Cloud-based VoIP Phones | Read Time: 4.30 mins.
These days, it seems everything is moving to the cloud.
And why not? It reduces costs, makes device flexibility possible and allows you to work from anywhere.
So why not your phone calls too?
If you’re still unconvinced about the benefits of VoIP (voice over internet protocol), a cloud-based phone system, we’ve decided to list our top 10 benefits of VoIP for business owners.
1. Cost Savings
Let’s start with the most common benefit for the vast majority of businesses out there; particularly the small & medium enterprises. Cloud-based telephony and VoIP services can save you money.
A hosted telephone system means that there’s no need to invest in expensive hardware. The traditional copper line-based system can be removed.
All of the infrastructure which comes with a traditional phone system is hosted remotely by your supplier. In fact, the only thing you need is the handsets themselves and a fit for purpose internet connection.
And there’s more, with the wealth of additional features that comes with cloud-based phone systems, you have the ability to deliver a better telephone experience for your customers.
A cloud-based system can reduce your costs and has the potential to increase your own business revenue.
2. Prepare for BT’s ISDN Switch off
By 2025, Openreach plans to have the traditional ISDN and PSTN telephone networks switched off.
Why?
The current system is expensive to maintain and to operate, it is also old and outdated technology with limited capabilities.
Some providers are planning on stopping new orders for ISDN services from 2020. Getting ahead of the curve and updating your system as soon as possible means you could benefit from more affordable contracts for your business.
To find out if your business is ready for the switch-off, read our information about how to prepare for the Digital Switch off.
3. Flexibility and scalability
As your small business grows, it is very likely you’ll take on new employees, move to bigger premises and possibly open extra branches. If you want a new VoIP number, that can be included in your network incredibly quickly.
This requires a telephone system that can be scaled up – and down – when the time comes.
With traditional systems, this can be a headache or even impossible.
Contacting your supplier and getting new lines connected, possibly having new ports installed and the dreaded ‘down-time’ are all things to consider.
In some situations, you might even lose your business number.
With a hosted VoIP cloud-based system, this can all be done with a few clicks of a button.
Businesses can add as many IP phone extensions as needed and deactivate when required.
Moving office? All that is required with a cloud-based system is you to plug in your handset to an active internet connection at the new office. It is that simple.
And with our business continuity feature, any downtime you do have during a move can be easily mitigated with diverted calls and our mobile app.
4. Extra Features
Wouldn’t it be great to have those telephone features large companies can afford?
On-hold marketing messages to upsell products. What about call recording? Just to help protect yourself in cases of irate customers.
All those features that seem so far out of reach for small and medium enterprises. There’s no way you can afford the infrastructure to accommodate those features.
Cloud-based telephony systems offer even the smallest business to have access to phone service features that large multi-nationals have for a fraction of the price.
5. Improved Customer Service
And those extra features have a knock-on effect.
As you can improve the service you deliver your customers, you can ultimately improve your customer experience.
For example, quick and easy call greeting messages can be recorded for different holiday seasons and set to revert to a standard greeting on a specified date. On-hold messages could encourage special promotions or answer commonly asked questions.
6. Disaster Recovery
Our disaster recovery system means your customers can always get hold of you. A cloud-based VoIP phone system is far more reliable than traditional phonelines with less downtime.
However, should your internet connection ever drop, cloud-based systems can automatically react to recover your phonelines and divert VoIP calls to another destination.
This means you can be confident that your phone lines will remain open 24/7 to support your customers and receive inbound calls.
7. Device Sync
Wouldn’t it be great to receive your business calls when you’re out of the office?
Maybe you need to call a client on your mobile, but their number is saved on your desktop?
As cloud-based systems operate over the internet, all you need is an internet connection.
So, what do you get when you add a mobile phone and a very clever app?
That’s right! You can access your business calls, group messaging and directories from anywhere in the world (you can even make international calls!).
8. Improved Call Quality
Don’t you hate it when you’re on a call to someone and all you hear is crackles and static?
Their voice is all muffled and the connection keeps dropping?
Our VoIP connections deliver HD call quality, which means your employees will sound crystal clear when on their phone.
9. Live Monitoring & Reporting
Remember when you had to wait till the end of the month to get your bill from your phone provider?
How that bill listed all the calls you have received over the last period?
With Bluecube, you can instantly track and report on your call usage at any time through our online portal.
Notice a sudden increase in calls in one department that’s causing a large call queue? Quickly respond to this and direct the calls to other departments to reduce the queue time.
10. Security
Moving over to the cloud can easily protect your business from the most prominent form of telephone hacking and fraud; Phone Phreaking.
Estimated to cost UK businesses over £1bn per year, Phone Phreaking is where criminals hack into a business telephone system and initiate outbound calls to premium phone numbers.
As the calls rack up over hours and days, unbeknown to the business, the criminals generate staggering call bills.
It is estimated that the average cost to a victim of a phreaking attack is around £10,000.
Cloud-based systems can prevent these attacks with a built-in credit limit system. When a number or network hits a certain pre-agreed call limit, it will automatically bar outbound calls and the system admin will receive email and SMS notifications.
