A BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEM IN THE CLOUD

Having the latest technology and software gives your business a much-needed edge. But upgrades can also come with a steep learning curve. They’re usually accompanied by painful downtimes, debugging sessions, and more unexpected costs. Unfortunately, with an on-premises system, you bear all the responsibility for these upgrades. You pay for it – and you have to make it happen.  The CloudTalk Pro system shifts that responsibility to the provider, and because the voice service is software-based, it’s easier to roll out new updates and features at a much faster pace.

Deploying the CloudTalk Pro phone system is simple compared to an on-premise install.  On-premise installs can take months and are hardware, cost, and resource-intensive.   The CloudTalk Pro system requires very few physical components - and is most often deployed within just a few hours.  Deployment can take place all at once or incrementally, depending to what works best for you.  Once the CloudTalk Pro system is in place, it’s simple to add new users and new locations.

To update on-premise phone systems, the provider has to enable and test the upgrade at each client location. That leaves you stuck on a waiting list before you can get your hands on the latest features. The CloudTalk Pro solution doesn’t make you wait, new updates and features are available to all clients simultaneously and are released regularly.

Rolling out new innovations on an on-premise system ties up valuable time and resources. CloudTalk Pro is responsible for delivering new features through automatic upgrades made during low-usage times.  That means you get all the latest features without the time, hassle, or added costs you typically incur with an on-premise system.

Most cloud services come as part of an overall Unified Communications (UC) suite.  The CloudTalk Pro solution is no exception, a UC suite will generally include voice, video, mobility, SMS, presence, and even faxing—all under one roof.  It’s easy to simplify and reduce your costs when you receive all your channels from one provider on a single bill.  Ultimately, consolidating leads to better, more consistent communications with co-workers and customers by allowing them to use their preferred channels.

You gain a significant customer service advantage when you move your business phone system to the CloudTalk Pro platform.  The CloudTalk Pro platform provides call-center-level functionality - without the expense and operating demands of a high-end call center compatible PBX.  This functionality includes integrations designed to enhance customer interaction and simplify supervisor operations.  Because the CloudTalk Pro phone system is software-driven, it is much easier to integrate with leading customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like Salesforce.

When a customer calls, an integration can call up that customer’s account information onto a screen … automatically.   That way, your employees can reference key account information and better serve the caller.  Information from the call can be collected and entered as well.  This helps you keep up with customer preferences and decisions, thereby improving future interactions with that customer.

The challenge with multiple locations - at least when you have an on-premise setup - is that you need an independent system for every location.  This is very expensive, and integrating the systems can be very difficult, complicating simple business functions like extension calling and transferring calls.  The CloudTalk Pro system allows all your locations to plug into the same virtual server via the Internet.  This enables extension calling between offices, including “home offices” in different geographical locations.  It gives the appearance of “one big system” to callers, while preserving location-specific routing, hold music, and more … the CloudTalk Pro platform is extremely flexible and customizable.

Managing system settings across multiple locations can be tricky if you’re navigating between different on-premises solutions.  With the CloudTalk Pro phone system, you can centrally manage all your communications, regardless of their location.

When you have an on-premises system, you usually have to be in-office to make any moves, adds, or changes.  The CloudTalk Pro phone systems don’t require you to be physically present in-office to change system settings.  If you’re away from the office and have to make an emergency change to the phone system, you can do so quickly using the online portal.

Looking at the differences between an on-premises system and a cloud system (from a cost perspective) doesn’t tell you the whole story.  In any TCO comparison, you also have to look at the risk involved in each system.  With an on-premises phone system, you carry all the risk.  There are upfront costs, the constant maintenance and updates, and the time and resources you’ll invest in it.  When something breaks, you’ve got to scramble to get the phones working again.  Security falls on your shoulders, and once the system ages out, it’s up to you to replace it.  These are just a few reasons why clients are transitioning their business communication needs to the CloudTalk Pro platform.