Most business owners are now turning to cloud phone systems, which are stored and hosted online instead of office buildings. The VoIP Phone System, which is sometimes referred to as a virtual PBX system, is great for both small and well-established businesses. Whether you already have other cloud-based systems or not, this type of communication will bring you a lot of benefits. For instance, a small business owner that doesn’t have enough resources can use this system to reduce the burden on the IT department, while an established setup can use cloud phone systems for business to ease into the technology-based business trends that are increasingly being popular. Either way, you will increase your productivity and business operations. Other benefits of VoIP are:
Cost-effectiveness
Since a VoIP cloud phone system is available online, having one doesn’t involve the purchase of infrastructure or high installation costs that are usually associated with traditional phone systems. Paying for the bandwidth you use and hosting services also increases the cost-effectiveness.
Additionally, VoIP handsets are cheaper and easy to upgrade to suit your evolving needs. You always have the option of foregoing the handset and installing the app, which you then use on your smartphone. In case you buy one, expect a flat-rate fee on your bills.
Scalability
Your business is bound to expand and experience an increase in demand during different seasons. For instance, you may want to open a new branch elsewhere or cater to the needs of more customers during the holidays. Either way, you won’t need to add any physical connections or infrastructure if you’re working with a cloud phone system for small business. You can simply change the features of the system you’re already using and enjoy more flexibility as the changes take effect instantly. You can customise the features again if you need to downgrade.
Cloud phone systems have advanced features
Some of the features you will get with a cloud-based phone system are automatic call transfers, attendants, better security, email connections, voicemail and extension dialling, and robust conference calling features. Some features allow customisation to accommodate more traffic and improve the quality of the calls.
All these can come in handy when you’re trying to portray a more professional image. For instance, if you are a sole proprietor, but you want to give the impression that you have several departments, the auto attendant feature can help you achieve that.
Portability
You can always use the same virtual UK phone number wherever you go. This level of portability is perfect if you travel a lot. It ensures your business doesn’t experience shortfalls just because you’re not around.
This benefit also works if you’re interested in creating a remote or hybrid office system. Your employees can communicate with each other seamlessly, and you can do the same from any location you travel to.
Enhanced security
Security is one of the most important factors every business owner needs to pay attention to. Without proper security, your business will be susceptible to social engineering, which is also known as fraudulent calls.
Since cloud phone system UK technology includes encryption technology, solving security threats is easy. Use the improvements that IP technology has to get personally identifiable information or PII and avert fraud calls.
Most hosting service providers usually handle the security aspect. Talk to your VoIP service provider and determine how they protect their networks and clients. If the security level they offer is sufficient, you won’t have to do anything on your end.
Reduced workload
Most start-ups don’t have IT departments. If you fall in that category, a cloud phone system for small business will help you manage the telecommunication department easily. If you don’t, you will still reduce their workload by having the VoIP system, which will allow them to focus on other areas of the business such as computer networking between various departments, and improving your internet connectivity. You may even save some money by reducing the number of IT personnel.
Multitasking abilities
Like traditional phone systems, a cloud phone system allows you to send files while you’re on a call. This improves integrations during communication and helps reduce misunderstandings, especially if the person you’re communicating with is in a different location.
You can still multitask even if you’re on a conference call, and you won’t have to worry about poor voice quality. Just make sure you have a good internet connection to reduce background noise, which will improve quality during concurrent calls.
Features of a cloud phone system
Voice mail email: Allows voice mails to be sent to emails.
Time-based routing: Allows you to schedule calls to different groups of people at different times and create voicemails.
Call queues: Enables queueing of calls according to their urgency or how busy you are.
Conference call: Allows quality voice calls when communicating with multiple people.
Call recording: Enables recording of calls, downloading them, and sending them to whoever needs them.
Web portal access: Allows you to manage extensions as you create call groups. It also allows you to view the statistics when you want.
Ring groups: With this, several people can receive incoming calls at the same time.
Music on hold: Allows you to customise the music or messages people listen to when they are on hold.
Hunt groups: Allows the transfer of calls to another user.
Mobile and desktop apps: Enable you to use your phone or desktop and headsets instead of a VoIP handset.
Conclusion
All the benefits of a PBX phone system can help improve your operations and make running a business easier. However, there are also disadvantages, such as a lack of emergency tracking features for emergency calls and jitters during delayed transmission of data packets. Even so, the benefits outweigh the cons, and you can make them better by choosing a good service provider. Make sure you understand every aspect of the cloud phone systems before investing in one. You will be able to customise and utilise all the features to your advantage.
