Let’s start the introduction in the conventional way. What is a cloud-based phone system? A cloud-based phone system is a system that is hosted on a secure data centre and is able to route calls through the internet to devices configured with the details.
A cloud-based system delivers business-grade call features while eliminating the need to purchase and maintain PBX hardware. Since there is no central hardware in a cloud-based phone system, your phones can be connected at any location and unified into an organisation-wide phone service. That makes a cloud phone system suitable for organisations with multiple offices or employees that work remotely.
When your communications services are in the cloud, you can collaborate with ease, manage costs, and simplify what it takes to keep your business up and running. Usually the system is plug-and-play, which saves cost on installation charges as well.
The advantages of a cloud-based phone system:
- Availability: The flexibility of the multi-device configuration in a cloud phone system will have multiple devices ring simultaneously, making you reachable even if you are out of the office.
- Flexibility: Cloud PBX apps allow your employees to work from home or elsewhere and still take call transfers as if they were in the office. You can even have reception answer calls externally.
- Scalability: You can start with a two-handset cloud system and scale accordingly as the business grows. This ensures you are only paying for what you need and can add handsets as needed. You can also reduce the capacity at any time. A cloud-based phone system operates in direct proportion to your monthly spending on telecommunications.
- Multiple Sites: Cloud phone systems have the most benefits for businesses that operate in multiple sites. They let you break the shackles of geographic locations. Calls can be transferred from Sydney to Melbourne to Perth in a matter of seconds with internal extensions and no charge for the transfer of the call. How great is that? Multi-site offices save cost with free calls between all their sites.
- Call Routing: Redirecting calls efficiently is an important part of business. Our wide range of call routing features assures that a call is routed properly to the right person.
- Easy Relocation: When moving offices, you don’t need to stress about leaving the exchange and losing your main number as you unplug your handsets from the old office and plug in to your new office. How cool is that!?
Quick Deployment: The turnaround time for the installation of the system is as quick as you need, eliminating the wait for appointment dates or technicians that sometimes don’t even show up.
When is a good time to switch to a cloud system?
Australia has been going through many changes in traditional telephony services, and the National Broadband Network (NBN) will eventually take copper telephone lines out of the picture. That makes now an ideal time for customers to switch to a cloud-based phone system instead of paying huge charges to upgrade your current phone system that might last just three or four more years.
Handy features of cloud-based phone systems
- Auto Attendant
- Hunt Groups
- Music on Hold
- Call Queuing
- IVRs
- Voicemail to Email
- Efax
- Conference Calls
- Video Conferencing
- Call Recording
- Fax to Email or Efax
- Hot Desking
- Busy Lamp Field
On the flip side of the coin, Hosted Phones come with some questions and concerns:
- Lower Voice Quality
- Connectivity Dependency
To find out what’s right for you, speak to our expert account managers.
They will make sure that all these concerns are addressed before your new phone system is even installed.
Good luck and enjoy exploring the cloud!
