Cloud PBX Phone System
What is Cloud PBX Phone system?
A Cloud phone system takes your infrastructure off-site, handling call routing and signal processing remotely for a low monthly fee saving you money and time on system upkeep and growth.
PBX (public branch exchange), is the name used to refer to the technology that any given telephone provider uses to route calls. Originally, a PBX was a large unit of hardware that had to be stored on site and operated by hand. These machines could be very costly for a company, as they were large, needed special storage facilities, needed regular repairs, and had to be operated manually.
Companies with multiple phones and many employees can’t function properly without some kind of PBX technology in the office. In more recent years, a PBX could be made to operate automatically, without an operator, but even these devices were expensive and complicated. And if a business needed to move to a new location, or add or remove a phone line, the process could be very costly and time consuming.
Why would you consider Cloud PBX?
There are several advantages to hosting your business phone system in the cloud:
- The system is completely off-site, saving space in your office and costs to house equipment on premise.
- It is hosted on a third-party server, so your company won’t have to worry about maintenance—the hosting company typically handles that.
- It’s more easily scalable; your virtual office can grow as needed.
- It’s often more cost-effective.
How does Cloud PBX work?
All cloud technologies are dependent on the Internet. A cloud PBX works by connecting to your IP, or Internet phone, for its internet connection. So, you must have an IP phone system in place in your office in order to use a cloud PBX.
You can access your cloud PBX with a personalized account from any device that can run the Cloud PBX’s interface software. This means that you can access your cloud PBX from any Internet-enabled location or device that you have certified for use with your system. Usually, this is just a matter of logging in with a password or security question from that device. The multiple devices communicate with each other through middleware, a software that allows your cloud to have several means of access.
This gives you greater mobility and freedom when using your office phone and PBX. So, if you frequently need to be out of the office, but you don’t want to miss your calls, you can stay connected through your cloud PBX.
Your cloud PBX service provider is in charge of storing and managing all of the data that you want your cloud PBX to hold. This means that your calls are connected to their recipients over the Internet by the service provider. Your service provider also backs up all of the relevant information that you want it to store in case of a loss of data if a computer were to crash. This replication of data is called “redundancy”.
Do Cloud-based phone systems offer any special features?
In addition to the standard features you’d expect from any business phone system, Cloud-based systems can take advantage of their online nature to offer unique benefits to your business. One feature a Cloud-based service might offer that a traditional system can’t is a webphone. A webphone is a browser-based application that allows you to make calls right from any web browser.
Another useful feature of Cloud phone systems is CRM integration. The phone system can access your CRM (customer relationship manager) software and log any calls you make, which can give you more time for other tasks. Many of the advantages of Cloud-based phone systems revolve around freeing up time and resources—two commodities that small businesses often lack.
An auto attendant is another great feature of cloud phone systems. These are automated voice messages that say, “press 1 for customer service, press 2 for sales,” and so on.
Like other VoIP phone systems, it’s really easy to obtain a toll-free number—or to obtain additional phone numbers—for your office. You can have unlimited inbound or outbound calls without worrying about bandwidth problems, as you may have with a mobile phone service provider.
What are the advantages of a Cloud phone system?
Cloud-based phone systems offer several major advantages over traditional, on-site setups:
Low Up-Front Cost
Because it’s hosted by a service provider, you don’t have to worry about maintenance and day-to-day upkeep of a Cloud-based phone system. You also don’t need to worry about purchasing and installing equipment, which is one of the major hurdles of an on-site business phone system. Employees represent users in the communications software, but you have the choice to upgrade to new phone lines or desk phones to be added to the office. This offers significant cost savings compared to older business phone systems.
Scalability
Scaling with a Cloud phone system is as easy as logging in and adding a user and phone. This is a major benefit for fast-growing small businesses. Any business with multiple employees and phone numbers will find this very useful. Each employee, whether inside or outside of the office, is simply a new user in the business communication software, and there is no need for additional hardware. This makes it a very scalable solution, you only pay for what you need and add seats/licenses as your need grows.
Ease of Use
Making changes and administering the phone system is easy thanks to management portals offered by service providers.This management can be especially noticeable when it comes to maintenance. With a cloud based system, the hosting provider is responsible for upkeep and ensuring the system remains functional. Small businesses may not have the resources to dedicate to maintaining a phone system, making this service a huge help. The web apps many cloud phone systems use for management are also typically very user-friendly, so it’s easy for users to adjust their own preferences—without needing an IT pro to help.
Easy Remote Access
You’re not tied to any physical location for communications with a Cloud phone system. All you need is a working internet connection and an IP phone or softphone app. This is great not only for remote workers but also for businesses with multiple offices, since you need only one administrator, rather than one for each site. Many cloud communications providers also offer web and mobile apps for easy access and use. This makes cloud phones a highly practical unified communications solution. Research has shown that companies who use internet phones can increase employee productivity by 3.9 hours per week by keeping them connected to work more easily.
Reliability
Thanks to what is known as geographic redundancy—having multiple servers in different physical locations that act as backups for each other—downtime with Cloud phone providers is extremely low. This is, of course, critically important for a business. If phones are your main line of communication with customers and clients, this additional reliability is a major advantage for cloud communications.
OUR PROMISE
Clients will benefit from our technical proficiency and emphasis on customer service.
Compared to Other Business Phone Systems
Transition from Traditional Telephony to IP Networking and Collaboration
Over the past decade, the telecommunications landscape has witnessed a significant shift from traditional telephony systems, such as Private Branch Exchange (PABX) and Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), to IP networking and collaboration solutions. This transition has revolutionized the way businesses communicate and collaborate, offering numerous benefits and opportunities for growth. Transition from Traditional Telephony to IP Networking and Collaboration
