Five things to know about cloud communications
By now, the term “cloud” is basic knowledge for most businesses. Many companies already leverage cloud storage solutions or host software on the cloud to get remote, secure access to important programs and data. However, when it comes to cloud communications, is your company in the know?
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The WHAT
“Cloud communications” is an umbrella term that describes voice communications that happen over the Internet rather than over a cellular network, landline, or any other medium. Also known as VoIP communications, an Internet based phone service (like Skype, for example) falls into the cloud communications category since it doesn’t rely on a hardline connection to operate. Instead, voice audio is converted into tiny packets of data that are then transmitted over the Internet in real time.
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The WHO
From one-person shops to the world’s largest multi-national enterprises, businesses are increasingly turning to Internet phone solutions to better their office communications. Whereas small businesses can increase productivity by allowing employees to use their personal smartphones for out-of-office communications, larger corporations can increase their customer service efforts by implementing an organized, feature-rich call center configuration that’ll be sure to improve customer relationships. With the versatility and flexibility VoIP affords, companies of any size, budget, industry, or service need can find and leverage a productive application that’ll greatly improve their communications.
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The WHEN
Since office communications are facilitated through the Internet, contact can be made any time the user has a good connection. For this reason, hosted VoIP is extremely sought after for its disaster recovery benefits. For example, if an office building loses power, the company’s phone system will still be online and functional using the mobile app or twin-to-office phone capabilities. That means calls directed toward the business or a person’s office phone will be rerouted to a previously defined number or location to keep things connected 24/7/365.
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The WHERE
When users are out of the office for any reason, they can log in to the mobile VoIP app to turn their personal smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer into a mobile office device. Any call directed toward a person’s work number, for example, gets routed to their personal device regardless of their location. That means regardless of whether or not an employee is at home, at a work site, or just at the coffee shop, he or she will still be able to make and take business calls to keep business as productive as possible.
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The WHY
Cloud-based communications provides companies with an incredibly flexible solution that delivers a multitude of powerful benefits, including (but not limited to):
- Reduced TCO – No on-premise equipment or high operating costs means hosted VoIP significantly cuts the total cost of ownership
- Scalability – Easily add, move, or change users when needed
- Full-featured – With several plans to choose from and over 90+ features available, there’s a VoIP solution for any service need or application
- Resiliency – Geographically redundant hosting server configurations means your company’s uptime exceeds 99.99%
- Control – Administrator and user portals allows employees to customize their personal VoIP experience down to the finest detail
- Support – US-based expert VoIP staff are monitoring and managing your system 24/7/365 to ensure your solutions running at peak performance.