Cloud phone systems and VoIP for businesses: 5 benefits

Do you have a landline at home? More people than ever are now answering that question with a resounding ‘no’. So why have a landline for your business? Cloud and VoIP phones enable you more flexible and affordable telecoms through your internet connection.

Phone… Email… Video call… Messenger pigeon… Whichever way you choose to conduct your business communications, you’re definitely going to need an internet connection in this day and age. Unless you actually use messenger pigeon, of course. But in that case, we think a cloud phone system might come in handy!

So why not streamline the entire thing? One solid, and affordable, internet connection to rule them all. Precious!

We’ll stop with the nerdy film references now.

What is a cloud or VoIP phone?

Let’s go back to basics. ‘VoIP’ stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It enables you to make voice calls using an internet connection, instead of a landline. This can be from your office, home, or mobile phone – basically anywhere.

In short, this technology allows your phones to run entirely over the internet, managed completely off site. Which is cheaper than having the whole office rigged up with landlines.

What are the benefits?

Well, aside from being a lot cheaper than your traditional landline phone, cloud phones have a whole host of other benefits.

The cost

The most expensive part about setting up cloud phones is the initial investment you need to make, to buy the actual IP phones. But with Kyte IT, you can even pay monthly for this, if you wish. If you have existing IP phones and they’re compatible, you may be able to use them with another provider (sweet, savings!). Generally, we save clients anywhere between 40-60% on their phone bill compared to traditional landline phones. And you can save even more by not needing line rental on your current broadband service. It’s also worth mentioning that you get to benefit from cheaper call rates, too. Cha-ching!

Your phones grow with you

We don’t mean a giant phone the size of a fully grown adult (although, that would be kinda cool). Our cloud phone payment plan is based on the number of simultaneous calls you need to happen at any one time. So you can control your budget to a tee. With Kyte, you can add as many phone handsets to your office that you want, at no additional cost. You just pay for your calls.* The more staff you have, the more calls they make– and the more money you’ll make, right!? Plus, cloud phones can work for your teams working remotely as well as in the office.

*(Our payment plan is based on how many simultaneous calls you need to happen at any one time. For example, if you have 12 staff members, you’ll likely need 4 simultaneous calls – on average. This means that there can be 4 calls happening amongst your 12 staff, at any one time. This equates to an average of 1 simultaneous call per 3 staff members, which is the ‘rule of thumb’ we advise for most businesses – although this depends on your industry.)

It’s all managed for you

As we mentioned before, cloud phone systems are all totally managed off site. Which means your provider will keep your phone system running all day, every day. Yay! This means that you don’t need to be tech savvy to have nifty cloud phones. You just need to find a really great service provider to take care of it all for you.

Access your phones from anywhere

In the new age of home and remote working, you’ll want to make sure your teams have access to everything they need to keep business running as usual. With cloud phones, you can use IP phone handsets, computers and smart phones. It’s adaptive to your needs, so you can make calls from anywhere in the world. Check out the range of mobile and web apps for remote working from 3CX, our phone software partners.

More useful functionality

Because cloud phones are internet based, there’s a whole lot more potential to offer smart tricks that make life easier at work. For example, some providers offer extras like call queues, instant messaging, CRM integration or professional voicemail services tailored to your business. With 3CX, you can even add video conferencing software. And switch devices mid call!

How to decide if a cloud phone system is for you

Cloud phone systems can be right for any business, but they might be particularly appealing if:

• You enjoy low running costs
• You want to avoid managing any technical systems yourself
• You’re anticipating a lot of growth, or your size fluctuates
• You need to operate across multiple locations

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