There are a number of advantages to implementing a hosted VoIP phone service. The advanced communication features of VoIP technology are typically at the forefront of any business decision to upgrade phone systems to a hosted VoIP phone service. However, it should also be known that moving to a cloud-based service through a hosted VoIP company delivers numerous operating benefits and financial returns over the long-term.
Future-proofing a business phone system was a difficult proposition prior to the development
of hosted telephony. Such efforts included known future investments for either planned obsolescence/replacement or investments in system upgrades. By shifting to a cloud-based model, the burden of such investment is shifted to the hosted VoIP company. Below we'll look at several reasons why this is the case:
1. Phone System Obsolescence - The business no longer has to worry about phone system
obsolescence. When utilizing a hosted VoIP phone service, the host provider handles all ongoing phone system research and development efforts. Companies that provide hosted VoIP services invest in continued advancement of their systems, while their customers reap the rewards of not having to replace or upgrade core systems to receive such benefits.
2. Custom-Tailored Feature Deployment - There is no lack of cool features that come with a good hosted digital phone service. A host provider, such as sipVine, will typically consult with your company about the feature sets that are best for your business operations. Where all the features are available for deployment, a consultative approach provides for a custom-tailored feature set that maximizes internal and external communications. Additional features can be deployed as needs change or as customer readiness dictates.
3. Cutting-Edge Feature Development – As the hosted VoIP company invests in feature R&D, the business receives access to new communication features as they are launched. Because the core system is hosted, investment in core system upgrades to access such new features is not the responsibility of the customer, but the provider. The reward for the customer is no new investment in infrastructure. In return, the provider receives the benefits of securing long-term customer relationships.
4. Host System Security – Again, businesses bear no responsibility in the maintenance and upgrades of core phone systems and infrastructure. IT and Operations personnel can rest easy that their system will be leading edge and secure. The hosted provider will continually invest in and manage system security, redundancy, and capacity. This helps to ensure peace of mind for members of the IT and Operations departments who place a high value on uninterrupted "up-time" as well as immediate disaster recovery solutions for their phone communications systems.
5. VoIP Phone System Upgrades – In a hosted system, the only investment borne by the company is in respect to their handsets and some other minor premise equipment. Thus, like any office device, the customer bears responsibility for replacing phones out of warranty if they are damaged or fail. Businesses can upgrade phones over time. The benefit here is that the business is able to save a considerable amount of money by upgrading phones when they have a specific need, and this saves the company a great deal over a full system replacement. Additionally, good hosted VoIP companies continually migrate their phone line-up to newer, state-of-the-art models. These can be inserted into the company's current mix of phones as the need or desire arises.
As stated earlier, the benefits of utilizing a hosted VoIP company are numerous. Limiting future system replacements while staying on the cutting-edge of technology is a new benefit in such decisions and worthy of consideration. Experts in business communications have often stated that companies cannot go wrong with utilizing a hosted VoIP company for their phone service. You can call sipVine, a hosted VoIP provider, to learn more!
About the author: Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of hosted VoIP phone systems and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments.
