WHAT INDUSTRIES ARE BETTER SUITED FOR CLOUD-BASED PHONE SYSTEMS?
When looking at various options for your business, a reasonable question to ask would be: Are there industries or types of businesses that are better suited to using a cloud-based phone system? The answer would be most industries and types of businesses would be better suited.
WHAT DOES A BUSINESS HAVE TO GAIN FROM MOVING ITS PHONE SYSTEM TO A HOSTED CLOUD-BASED PHONE SYSTEM?
An industry type doesn’t exist that cannot find superior value, which is why, here at bluArc, we see just about every type of business using our cloud-based service.
Phone systems, whether hosted in the cloud or on a server in someone’s closet, all support roughly the same functionality. However, cloud-based systems have major advantages over premised-based systems as they can support businesses with multiple locations, employees who work from home, or employees who travel.
WHAT DOES A CLOUD-BASED SYSTEM DO BETTER?
A cloud-based system creates a virtual environment where all employees, regardless of location, will have access and abilities as if they were on one large phone system—because they actually are. This is something premised-based systems don’t do well. When it is attempted, it is significantly more expensive than cloud-based counterparts.
For businesses that have either a single location or multiple locations, the main advantage is simply, economics. Hosted cloud-based phone systems are a cheaper upfront investment. The business doesn’t buy the server so the upfront costs are less with the cloud-based system and, for the price, there is typically better redundancy and backups.
For example, bluArc runs multiple geographically dispersed phone systems in the cloud that back one another up. If one goes down, the other steps in and customers do not even realize the failover has occurred. This option in a premised-based system would be costly, but it is a basic capability of the cloud-based system.
WHAT ARE THE GROWTH AND CONTRACTION CAPABILITIES OF A PREMISE-BASED SYSTEM VERSUS A CLOUD-BASED SYSTEM?
Premise-based systems all come in a box and that box has limits—exceed them, for example too many users, and you need to buy a new system.
A cloud-based system has essentially infinite growth or contraction capabilities and, because of this, the costs increase or decrease based on what is used.
WHAT OCCURS WHEN NEW CAPABILITIES ARE RELEASED BUT THE PREMISE-BASED SYSTEM IS FAST APPROACHING ITS END OF LIFE?
Sooner or later, a premise-based system becomes obsolete. But a hosted cloud-based system never does: when the hardware gets old, it gets swapped out. New applications are integrated into the system as they are created; thus, no costly downtime occurs.
WHAT MAJOR BENEFIT DOES A BUSINESS DERIVE WHEN IT MOVES TO A CLOUD-BASED SYSTEM?
Premised-based phone systems require attention and time, and use up valuable resources. When using a hosted cloud-based system, you don’t need to worry about how to keep your phone system running, how to plan for future expansion or contractions, how to keep it up to date, or how to ensure your employees are getting the most out of it. Your service provider takes care of all these concerns.