Hosted PBX - Is it right for you?

Cloud communications is a hot topic and everyone's doing it.  Is it right for you?

It might be.  It's not perfect for every business, but for most it is a great fit.  Cloud PBX, or Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a cost effective way of delivering advanced communication features to small and medium businesses.  Integration with Outlook and your CRM, instant messaging, video calling, desktop and document sharing, mobile access, call recording, even call centre functionality are all available to anyone.  These features used to only be available to companies with the money to shell out for an on-premise UC system - but not anymore.

Why hosted?
You are likely already hosting some or all of your data and applications in the cloud.  Many at least are using Office 365.  This is another opportunity to eliminate the capital and maintenance costs of hardware and software running in your office, as well as reduce ongoing costs for analog or PRI connections.  You may also be able to reduce or eliminate some hardware in your server room, and won't ever have to worry about replacing or upgrading it.

UCaaS also gives you greater levels of redundancy, flexibility, and security.  Anywhere you go, your phone extension and collaborations tools go with you.  If your office becomes unavailable or disconnected, you can still make and receive calls through a mobile app or softphone with no interruption.  Expand and contract your system to meet your needs as your business grows or moves through busier or slower times of the year.  These are all capabilities that would be very expensive to duplicate on your own system and they provide significant value to your business.

Why not?

As with all cloud applications, they aren't for everyone.  Larger businesses with hundreds or thousands of employees may actually find it more expensive because they can easily support their own infrastructure.  Some businesses may have regulations governing them that prevent the use of some or all cloud platforms - particularly if it is hosted in the U.S.  Also, an on-premise phone system often provides more options for integration with other systems or applications - especially for custom-written applications. 

The case for on-premise phone systems is still very real.  Despite the hype and push towards cloud, most of the top tier UC vendors are still selling, supporting and developing their physical solutions.  There will be a place for these systems in many types of businesses for many years to come.

If you want to find out if this is the right move for you, contact us at sales@optinet.ca or 604-288-1300.  We’ll help you take your communication strategy to the next level!