Cloud Phone System: A Better Option for Business Communication

Do you use the same old traditional phone system for your business? If yes, you’re overspending your hard-earned money. An effective and reliable method of communication not only saves you money but is also a cornerstone of any successful business. So, how do you cut your business communications cost?

By using a Cloud Phone System.

It also depends on the nature of your business and how much communication is needed in your company on a daily basis.  Read on to see if it’s right for you.

What Is a Cloud Phone System

A cloud phone system is a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone solution. Unlike traditional phone systems, cloud systems use the internet to transmit the voice. 

In simple words, VoIP is a phone service that allows you to make calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. 

VoIP cloud systems are known by many names such as cloud PBX (Private Branch Exchange), hosted PBX, hosted phone systems, or cloud telephony. Skype, Slack, and even WhatsApp calls are all great examples of cloud communication. 

Any electronic device that has access to the internet can use VoIP, such as smartphones, computers, tablets, and IP office phones. 

Cloud business phone system is trending all over the world, including here in Florida. If you’re looking to enhance your business communication, Clarke Boone Telecom and IT Solutions can help you choose the best cloud system in Florida. 

How Does Cloud-Based Phone Systems Work?

Cloud telephony is not rocket science nor does it need a huge infrastructure set up. All you will need is a VoIP desk phone, a smartphone app, or a softphone for computers and a VoIP service provider subscription. 

So, how does it work?

When you call your recipient, the cloud-based PBX route your voice clips by converting them into data packets before delivering them to the other end. 

Unlike the traditional desk phone PBX, cloud PBX doesn’t need an on-premise server that is run and maintained by the company. 

Types of VoIP Models 

There are three basic types of cloud phone services that you can use for your business. If you’re not sure which to use for your business, we can help you figure out the best cloud phone system in Florida. 

• Public Cloud – This cloud phone system can be the best option for small businesses but again it depends on the nature of your business. If your company deals with sensitive client documents this might not be the best option due to security issues.

• Private Cloud: Private cloud system is for those who are concerned about their security. This model is best for large organizations and government entities who are looking to control and customize security levels. 

• Hybrid Cloud: This cloud system could be a little more expensive than the two models mentioned above because it allows using both the PBX phone system and cloud platform. 

Who Should Use A Cloud Phone System

As a business telecom and IT solution provider, we have helped many clients choose the best cloud phone system in Florida. Based on our expertise and knowledge of telecom, we believe cloud communications can be used by any type of business.

But, we can’t say a cloud system is better than an on-premises PBX system because, considering the business size, needs, and budget, every business has its own set of requirements. 

If your company falls into any of the given points below, it’s worth trying cloud phone systems. 

• Any business that has an IT department. 
• A business that has employees working remotely. 
• Seasonal business with seasonal business communications needs. 
• Rapidly growing start-ups with unpredictable future capacity needs.
• Companies lacking traditional office space.

Benefits Of Using Cloud Telephony

These are some reasons why internet calling has exploded in recent years. If these benefits align with your business need, you should get a cloud communications system. 

• Streamline Your Business Communications Expenses – Unlike traditional phones, cloud phones don’t need on-premise PBX, recurring maintenance, or add-ons features like voicemail transcription and auto attendants. This is why a cloud phone system is less expensive than a traditional phone system. 

• Scalable to Business Growth – The best part of cloud telephony is it keeps scaling itself as per the business growth and needs. You don’t need to add additional hardware as your business grows, you simply add a new user to the system when necessary. 

• Mobility & Geographical Flexibility – More than 4 million people in the US work from home or remotely. With the help of a cloud phone system, company headquarters, branch offices, teleworkers, and remote workers can be unified to use the same features.

• Easy to Use – Most Cloud PBX systems have a user-friendly interface. You can add users to the system or delete users with just a few clicks. Making an outgoing call or receiving an incoming call is simple and gives you control over your office communications. 

Features Of Hosted Phone Systems

There are over 100 different cloud phone systems across the world, you can choose any one depending on your need and business requirements. But, one thing they all have in common is system features. 

• Call Forwarding – Hosted phone system also has the option of call forwarding similar to a traditional phone. With the help of this feature, you can redirect any incoming calls to a designated destination under different conditions such as “When Busy”, “No Answer”, and “Always”.

• Call Forking – With the help of this feature, you can connect a single call to multiple endpoints. Your team can listen to your call or you can listen to your team’s phone calls. 

• Dedicated Ringtone – Cloud PBX system also gives you the option to set a dedicated ringtone for each department. For example, you can set an ambient ringtone for the sales department, a funky ringtone for the inquiry department, and so on. This will help distinguished the purpose of the call and can be directed to the dedicated department. 

• Blocklist and Allowlist – Similar to your cell phones, hosted cloud phone systems also give you the privileged to block and allow phone calls. 

• Unified communications – With the help of this feature you can bring your business phone system, SMS texting, live chatting, voicemail, video conferencing, faxing, email, web apps, social media, and tools like CRM into one interface. 

• Auto Attendant or Interactive Voice Response – This feature allows interaction with incoming callers using pre-recorded messages.

• DID (Direct Inward Dialing) – This is one of the best features in most cloud phone systems that increase your business’s physical presence. With this feature, you don’t need to have a physical location in the selected locality, you can use the local phone number of a selected city or country and then forward the call to your company’s PBX system. 

• Voicemail to Email – Voicemail-to-email transcribes a voicemail and sends it as an audio file to an email address. You can listen to the voice from any internet-connected device from anywhere in the world. 

Cloud Phone Vs Traditional Phone

There’s not much difference between cloud-based phone services and traditional phones. Both are used for the same purpose, for calling. But how they store and transfer data is what distinguishes the two.

Hosted phone systems use the cloud to store information and the internet (computer devices) for communication. Whereas, traditional phones use a physical data center/server to store information and on-site PBX to route calls by copper wires and switches, rather than the internet.

10 Best Cloud Communication Systems for Small Business

As an expert in telecom and IT solutions, These are some of the top cloud phone systems for businesses that we recommend to our customers. 

1. RingCentral

This is one of the most popular cloud business phone systems in the market. It has everything you need to run your business efficiently, such as multi-level IVR, audio, and video conferencing, call recording and forwarding, team messaging, internet fax, auto-receptionist, and more.

This is perfect for small businesses because the system supports team messaging, integrated workflow, and analytics. 

2. Vonage Business

Vonage Business Solutions is a cloud-based communications solution suitable for small and midsize companies. They offer flexible and scalable voice, messaging, video, and data capabilities across Unified Communications, Contact Centers, and Communications APIs.

3. 8×8

Another popular cloud phone for small businesses is 8×8. This system offers amazing incoming and outgoing voice and video calls. It also supports integrations of CRM software, mobile support, business features, collaboration tools, and online administration and management.

Some highlighted features include auto call attendant, group ringer, directory assistance, instant massaging, online meeting, virtual office calls, and conferencing. 

4. Nitel

With Nitel’s Cloud Connection Service, you can expect a private connection, consistent performance, and high-security data protection across applications.

5. Mitel

No need to combine disjointed cloud tools from multiple vendors any longer. Mitel Cloud Connect is an end-to-end cloud phone and unified communications solution. This app is available for PC, Mac, iOS, and android. 

They offer calls, chats, events, audio, and video conferencing with web sharing, built-in VPN, individual and group chat, team collaboration with persistent workspaces, and more. 

6. Dialpad

The Dialpad app is very intuitive and easy to use. The app is good about closely resembling the website interface, giving a more seamless transition from website to app and vice versa. 

Some of the highlighted features this system provides are unlimited calling and text messaging within the country, easy number porting, call forwarding, call recording, call routing, auto-attendant, video conferencing, and customer voicemail greetings. 

7. Nextiva

Nextiva is also a recognized leader in Business VoIP and a cloud call center software trusted by teams everywhere. Set up a cloud-based call center and integrate it with your CRM & Helpdesk software in minutes. 

This cloud PBX phone system offers video conferencing, screen sharing, call recording & more.

8. Net2phone

This is a full-featured cloud-based phone system that combines all the tools you need to run your business in one convenient computer interface or smartphone app. 

This system offers web calling, unlimited international calling, video conferencing, analytics, business text messaging, and more. 

9. Talkdesk

Talkdesk Phone is the industry’s first and only business phone system natively built on a leading cloud contact center platform. If you’re customer-obsessed. Talkdesk is the only cloud contact center solution you need.

They offer click-to-call, voicemail, automatic call distributor (ACD), interactive voice response (IVR) system, no answer call forwarding, Seamless integrations, and automated workflows. 

10. Aircall

You can integrate Aircall software with over 20 CRM and helpdesk platforms within minutes. The software also supports advanced analytics and reporting, live call monitoring, queue call back, power dialer, and a dedicated account manager. 

Find The Right Cloud-Based Phone System For Your Business

By now you should have a better idea of what a cloud phone system is, and how it will benefit your business. Here is a summary. 

“Cloud-based phone systems are phone services that run over the internet. You don’t need to maintain an in-house PBX to use this service. All you have to do is purchase cloud phone system service from a provider on a subscription basis.” 

If you’re a business owner and looking to simplify and enhance your company’s communication system, it’s time to either make the switch to a cloud-based platform or re-evaluate your current communication system.

Are you looking for a cloud phone system in Florida? Or, are you curious to learn more about cloud telephony systems? We can help. Click here to contact us today!