If you’re tired of dealing with the scenario described below, it’s time to switch to a cloud phone system.
It’s a Monday afternoon and the calls are rolling in, there are countless voicemails to respond to, and business is humming along. Suddenly, Courtney the sales manager knocks on your door with a concerned look on her face.
She tells you the phone system is not working, adding that “Calls are not coming in, there is no dial tone, and we have no access to voicemail.”
Phone System Failure is a Costly Disruption
Whether caused by a clumsy utility worker, a big storm, or some other unpredictable problem, business phone system issues can create enormous headaches. In fact, if your company hasn’t implemented any kind of disaster or redundancy plan, those failures significantly disrupt business continuity and productivity.
You cannot afford that kind of stagnation. So, you close your laptop, pull out your cell phone, and call your telecommunications provider.
The rest of your day goes something like this:
- After an hour, you finally get someone on the line.
- Two hours later, you’ve diagnosed the problem.
- Right around closing time, the phone system is finally working again.
Problem is, you and your team have lost a day of productivity and your customers aren’t happy.
A Cloud Phone System Is a Simple, Effective Solution
Until recently, the only way to ensure this scenario didn’t happen to you was to duplicate all of your systems and implement a complex disaster recovery plan. Both of those require significant investments in equipment and infrastructure, which is why many businesses have instead chosen to roll the dice and hope for the best.
Today, there’s another solution that is cheaper and much more efficient.
Cloud-based phone systems have greatly advanced system recovery and business continuity in the face of an outage.
Because cloud phones are hosted virtually, there’s no need to worry about the types of disastrous scenarios that used to disrupt on-premise or traditional phone systems. If a phone line is cut, cloud-based systems are totally unaffected. If you lose your internet connection, phone calls can be re-routed to backup cell phone numbers or other business offices. Or employees can download the mobile app and use their personal device as a business phone.
Simply put, recovery and continuity is a non-issue.
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3 Key Business Benefits of Switching to Cloud Phones
While that kind of peace of mind is pretty compelling on its own, there are a handful of ancillary benefits of the cloud to consider, as well. Here are three particularly important ones:
1. Affordable for small businesses and large enterprises
Cloud-based phone systems are less expensive up-front than on-premise solutions — and that’s with built-in disaster recovery and redundancy planning.
2. Adaptable business communication solution
Like all cloud solutions, your phone system is scalable and flexible. If you need to re-direct call flow from one site to another, it’s very easy to do without any disruption in call quality or service.
3. Resiliency is built in
If a total outage strikes, wiping out your office’s power and Internet service, cloud-based phone systems allow employees to connect from anywhere — their home, a coffee shop, or wherever they can tap into power and a data connection.
None of your employees are tied to a desk phone and anyone can take calls with a smartphone, computer or tablet.
Is a Cloud Phone System Right for You?
The benefits of this option goes well beyond connectivity, business continuity, system redundancy and reliability. When you switch you’ll also access:
- Advanced features for video and voice calling
- Line of business application integrations
- Affordable domestic and international calling plans
- Video conferencing capabilities
- Auto attendants
- Tools to facilitate real-time remote collaboration
But you may still be wary about moving off your on-premise phone system. You should never rush into a business decision and it’s important to consider your goals before making any major change that impacts your company, employees and customers.
We can help you take a closer look at the benefits of the cloud and how it mitigates the risk of unanticipated network disruptions. Set up a meeting with one of our cloud consultants today. We’ll answer any questions you have about switching to a cloud system.
