There are many advantages to using hosted cloud based systems. It is these benefits that make this system the most logical solution for small to medium sized businesses today. For a better understanding of why this kind of system would work best for your business, here are the main advantages of installing a hosted cloud based system.
- Automatic upgrades: Your hosted cloud based system will automatically upgrade itself, which means that you do not need to pay an expensive consultant to do it for you. There are no maintenance fees, and your system will always be up to date.
- Fully redundant network: A good hosted cloud based system will have a fully redundant network, which means you will always have a dial tone. You will not have to worry about down time, disconnection, or lost business.
- Cost-efficient: Hosted cloud based systems are very cost-effective as they require no capital for use. You do not have to buy equipment such as telephones or pay for expensive installs or upgrades. With no maintenance costs or start-up capital, any small business can afford to add a cloud based system to their business. But keep in mind that you almost always have to buy the phones or you just end up paying extra to rent the phones. Plus POE switches and QoS routers are required. Also, you pay per phone rather than per outside line, so if you need lots of phones, but don’t make that many concurrent phone calls the overall cost is much higher. This is the main reason most companies aren’t right for hosted systems. The average company has 1 line for every 2 or 3 phones, so the added monthly cost of paying per phone vs per line makes hosted a bad investment for some. Additionally, make cloud based companies sell phones that are locked and can only be used on their service. Unlocked phones are more expensive.
- Hosted support: If something goes wrong with your system that you cannot fix on your own, your hosting company will fix the problem off-site. In this way, your system is repaired remotely and does not interrupt the flow of business. If the problem is in your network or your wiring you need a local vendor to fix the problem.
- Increased flexibility: Every business is different, and your telephone system should fit in with the way you run your business on a daily basis. Use the web portal to make changes to your system as you need them. There is no need for IT staff; simply make the changes yourself. The tools are yours to tweak and refine.
- Increased scalability: With hosted cloud based systems you do not need wiring skills and a budget to add and remove features. If you need an additional phone, just plug it in and sync it to your system. If you need more functionality, just add it from your web portal dashboard. In this way your phone system grows with you.