Technology and innovation are known for shaking up the business world, and whether it is the inclusion of robotic tech or business phone systems, embracing the change is the only way to keep your company current and profitable.
There have been some competing technologies in the field of business operations, and many have been concerned that increased automation will eliminate the need for human employees at all. However, the company that chooses to embrace the changes will see their business operating more efficiently and cost-effectively. Office processes have been altered to make room for the tech advancements, and the business phone is one of the small areas that has seen the biggest changes. Although the phone is supposed to transport information between two individuals, the systems have grown more complex. The first change was from analog to digital, and systems are now moving from a cable delivery to cloud-based services.
The Lesser of Two Evils
Perhaps you dislike change and are completely comfortable with the way your office phone system is running. There is nothing wrong with the way an on-premise phone system works, within a few years, the technology for such transactions may become obsolete. Technology tends to ago-out the older models and force people or companies to choose the upgrade. It is okay to be skeptical about new changes. In fact, asking your IT guys “are cloud phones reliable?” is a natural concern before spending money on a system that you don’t understand. Even though the day will come when you will need to replace your current system, here are several reasons why a cloud phone system is so beneficial.
Reduce Capital Expenses
When you have a traditional phone system installed, it usually a costly expense. You have to pay for a server, the phones, the installation costs, and any network upgrades that are needed. When you decide to switch a cloud-based hosting system, there isn’t a huge price tag associated with the change. If a business-class data network has already been established at your company, there the bulk of the installation is done. With cloud-based installs, the primary expense comes from having to purchase IP phones.
Equipment Choices
Using a premise-based phone network often means that you are stuck using whatever your vendor or provider requires. Using proprietary equipment is one way these companies increase the cost of services. However, selecting a cloud phone system is based on software compatibility and the needs of the company. You can select whatever equipment you want, and there are many choices on the market.
Smart Resource Utilization
With the current setup of most office communication systems, two lines are required to work with data and voice needs. Moving the system to the Cloud will make it easy to combine two lines into one single network. Some companies can then eliminate the other line altogether, or others use the extra space to increase bandwidth and improve usage capacity. This reduces wasted capacity, making more efficient use of company resources.
Simplified Budgeting Concerns
There are unpredictable costs often associated with traditional phone systems. As your organization changes, you might not know where the expenses are going to end up. Your utilization patterns could change with more international calls or call volume, but you might also need to add additional lines to handle the business changes. All of these situations can make it difficult to predict your monthly phone costs. With cloud-based services, you can accurately budget your monthly telecommunication charges. The costs are usually factored according to the number of uses, with an unlimited number of local and long-distance calls already factored into the base price.
The transparent and cost-efficient pricing of a cloud-based system is one benefit that has many companies moving toward these new phone systems. The other benefits are the increased productivity and more appropriate use of company resources to continue growing the business.
Authored by Lisa Smith, SEO & Content outreach specialist, Web Portal Media