Convince the board: Why you need a new hosted phone system

A growing number of companies are discovering the benefits of opting for a hosted phone system

For many organisations, communications is the backbone of the business, therefore it is vital to have the right phone system in place. However, it’s understandable that your board may believe the best strategy is to keep the phone system in-house.

There are many compelling reasons for opting for a hosted phone system. We will look at the benefits that going hosted can bring your company, which will help you to convince your board that this new investment is worth making.

A growing number of companies have chosen the hosted telephony route; a survey of 500 SMEs across Europe found that 50% of those using IP communications had opted for a hosted PBX.

The reasons for opting for a hosted phone system can be summarised by the ‘four C’s’:

Control

Hosting your phone system in the cloud might seem like a loss of control, or even security, but in fact it can provide your organisation with greater flexibility and enhanced call management capabilities, giving you a better overview of how your phone system is meeting your business demands. You can then decide which parameters need adjusting to meet those needs. You’re in control of the system.

Cost

There’s no need to invest in expensive on-site hardware and there are no ongoing maintenance costs, unlike a traditional phone system with an on-site PBX.

Convenience

A hosted phone system offers greater flexibility and scalability. It can, for example, integrate your mobile and fixed line services. What’s more, as your business grows, your phone system can easily scale to cope with the new demands.

Continuity

If a phone system goes down for even a short period, it can have a catastrophic effect on a business. A hosted phone system offers a reliable and resilient solution, with full business continuity features, should a site go down through disaster or unforeseen events.

Let’s look at these benefits in more detail:

• You are in control. You decide the number of channels you require, the features you need, when, where and how resources are deployed.
• With a hosted phone system, you can keep your existing phone numbers or add new ones. If you want to maintain a virtual regional presence, you can assign local numbers to sites which are physically located elsewhere.
• SMEs can gain access to features and functions that are normally only available to enterprises with high-end (and highly expensive) PBXs.
• A hosted phone system means your IT team doesn’t have to spend time managing and maintaining hardware. They can focus on higher-level tasks, while you can focus on controlling the things that help your business run more efficiently, such as managing call volumes even more effectively.
• By using a hosted phone system, you can get a holistic view of your calls, whether you have one site or are a multi-site organisation. Real-time stats can provide valuable information such as how many calls are waiting, the number of call diversions and the extensions that are currently overwhelmed by calls. This information can be used to divert resources to the right place at the right time, improving efficiency.
• You get great flexibility and scalability. If you want to open a new branch office, for instance, a phone system can be operational at the new site within minutes.
• A hosted phone system can be managed and configured through a web interface and so is easily accessible by users both in the office and on the road.
• There’s no capital expenditure on new expensive hardware and maintenance running costs are eliminated. Fixed and mobile phone services can be integrated, offering even more cost savings. And a hosted phone system can provide lower call costs, including free internal calls (this also applies to international sites).
• Number portability means the same number can be used for different handsets in different locations, so employees can be easily reached by other staff members, customers, clients or contractors.
• Hosted phone systems are ideal for the way many modern organisations operate today, with hot-desking, mobile workforces and home working.
• By moving the PBX to the cloud, your phone system becomes more resilient. If a disaster occurs at a site, calls can be quickly rerouted to other sites, reducing or even eliminating any down-time on your phone system. There are also no call forwarding costs.
• Moving to a hosted phone system doesn’t mean having to compromise on call quality or functionality. Indeed, a hosted phone system will probably offer many more features than an on-premise PBX. Features such as call forwarding, call waiting, call recording, automatic callback, intelligent call routing via an auto attendant, instant group call for collaborative projects and call notify via email are just some of the features available from the best hosted phone systems.
• The most flexible hosted phone systems work with a range of handsets, allowing you to choose the handsets which offer the best functionality for your organisation’s needs, and provide the most cost-effective solution.

Hosted phone systems and security

Organisations are naturally concerned about security and fraud prevention, and keeping the phone system in-house might seem like the most secure option. After all, the hardware is on-site and you have total control over the system. In fact, a hosted phone system can be even more secure because it combines security measures put in place by both the phone system provider and your company’s internal systems.

The best hosted phone system providers will have their own network, ensuring that your voice traffic doesn’t mix with data on the public internet. This not only ensures greater security but also greater reliability and better call quality. You should also look for a provider that offers 24/7 monitoring and support, as well as functions such as call history (for viewing all calls made), call barring and access to phones via authentication codes. It’s also possible to set up alarms and alerts that are automatically activated whenever your call charges reach a pre-set level. Internal processes such as strong password control; a properly configured firewall and heavily protected administrator rights mean that a hosted phone system can be very secure.

The future for telephony

More and more services are migrating to the cloud, as enterprises remove hardware from their premises. By presenting the above benefits of a hosted system to the Board, your company can take advantage of the increased flexibility offered by the cloud.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more we’ll be here.