VoIP communication is a simple yet powerful idea that provides the best possible ways of creating a well-equipped platform that makes use of Internet for communication. So, irrespective of where you are, you will have no problems with respect to connections and costs if you have a working Internet connection.

Now that you have decided to take advantage of VoIP communication by moving to Cloud telephony, how do you decide on what devices to get for your office? Well, you have a couple of options and you can decide based on what your needs are or what you may already have in place – they vary all the way from software-based solutions to purpose-built hardware.

Here are a few different kinds of VoIP phones you should know about:

Mobile Apps

A Cloud Telephony solution without an intuitive, reliable mobile VoIP app is like a pie with no filling or a turkey missing the stuffing; it just does not feel right, something is missing. And that is for a good reason.

We live in a world where there is an app for every imaginable event or task. It is natural to expect that mobile VoIP apps would provide a platform for reliable cloud telephony.

Mobile VoIP apps are the ultimate in mobility, allowing you to move client communication out of the office space without dropping professionalism. You can literally take your office extension anywhere with you by making use of a business VoIP app on your iOS or Android smartphone.

Using mobile apps for VoIP communication helps you increase productivity and ensures you never miss a call again.

Softphones and USB VoIP phones

These two VoIP phones for Cloud Telephony go hand in hand.

A softphone is not an actual phone, it instead is a software application running on your PC/desktop.  It uses the data connection on your computer to reach your Cloud solution provider to make/receive calls using the extension or virtual number associated with that account.

You can also choose to connect a USB VoIP phone to your computer using a USB jack. This allows you to communicate using your computer just like a regular phone.

Desktop VoIP Phones

This is the standard solution offered by almost every Cloud telephony provider. Here, you get all the features of a normal phone, along with the unique benefits offered by VoIP technology. Desktop VoIP phones connect to your Cloud solution provider via Ethernet, ensuring that you have a good quality data connection for your calls all the time.

Conference phones

Conference phones are an essential component of telephony solutions for any business that wishes to have remote meetings with its customers. A VoIP conference phone is not very different from a regular one, it just has spread out mics and speakers so more people from the same room can engage on the call effectively.  

A lot of VoIP conference phones working at the same time in different facilities, connected via a conference bridge, can lead to a very powerful and cost-effective communication involving many attendees.

Wireless IP Phones

We all have gone through the frustration of getting stuck in pesky dead zones, when all the bars on your phone drop the moment you enter the area. You sometimes end up losing the service completely.

As a business owner, you just cannot afford to miss any important calls. Well, you won’t if you use Wireless IP phones – if you are connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot (which you can install in your premises to cover all dead zones), you will always be ready. This is the advantage of getting signed up to a reliable cloud telephony solution, you do not need to worry about your calls if you can find a way of getting on the internet.

Video Phones

Sometimes, it is best to speak face-to-face. However, it is not easy when your customer is sitting miles away. With Video phones, you can not only see each other while speaking but also make presentations to your customers as if they were in the same room.

With the range you can pick from when it comes to VoIP phones, and the larger backbone of a virtual phone system of the cloud telephony solution for your business behind it, you can focus on important things rather than having to worry about business communication going astray.

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You have probably heard about different kinds of PBX solutions for Business. The terms may get confusing as they are sometimes referred to by different names. Here are the main types you need to worry about:

Cloud PBX: This is also sometimes referred to as Hosted PBX. Cloud PBX is not installed physically on the business site. A Cloud based PBX solution is hosted on the internet and does not need installation of any additional equipment.

On premise/Onsite/Traditional PBX: The term “Onsite PBX” refers to the PBX system where all the required hardware is run onsite on the business’s servers.

Here are 7 reasons why you should prefer using Cloud PBX over Onsite PBX.

1.    Quick setup

Onsite PBX system requires investing in servers, hardware, software and systems. The business also need to employ IT staff for setting up and customizing the PBX system for specific needs.

In contrast to this, you can start using a Cloud PBX system without investing additional time and resources. Your business can start using the Cloud based PBX solution without building a custom IT infrastructure.

The providers make it easy for you to customize, configure and extend the capabilities of the Cloud PBX system by providing you with an easy-to-use dashboard that you can use to monitor inbound and outbound calls.

2.    Omnichannel communication

Nowadays, communication and collaboration takes place in a distributed environment using a variety of communication tools. Your business must enable omnichannel communication for improving employee efficiency and customer experience.

On-premise PBX system does offer a few standard features to allow omnichannel business communication. However, Cloud PBX supports multiple mediums of communication – voice, video and text. Not only that, it executes inbound and outbound calls using popular communication protocols such as VoIP, RTSP, RTP and TCP/IP.

3.    Scale on Demand

An onsite PBX phone system cannot be scaled up or down without investing more time and resources.

It is easier to scale Cloud based PBX solutions by adding new extensions or creating additional user accounts without any restrictions. You can also avail the needed computing resources to handle additional workload based on a pay-as-you-go model.

You can also streamline business communication by monitoring and tuning call related activities based on statistics offered by the portal.

4.    Maintain security and reliability

Cloud PBX runs on offsite data centers managed by the cloud service providers who maintain and upgrade the cloud infrastructure to reduce downtime. Many providers host the PBX system on private cloud servers to secure corporate communication.

They also take steps to prevent security breaches and targeted attacks. A lot businesses make the switch to a Cloud based PBX solution to achieve higher levels of reliability and redundancy without having to invest in additional resources.

5.    Accelerate Disaster Recovery

A Cloud based PBX solution helps you in continuing corporate communication even in the face of natural and man-made disasters.

Since your employees access the Cloud PBX system using the internet, they can interact with customers from other locations. Cloud based PBX systems allow you to easily shift or relocate your business without interrupting business communication.

6.    Operate in Distributed environments

You cannot enable uninterrupted and seamless communication between your customers and employees without establishing a distributed work environment.

A Cloud based PBX system enables your employees to access the hosted PBX solution from anywhere they can access internet from. Some companies are now leveraging cloud based technologies to enhance corporate communication by implementing BYOD (bring your own device) policies.

7.    Shrink your IT budget

Onsite PBX phone systems require that you invest in expensive hardware and accompanying software. Not only that, you are also required to employ dedicated IT staff and additional resources for maintaining, scaling and upgrading your PBX phone system.

With a Cloud PBX, your business can access the PBX system using the internet without having to build and manage any onsite IT infrastructure. Cloud based PBX system providers also allow you the flexibility to avail the virtual PBX solutions by scaling the PBX system as per your specific corporate communication needs.

Cloud based PBX systems are more cost-efficient, scalable, flexible and extensible compared to onsite PBX systems. Also, you should opt for a cloud service provider who provides 24/7 technical support. The right Cloud PBX solution will help you in optimizing corporate communication while consolidating internal communication over a period of time.

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Well, let us start with explaining VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP is exactly what it seems to be – it is a voice service that makes use of the Internet to make calls. It is a cloud telephony service that utilizes servers based in the cloud for storing data. And, as it turns out, using a voice service in the cloud has many benefits.

Here are 7 reasons why should consider cloud telephony for your business.

1. More economical compared to premise-based telephony

Even the best cloud telephony packages turn out to be less expensive than premise-based telephone services. This is especially true when you consider any usage-based domestic or international calling plans, as affordable cloud telephone providers typically bundle long distance and international minutes into a predictable monthly fee. At the same time, VoIP setup usually needs lesser hardware.

2. Access to invaluable data for running your business

It is easy to integrate cloud telephony with your CRM solution. This helps you automatically register data about the calls received, made, lost and also the voice mails that customers leave you. You can easily collect and track invaluable data to run your business. You can even route your voicemails straight to your email or other digital repositories, which makes it easier to get to these messages without having to physically access your on-premise phone or dial into a remote voicemail system.

3. Easy to adjust phone call routing

It is more laborious to manage call routing when you use a premise-based telephone system. “On the fly” changes to how calls need to be handled are especially difficult to manage in premise-based phone systems.

However, when you make use of cloud telephony services, any authorized person from your team can quickly make changes to call routing in the event of loss of power or a major weather incident. Not only that, the changes can be made from anywhere – on the road or from home, as long as you can get online.

4. Improved customer service

Cloud telephony offers better technology, connections, data integrations and call logging to help you improve customer service. Since you have better ways of tracking call information, you can quickly pull up a caller’s information and address their concerns. Using cloud to run your voice services is a painless and quick way of upgrading your customer service and that too in very short order.

5. Makes you more productive

All this ease of access allows you to accomplish more quickly and accurately, which means that you are becoming more productive in more places. Business cloud telephony systems can be set up on mobile devices, providing your business with freedom of movement; you can now stay connected to your vendors and customers. Not only that, you can continue to work from wherever you are – at home, at work, in between meetings, commuting or at a business conference.

6. Helps you focus on your business

The easier your communication solution gets, the more you can focus on your business. By making use of reliable cloud telephony solutions, you can handle multiple business needs together. You can also easily connect your business to resources around the globe and hire the best employees without worrying about their geographical location.

7. Easy to use

Overall, the best benefit of a cloud telephony solution is that it is easy to use. It is easy to customize the user interfaces based on individual preferences. Since, the whole solution is on the cloud, it is easy for the operator to update the software regularly without any major impacts to your service.

It is as simple as creating an online account and within a few minutes, you can start answering calls from your customers and start a fully functional call center even if you have just one agent to take the calls.

Cloud telephony is just a step away. Consider investing in the efficiency and automation it provides to take your business to the next level.

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Cloud telephony brings you unparalleled features, scalability and affordability compared to the traditional business phones, PBX systems and legacy call centers. However, it is not easy to pick the best cloud telephony solution for your unique needs.

This article aims to give you “insider” tips on picking the right could telephony solution for your business. If you are new to cloud telephony, you will gain understanding of what may go wrong with your call center (and why). For folks who have experience with call centers, you will gain insights into why you are not getting the reliable cloud telephony service you deserve.

Here are 7 insider tips to help you pick the right cloud telephony solution:

1. Avoid Voice Quality Issues

Voice quality issues can be attributed to two factors:

• Even the biggest players choose to run their operations from a central location (mostly in US). This leads to high latency at client locations where the agents are situated far away from the data canter. The end result is poor voice quality. Ask if your cloud telephony provider has presence in multiple continents, so that the agents can be connected to the nearest point of presence (POP) to get the best voice quality.
• A lot of cloud solution providers have voice embedded in their application. Look for a cloud telephony solution that treats voice and data separately. This will improve quality by reducing packet loss.

2. Look for straightforward Billing

A lot of people ignore billing when evaluating their cloud telephony options. You need to ensure that your cloud telephony provider offers you transparency in their billing practices. For example, it should be clear as to how the free minutes bundled with the plan for each agent license are being utilized. Also, the variable outflow beyond the fixed cost should be clearly presented. Try looking for providers who mention the call charges and cloud call center software charges separately.

3. Demand responsive customer service

You must have encountered a lot of customer reviews that talk of slow responses from their telephone solutions provider. When you switch to a cloud telephony solution, you need to assume that you will be in contact with your vendor often. You will be trying new integrations, you may face outages, or there may be some simple issues that need fixing. You will need to be able to get quick help to minimize loss to your business. Look for providers who have a reputation of 24*7 responsive customer service.

4. Avoid slow systems

Sometimes, you don’t realize what is causing the lag in your APIs. A lot of cloud contact centers are dependent on 3^rd party platforms for core telephony needs. They are built on top of 3^rd party CPaaS (Cloud Platform as a Service). Many of these CPaaS platforms were primarily built for simple IVR (interactive voice response) applications, not really architected for call centers which are delay sensitive.  

5. Ensure Data Privacy

At some point, you will need to work towards integrating your cloud telephony solution with your ticketing system or CRM. This will help you take full advantage of the deployed systems to improve your sales and support functions, with benefits like reduced work for agents, improved personalization and more. Some cloud telephony providers end up storing a copy of your ticketing/CRM database on their systems as part of the integration. This can be a risk when it comes to data privacy. Look for providers who have a policy of never storing 3^rd party client data for any reason.

6. Look for power dialers inside your CRM

While a lot of telephone solutions provide a click-to-call functionality within your ticketing or CRM software, few offer power or automated dialers, which can enhance your productivity by as much as 18x. Look for providers who can offer you predictive, preview or progressive dialers that can be easily integrated with your CRM system.

7. Get advanced Reporting and Analytics

Reporting is a key benefit of cloud call center solution. Reports can go beyond the traditional agent and call center performance data. You should be able to apply different filtering and visualization options to the data you seek. Invest in AI based solutions that can give you intelligent insights and predictive suggestions by making use of call patterns and customer details.

Use these tips to get yourself a reliable cloud telephony solution that has minimal outages and can take your business to the next level.

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