Why Cloud Telephony Could Be Right For

Your Business? The advent of VoIP is changing the communication landscape completely. For one, it is doing away with

PSTN, and merging data, video and voice into a single transport mechanism. Second, the concept of per

call cost or per minute cost is going away. You broad band charges are unlimited, and you can use it to

your heart’s content. You can speak for a few hours, or hundreds of hours, and your broadband charges

will be the same.

VoIP connectivity can be done in one of two major ways. In one, an IP PBX is installed in your office. For

internal connectivity, the IP PBX is connected to your router or switch that is the base of your LAN. Every

node then becomes a potential phone end point. For external connectivity, you connect the IP PBX to

your broadband or T1 line.

In another method, you install a few IP phones on your LAN, and subscribe to a cloud based or hosted

telephone system. The service provider has a large IP PBX on a data center and you get connected to

that. Subscription charges are based on number of connection you apply for and the kind of features

you are looking for.

For small companies that are hesitant to invest in an on-premise IP PBX, cloud telephony is a good

choice. Let us look at the advantages that cloud telephony provides in such cases.

Cloud Telephony is Flexible

Cloud systems are becoming popular due to their flexibility. You can purchase a specific package, and

just as many extensions as you need. Each extension can have it’s own features based on requirement

and functionality. For example, you chief marketing officer can have an extension with SIP trunking

allowing him to call anyone in the world. If you have branch office, you can have extensions there that

become part of your exclusive network. You just click on the branch head’s name, and you are

connected.

Most cloud based systems do have a minimum contract period, but the rates are so low that you will not

mind signing for six months or a year.

Cheaper Communication

Like your on-premise VoIP, cloud based telephony also has fixed charges irrespective of usage. In almost

all cases, local calls are all free. You can also subscribe to a package that gives you national calls free. In

addition, you can have certain number of international call minutes included. As long as you stay within

these limits, you monthly bills will be the same. If the client you speak to every day also has an IP Phone,

calls to his office will always be included in the charges.

Reliable and Faster Communication

Cloud telephony from a reputed service provider will usually be very fast. The service provider would

have installed multiple T1 lines with enough redundancy built in. He would have planned for 1000s of

calls all the time. There will be no connectivity bottlenecks of any kind. As long as you have a reasonably

fast Internet connection at your end, you can enjoy quick and hassles free calls all the time.

Additional Features

Remember, the service provider has installed a high end IP PBX. This will have all the features of an

enterprise class contact center. And, you can access and use all of them if you need to. Yes, some

features will cost money, but they will be useful as you start getting comfortable with VoIP, and start

using it more and more. Video conferencing, unifies messaging, CTI, and Unified Communication are all

available for you to use.

Choosing the Right Package

A lot of people enjoy the fact that cloud telephony is scalable. You will not have to worry about

maintenance costs as that is handled by the provider.

Discuss with the service provider and first understand what feature he is offering you. Look at a minimal

system to start with that will meet you immediate and near future needs. Keep in mind that features

such as UC will mean you need to keep your house in order. As you start using cloud telephony, you will

automatically feel you need more features. That is the time to rework your subscription.

When it comes to business, it is always a good idea to choose the most efficient and cost-effective

method. Cloud telephony provides good opportunity in terms of features and options for a small or

medium business.