Why Invest in a Cloud or VoIP PBX Phone System?
As a business moves from a growing to an established company, its internal and external communication needs also increase. Now, companies are shifting to communication solutions that offer phone calls, video conferencing and instant messaging to streamline communication with clients and customers. Landline phone systems have become a thing of the past and have been replaced by a robust cloud-based IP PBX Phone System offering enhanced flexibility and scalability. Thankfully, you don’t need any hardware, phone lines or costly servers. These advanced systems work on the internet while maintenance and updates are the headache of your service provider.
IP PBX Phone System: Basics & Types Explained
- Traditional PBX: Till a few years ago, most businesses depended on conventional PBX setups to achieve their communication goals. They were like mini-physical telephone systems that ran on a local server kept in the office. Office teams were linked with each other through a physical handset. They use this handset to receive and place calls on the office’s internal network. Moreover, companies had to pay expensive upfront costs to buy new equipment and hardware. They reserved a particular room to keep all the equipment. It was a very analogue setup that has undergone a revolution after the arrival of IP telephony. Now it is not a popular choice of businesses anymore.
- IP PBX System: Today, the internet revolution has enabled businesses to ensure next-level communication by linking office-networked phones to public switched telephone networks. IP is a short form of internet protocol while IP-based PBX systems offer businesses better flexibility by allowing communication over the internet connection. Your employees can dial in remotely; additional features like video conferencing and instant messaging make collaboration easier. Although this setup is more flexible than a traditional telephone system, it still requires significant up-front costs and an expert team to manage IP phones.
- Virtual/Cloud PBX System: They can be a part of a hosted system that provides automated call routing and answering services. Cloud or virtual PBX systems use the power of an internet connection to make and receive calls. They also sometimes refer to VoIP solutions that still use hardware but are usually maintained and kept offsite and sometimes refer to hosted PBX systems. Companies can benefit from this better and more versatile option that is more flexible and less expensive to make and receive calls whenever, and wherever they want.
Are Hosted Systems Different from IP PBX Systems?
They are similar to IP PBX systems but they reduce your workload and improve business communication. Conferencing and call-forwarding features allow more streamlined communication within and beyond your organisation. They are complete phone solutions wherein equipment is hosted off-site and you make and receive calls on the internet through IP technology. Though sometimes the misleading term cloud-based is also used for hosted systems, they are not truly cloud-based. Still, you need less in-office equipment than a traditional PBX system. Whatever the PBX option you seek, always choose the one that empowers you to achieve your business communication goals.
When To Upgrade Your Traditional PBX System?
For businesses using PBX systems and experiencing the below-mentioned things, it is the right time to phase out your existing PBX system and switch to a cloud communication platform.
- Increasing Costs: Not only does the initial investment in PBX systems make them more expensive, but many other things also matter. For instance, you may need to add more phone lines or new users as your business grows. Likewise, talking to international clients or customers and hiring a global talent pool can be required. The latest IP PBX systems allow you to manage all these things at a lower cost.
- You Want to Facilitate Remote Working: Some companies have moved to remote solutions to work with a global talent pool in today’s digital age. Thus, if you use a telephone system that does not allow remote work, you are losing a big opportunity. Upgrading to the latest solutions will allow you to work from anywhere through an internet connection without investing in equipment or hardware.
- Need to Get Real-Time Data or Call Analytics: You should consider upgrading your system when you can’t access real-time business analytics. For instance, the insights into how many calls your business is receiving or how long your customers stay on hold can lead to improvements for a better customer experience. Getting this data from the PBX system is difficult but you can have all this analytics at your fingertips through a cloud system.
- Integration or Scaling Seems Challenging: Companies already using ticketing or CRM tools may find it difficult to integrate all these apps with PBX. Likewise, every business grows over time and you can expand globally. You can make or receive calls through an advanced IP PBX system to fulfil your present and future communication needs.
Top Reasons & Features to Choose Latest VoIP Solutions
1. Efficient Call Management
The most important reason for choosing the latest IP solutions is call management. The system lets you handle incoming and outgoing calls following a pre-programmed schedule. For instance, healthcare sectors can route calls after closing hours to answering services. Moreover, phone operators can allow or restrict international dialling to avoid high costs.
2. Call Transfer & Custom Greetings
You can easily transfer calls between departments, employees and agents without dropping the call. The PBX system is effective and useful for your sales and customer service teams. Moreover, companies can record customised greetings and hold music showing your business professional images. This way, you can get your clients and customers updated about issues and promotions.
3. Multi-Location Connectivity
Call centres can easily manage their inbound and outbound calls by distributing them to relevant agents and easily scaling up or down. The most interesting benefit of cloud PBX is connecting your different business branches with the same phone system. This ensures your employees can communicate seamlessly across various locations.
4. Unified Communication System
Cloud PBX systems allow countless integrations and offer communication beyond just phone calls. Your teams can collaborate through video conferencing while email and chat capabilities ensure seamless user experience.
The Bottom Line
Finally, a Cloud PBX Phone System is an efficient solution to meet your present and future business communication needs. VoIP solutions provide the flexibility and scalability required to grow and expand your business. Thus, if you want to upgrade your communication infrastructure, choose a reliable and robust cloud PBX with CherryBerry UCM assistance to get phone calls, conferencing, HD video calls and SMS messaging all at once.
