4 Benefits of Cloud-Based VoIP Systems for Business

The rise of e-commerce businesses have brought significant growth to the telecommunications industry, and it has also developed attractive technologies that are changing the way companies handle their communication requirements.

Even though physical infrastructure is still required to some extent, smaller businesses have benefited from cloud-based VoIP systems, as they reduce the initial investment needed to set up specific areas of the company, like Customer Support or even Sales.

In this article, we will explore in detail the main four benefits of cloud-based VoIP systems and how this new technology could help you improve your current business activities.

1. Good VoIP solutions are plug-and-play

One of the most attractive features of cloud-based VoIP systems is how easy you can start working with them with just some minor training and basic infrastructure.

The cloud-based element is especially appealing to small and mid-sized businesses that don’t have the resources, or the capital, to invest in heavy telecommunications equipment.

RingCentral, one of the leading cloud-based VoIP providers, explains the implementation process of its small business solution as “simple and straightforward”.

They assure their clients that the “setup is fast, and a RingCentral implementation specialist will facilitate a smooth transition for all of your office locations and remote workers”.

Of course, a comfortable headset is also recommended to enhance the system’s results for clarity and noise-reduction.

2. Global presence

The growth of the work-from-home trend is also pushing cloud-based VoIP systems to become a “must” for companies looking to save money by hiring employees overseas or reducing the use of office space.

The flexibility of cloud-based systems is undisputable. Regardless of where your company is based, you can quickly set up a call centre somewhere else (very far from where you are if you wish to do so), and you will be able to manage a lot of different features to make sure this scheme performs as expected.

Most of this cloud-based platforms including BroadSoft, Nextiva and RingCentral, allow you to set as many lines as you need. You can also monitor performance through a set of standardised reports such as talked time, number of inbound and outbound calls, number of transfers, and other metrics, that will help you and your team monitor their performance.

On the other hand, almost all these platforms provide both desktop and mobile apps that give your team the flexibility and the comfortability to work from the device of their preference.

The people at Broadsoft sums up the flexibility benefit of their cloud-based VoIP solution like this: “One number, multiple devices, and access to all the features you need – even when on the go!”.

3. Good VoIP solutions scale with your business

A growing and thriving business is something most managers and business owners are striving for on a daily basis. As the business grows, your communication’s requirements will grow too, and that’s when another incredible benefit of cloud-based VoIP systems comes into play – scalability.

The most prominent players in the industry can offer solutions for more than 1000+ users, and you can host them all in one single central with many extensions. On the other hand, you can also set up separate admin accounts depending on your company’s structure to manage various individual departments such as Customer Support, Sales, IT or even Front Desk.

The scalability feature will also require several add-ons like live transfers, conference calls, SMS features, queues and even voicemail transcriptions. The good news is that most of these features are included in both basic and premium plans, as they are part of the core services offered by cloud-based VoIP platforms.

You can take a look at this chart if you would like to compare the features and prices offered by a handful of different providers including Nextiva, RingCentral, 8×8 and Megapath.

4. VoIP is cost effective for any sized company

The cost of installing a traditional physical telephone system can range between $3,000 to $5,000 or more, and yearly maintenance costs can also vary between $6,000 and $7,000 depending on the type of system and the number of users and lines it will support.

One of the main cons of traditional systems is that regardless of the number of users you have the infrastructure you initially need will usually have a minimum requirement that will lead you to invest money for a specific capacity you may not use at its fullest.

In this regard, cloud-based VoIP systems charge a per-user monthly fee that includes a certain number of minutes and several features. For clients with a low number of users and a small demand concerning minutes, the cost per user usually starts at $20 monthly, and it can go up to $50 if the number of users and minutes required increases substantially.

Whether, you’re in financial services, healthcare, or manufacturing, you can benefit from this technology by keeping the initial investment to a minimum and a manageable monthly bill that will increase or decrease based on demand.

Regardless of the size of your business or your current communication’s requirements, a robust and reliable telephony solution is essential to any growing business.

If you want to understand how a VoIP solution might benefit your business, please feel free to get in touch, we would love to help.

Julia Sinclair-Jones

Tech writer and ex-software developer with a penchant for travel, techno, and data. Spreading the word of secure, manageable, optimised IT solutions for everyone.