NTG Business Basics: The Benefits of Migrating to a VoIP Cloud Environment

clock-iconReading time about 5 min
post-image

As technology advances, many small business owners are making the move to cloud-based services. Voice vendors haven’t been left behind. They’re now looking to reach a wider audience by moving their services to the cloud, and offering innovative solutions while addressing concerns of their customers. These concerns include geographical location issues, hardware costs, and integration with existing infrastructure. If you’re still on the fence about moving to the cloud, vendors have made it a whole lot simpler for you! Explore various options and techniques that vendors can provide to business owners, to help migrate from on-premises voice systems into the cloud-based environment.

Increased mobility across entire organization

As a business owner, have you considered how moving your voice environment into the cloud can open the door for added mobility? According to Global Workplace Analytics, working from home (WFH) increased by 173% from 2005 to 2018, with a significant spike in WFH since the lockdowns. And this trend is set to continue.

In the past, setting up a WFH employee required some serious overhead on the administrator’s side, but with voice in the cloud, carrier infrastructure largely handles it, making it easier than ever to add and maintain a remote user base. Not to mention, many voice vendors have applications that can be installed straight onto a user’s Smart device, letting them access business applications and services from wherever they are. This means you could potentially save on the cost of additional phones for everyone who works from home. Plus, most vendors have a softphone option which ensures that voice calls remain on business equipment, no matter where your voice environment is. The increased flexibility of having employees stationed anywhere, while maintaining access to their voice services, is truly invaluable.

Saves money on hardware

Making the move to cloud can offer great benefits for small businesses, particularly those with older voice infrastructures. By adopting a pre-existing infrastructure maintained by vendors, businesses can improve their voice systems without having to replace costly hardware out of pocket. Even better, many vendors offer hybrid solutions that combine on-premises and cloud systems, helping small businesses transition more smoothly. Ultimately, this is a win/win for small business owners as the transition can be tailored to meet their needs and help them harness the full potential of the voice cloud infrastructure.

More resilient design

Adopting a voice-in-the-cloud design can significantly benefit business owners by providing robust resiliency. Thanks to data centers based nationally and internationally, voice vendors maintain constant availability for their user base. Even if your office goes offline or is undergoing maintenance, you can maintain most of your communications. With no available communications, your business’s operations stall, but choosing a VoIP model ensures that you don’t experience those dreaded downtimes that come with maintaining on-premises communications architecture.
Simplified access for clients and administrators
Voice vendors recognize the challenges of user-friendliness, especially when transitioning to cloud-based interfaces. However, they’re going above and beyond to reduce complexity and increase simplicity with their products. Business owners can now experience an attractive, smarter interface that effortlessly integrates with existing tools, allowing for more productive and memorable experiences. Administrators also have access to all the necessary resources in an easy-to-use format, helping them service their internal customers more quickly and efficiently.

More collaboration across teams

Collaborating effectively in teams can make all the difference for your bottom line. Unfortunately, you may also feel like you’re juggling far too many communications platforms at once – one for calling capabilities, another for file sharing, IM services, and the list goes on.

Thankfully, voice vendors are stepping up to bridge the gap by offering all these services under one convenient platform. This means increased participation and better collaboration for your team, whether you’re in the office or working remotely. Upgrading to a platform that can keep up with your needs eliminates the challenge of fragmented communication.

Capability to use existing infrastructure

For business owners who are on the fence about moving their voice systems to the cloud, hybrid solutions can offer the best of both worlds. With this approach, you can keep your existing infrastructure while enjoying certain voice services in the cloud. It’s a smart strategy if you have particular needs currently not available in the cloud. With a hybrid solution, you’ll have access to familiar, on-premises solutions while also enjoying all the benefits of a modern cloud-based voice infrastructure. You may even save money on the initial transition, and can maintain a hands-on approach if you prefer. Plus, hybrid solutions allow you to take your time with the move, ensuring a smooth and more simplified transition to the cloud.

Current trends are increasingly moving toward cloud-based models, and for good reason. With exciting benefits such as renewed collaboration features, re-designed applications, enhanced mobility, hardware cost savings, and much more, why wouldn’t you want to make the switch? To make the decision even easier, voice vendors are offering various setup options to simplify the transition. So what are you waiting for? Join the many satisfied customers who have already made the switch to cloud-based voice services.

back-to-newsBack to News