To start a business, they say, you need a good idea, a committed and trusted team, and the right tools. Even though the business owner is responsible for the first two, there is help out there to assist you in finding the right tools. In fact, let’s take a closer look at a communication tool, more precisely the cloud phone system.
1. What is a cloud phone system?
First of all, what is a cloud phone system? It is a communications platform where the application is hosted in the cloud. So, instead of using the analogue network to make or receive calls, you use the internet. More commonly called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), these phone systems are increasing in popularity in the business world. Indeed, according to a Gartner press release while 8 percent of business people were using cloud office systems at the start of 2013, they estimate this number will grow to 695 million users by 2022, to represent 60 percent.
Now the question is, how do cloud phone systems make a difference?
2. Difference in management
Cloud phone systems give the company the flexibility to connect all its shops or offices under one system. So, if you have offices in multiple locations, a phone system in the cloud can connect your entire company to the same phone service, and have it managed by a single administrator.
Moreover, with a cloud phone system, the company is no longer in charge of the maintenance of equipment, any malfunction or technical problem. It is the service provider’s support team that takes care of these issues off-site. So, as the technical aspects are dealt with by experienced and dedicated professionals, the business can focus on its own growth.
3. Difference in efficiency
Once the communication systems are centralized, it is easy to upgrade them as a business grows. Indeed, instead of having to purchase more equipment and having to pay to have them installed, a company with a cloud phone system simply needs to carry out an update. If fact, the service provider will remotely realize this operation as part of their service.
4. Difference in productivity
Firstly, in a study published in the Harvard Business Review titled “To raise productivity let more employees work from home”, professor bloom gave call centre staff the opportunity to work from home for several months. The conclusion of the study revealed that people who worked from home were happier, felt more job satisfaction, used less sick days and were more productive. Indeed, the employees who were working remotely from home made over 13% more calls than those who stayed at the office. In that respect, incorporating a cloud phone system in the office and setting up smart phones for the employees is the best way to integrate work from home and improve productivity.
Secondly, according to a Forbes article, ” Why companies waste 71% of internet leads”, a study conducted over ten thousand companies shows that it takes 2 days on average for a representative to respond to a lead, and that same representative only makes 1.3 call attempts before giving up and moving on. The best way to avoid this loss is to implement a VoIP system and use the call routing feature that will direct the call to the specific employee required to complete the task. If this employee is unavailable, the call hunting feature will automatically direct the customer to the next qualified person.
Finally, the IT team can now focus on their job because the managing and the technical care of the cloud phone system are done by the service provider.
5. Difference in cost
Firstly, when a business relies on the traditional phone system, it has to consider a complex phone installation with the cost of a server room, electricity redundancy, air conditioning systems, phone lines, a team of experts, and that’s without counting the cost of maintenance and upgrade. But when a business migrates to VoIP, all these costs are in the past, as only an internet connection and adaptors are needed.
Furthermore, with VoIP, companies can benefit from all the advanced features available from the most expensive phone systems at a fraction of the price, like unlimited calls, virtual extension, call monitoring, or conference call.
Finally, when using traditional phone lines, you pay for every minute spent on the phone, which can end up in a very hefty bill, especially if you make international calls. As for cloud phone systems users can enjoy high quality calls at a fixed monthly cost. As a result, businesses that switched to VoIP have experienced savings of up to 40% on local calls and 90% on international calls.
Therefore, cloud phone systems prove to be a remarkable tool for any expending businesses or startups. Also, if you desire an internet business phone system, but are reluctant to go cold turkey and change all your installations in one go, many providers offer hybrid solutions that will allow your business to gradually migrate to VoIP.
Alice Johnson
