Over the past 18 months businesses have gone through a rapid digital transformation. They have introduced new technologies or moved existing technologies to the cloud to enable remote and hybrid working. One of these technologies are cloud-based phone systems.
What is a cloud-based phone system?
A cloud-based phone system has all the features of on-premises phone systems, but without any physical hardware required for employees to use it. As it is hosted in the cloud, it also means that it can be accessed and used from anywhere, on any device.
Here we explore 6 key benefits of moving to a cloud-based phone system.
The benefits of cloud-based phone systems
1: Easy to scale
With a traditional phone system, as businesses grow and employee new staff, there are significant resources needed to add additional users. As with many services hosted in the cloud, it is easy to add a user to a cloud-based phone system. This means that businesses only need to pay for the services they need and it supports growth without having to worry about having a phone solution for new hires. Similarly, for businesses with a temporary workforce, such as an intake of interns or contract workers, having a cloud-based telephony solution makes this process easier, and reduces costs.
2: Work from anywhere
With the advent of hybrid working, it is important that all technology used within a business can be used from anywhere on any device. With a cloud telephony solution, such as Microsoft 365 Business Voice, businesses can keep their existing numbers and features of their previous phone system, whilst allowing employees to take calls from home, the office or on the go with the Teams mobile app.
3: Better customer engagement
A phone system is an important component of the customer experience. A comprehensive cloud telephony solution can enhance the customer experience, and lead to better customer engagement and profitability. Many cloud-based phone systems can also integrate with your current customer relationship management system, which helps employees deliver quality customer experiences, and the data can be analysed to help businesses make data-driven business decisions.
4: Easy to use
When businesses implement new technologies, there is often a period of adjustment, where employees need to be trained on how to use the technology and troubleshoot any minor issues. With a cloud-based phone system, if an employee has experience using a traditional phone system or Microsoft Teams, they will be able to use the new system with little or no training. Businesses can use existing hardware, or simply use the Teams desktop application as their entire phone system.
5: Advanced call features
There are many advanced call features that can be implemented with a cloud-based phone system to provide a better experience for customers and increase productivity and reporting capabilities for businesses. Some of the advanced features included with Microsoft 365 Business Voice include the addition of an auto-attendant, interactive voice response (IVR) and music on hold. An auto-attendant helps customers connect with the correct employee or team, decreasing the amount of time customers spend on hold, creating a better customer experience. IVR allows callers to self-serve their call experience and solve their own query through automated call management paths.
6: Faster install
Businesses that used a traditional phone system will be accustomed to the long wait times involved with the install of a new phone. For a traditional phone system, an IT team must physically install the phones and the associated lines and hardware. In comparison, a cloud-based phone system does not require any on-premises hardware and can often be install within a few days. All troubleshooting and maintenance can also be completely remotely, decreasing downtime and helping business increase productivity.
A comprehensive phone solution is essential for a successful business as phone calling is a component of the customer experience. Businesses of all sizes and industries can benefit from implementing a cloud-based phone system. If you want to find out more about cloud-based telephony, or how easy it can be to implement one in your business, get in contact with us today.
