Cloud phone systems allow you to make calls over the internet, rather than over traditional telephone lines. Think calling someone over WhatsApp. A cloud based phone system can be used with a variety of devices, including traditional telephones (with adapters), smartphone apps, computer software, or VoIP enabled phones.
Aside from the ‘standard’ features already existent in traditional phone systems like voicemail, call recording, call reporting, call groups, and on-hold music diverts, cloud phone systems also offer access to a whole new range of tools. These include but are not limited to: voicemail to email, telephone conferencing, video calling, instant chat messages, and most importantly, the ability to use the extension home or abroad through a mobile or a desktop app.
More benefits include:
- Fully integrated communications – helps employees to stay connected efficiently wherever they work from
- Control over services – allows businesses to pick and choose which features they need
- Mobility – helping employees to be reachable on the go – no more relying on static, office-based phones
- Scalability – easy scalability as your business grows
- Cost – cloud based phone systems can be less expensive than monthly service rates of a traditional phone system
One of the main things to consider when switching to a cloud based phone system is the availability of reliable internet services. Cloud phone systems are efficient, and can boost productivity, but only if your employees have a reliable internet service where they are working from.
Cloud phone systems are hosted in the cloud and, instead of calls being routed on-site via a PBX, your calls are routed via the internet through innovative switches in the cloud system.
Some of the scepticism around internet-based phone systems comes from the misconceptions that cloud phone systems require exceptional internet speeds, are unreliable, or offer bad call quality. However, when the VoIP phone systems and networks are installed correctly, none of these concerns are relevant. It really is a lack of knowledge and deployment skills that causes these problems, and a great quality Internet-based phone system can be deployed on most regular Internet services.