5 Key Factors To Consider For Choosing A Cloud Based Phone Service

By Author: Kah Wah Wee
Total Articles: 30
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More and more businesses are making the switch from on-site infrastructures to a cloud-based phone system, in a bid to simplify the communication process. Other obvious advantages include reduced cost savings, improved employee productivity, scalability, and better customer satisfaction.

With a myriad of service providers offering different types of a cloud based PBX phone system, you would feel less confident about choosing a platform for your business. This guide will list out 5 important elements that lets you evaluate and make the right choice:

Reliability:

Reliability is a quintessential factor when it comes to communication. Communication platforms will be transparent about their average uptime. A reliable service provider will have uptimes of over 99%, meaning your work won't be interrupted no matter what. No service can guarantee 100% uptime though, as it is dependent on other conditions such as internet speed and other factors within an internet based environment. Therefore, ask the team how reliable their service would be. Normally this is expressed in their service level agreement.

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... Features:

Check what features are available in the cloud based PBX phone system that can streamline your business process. Some examples include routing sales or customer service calls, support for call recording, sending SMS reminders, detailed call statistics, and more.

Brainstorm your requirements, list them out, and compare or discuss with the vendor team to find out if these requirements can fulfil your needs. This alone will let you decide if the service provider is worth considering.

Pricing:

Understanding the pricing structure of a cloud-based phone service is necessary to ensure that it doesn’t exceed your budget. A reputable service provider will provide a detailed price information, specifying how much you will be paying for each service.

Companies offer their platform either on a subscription basis or as a pay-as-you-go model. If you're opting for add-ons such as an inbound number (1300/1800), they’d also mention how much you will be paying extra. Therefore, pick a plan that has the features you want and spend for add-ons, if necessary. In general, you will be paying less and getting more compared with a traditional phone system.

Setup and Maintenance:

An efficient cloud based virtual phone system should be easy to set up and manage. Your employees don't have to spend days figuring out how to get specific tasks done using the software. It must be easy for you to integrate the platform seamlessly with your existing applications or extensions.

The instructions provided should help you get started with minimal disruption. Don’t forget to ask the vendor support team how maintenance and upgrades would be handled. Also, this information can often be found in the vendor’s Service Level Agreement.

Security:

The communication platform you use will have sensitive customer information that must be protected by all means. Enquire with the vendor or service provider how safe and secure your data will be. Security is ensured with features such as network encryption, stronger authentication, data backup and more. Good platforms will have robust security features that keeps your business data protected at all times.

Start searching for a company offering cloud based office phone system based on the aspects mentioned above. By analysing what features you want and how dependable the service will be, you’ll fulfill your business goals sooner.