In this 5-part Blog post series, we'll cover how a cloud phone system can help your Small and Medium Business improve revenue, productivity, dramatically reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction by providing details about 5 major advantages of moving your phone system to the Cloud.
One of the five major advantages of moving your phone system to the Cloud is that, It's Simple.
Cloud telephony is always current with the latest updates and brings a whole new superior level of service and support that is open 24x7x365.
Cloud systems supply all you need for one set monthly cost. It’s easy to understand and simple to manage.
Many SMB’s do not have an IT department or dedicated personnel to manage their technology. A Cloud Phone System requires minimal, if any, IT staff to manage. That savings can add up quickly every month.
Purchasing an on-premise phone system requires you to deal with multiple Vendor relationships. Each and every one of these relationships need to be managed. Finger pointing is not uncommon, making it difficult and time-consuming to troubleshoot problems and a headache to deal with.
With premise-based phone systems you have a relationship with the manufacturer or supplier from whom you purchased the phone system. However, there are several differences in the relationship. The following 3 points indicate the differences in Supplier relationship from a Cloud Service Provider.
The premise system is either purchased or leased, and is a capital budget versus an expense, making it more difficult and time consuming to get financial approval.
Maintenance can get complicated. It is usually a hybrid offered by the manufacturer called software assurance and an on-premise “smart hands” maintenance agreement supplied by a dealer. You are forced to buy double maintenance.
System changes or upgrades interrupt the business day or must be paid for at costly overtime rates.
With a Cloud Phone system, maintenance is included in your monthly payment. Software updates are simple, automatic, and done remotely. Whereas a premise phone system, once the warranty expires, requires the customer to either pay for service on a time and material basis or negotiate a maintenance agreement. Changes to the system often takes a “truck roll” where a technician physically comes on site to make changes. Also, software updates can be difficult and require on site visits. Your staff will have to negotiate for a good maintenance agreement from a reputable dealer.
Your local dial tone (telephone numbers) needs to come from a third-party provider, so yet another player gets involved. This adds to the number of people you need to deal with and another bill to pay each month. These bills are notoriously confusing. They are full of miscellaneous fees, administrative charges and taxes that most businesses usually don’t understand but must pay every month.
In conclusion, premise-based phone systems are more complicated to manage, require multiple-party relationships, require more time and personnel, and force multiple bills to be paid. It’s a capital investment that takes much more time and effort to implement. It is not as flexible to make changes, moves or grow and is much more expensive to upgrade and maintain. If you’re considering moving to a Cloud Phone System, but would like to learn more from an Independent Technology Advisor to discuss if it is a good fit. Please contact us. There is no risk, no obligation and there is no fee.
Request a quote or give us call at 713.910.1401 to speak with a Technology Advisor to explore available Cloud Solutions that will improve your team communications and enhance the way your SMB communicates and manages your telecom expenses. For more information, click here to download our Guide for Small to Medium Businesses today!