems are scalable
In the long term, you may be looking to grow your business. This can present some technical challenges. Let’s say you’re adding a new location. Before cloud and VoIP, this was pretty tricky. You’d need to buy a new on-premise phone system, and install all the cabling required to route calls – costing time and money.
Cloud makes it so much easier. There’s no need for a new system – you simply add new users as needed. It’s pretty much instant. And as for cabling, you just need power and internet.
This makes cloud much faster to set up, and much easier to scale. And you pay a subscription for each user, which means the costs also scale. That’s why our cloud phone system is suitable both for smaller businesses with a handful of users, and much larger multi-site enterprises.
Why choose uCall?
We’ve been providing communication solutions to all sectors since 2009. We work closely with our clients to ensure that all of your communication needs are met, and are tailored to your business model. If you are looking to reduce your call costs and modernise your communications, head to our contact page to speak to a team member or give us a call on 0330 333 5003.