Cloud telephony enables calls to be placed and received over the internet. It does away with the need for traditional phone exchanges, with fiddling around when lines are down and even eliminates the need to be in a set place to take or place a call through a landline number.
Cloud telephony means you can place a call over the internet from anywhere in the world with a specific local area code. So, you could place a call from an 0121 (Birmingham) number even from your York or New York providing you have an internet connection and a cloud telephony service.
So how does cloud telephony work?
Cloud telephony is Unified Communications as a Service. It offers phone calls and voice calls through a third-party host using VOIP. Cloud telephony typically involves the provision of a multi-tenanted service which is managed by a third-party and paid for on a subscription or an as-needed basis.
Cloud telephony converts analogue voice signals into digital data packets that are then delivered through the internet. When the user places a phone call using a VoIP desk phone or softphone, the VoIP service provider handles the routing, creating a seamless service almost indistinguishable from a standard private branch exchange (PBX) call.
Benefits of using cloud telephony
- Cost-effective
By using cloud telephony, businesses can avoid buying PBX boxes and handsets which can save money – although, they will need to invest in VoIP desk phones.
- Scalable
Businesses can grow their phone service provision, adding more numbers according to their needs.
- Mobile
Employees using cloud telephony can genuinely be completely mobile as they can take calls from anywhere in the world providing there is an internet connection.
- Reliable
Traditional telephone exchanges can find themselves a victim of storms or cable damage that could render a business without communications for days. However, with VoIP, failover modes can be built in to offer a backup in case the primary connection is ever impacted.
- Convenient
Third party providers such as ASL handle all the complexity of setting up and maintaining systems, updating systems and troubleshooting, which means that business owners are free to focus on their main objectives.
- Transparent
Cloud telephony can be a great source of data, revealing important insights into how employees handle calls, call lengths, call waiting times and more.
- Easy to manage
Cloud telephony is managed entirely in the cloud so it can be easy to modify systems and control phone numbers, extensions and to forward calls.
- Easy to integrate new and modern tech
Because phone systems are cloud based, it’s also easier to introduce call centre capabilities, interactive voice response systems and even AI to help process calls in the most efficient way possible.
If you’re fancying an easier, more cost-effective and intrinsically scalable telephone management solution, call the ASL team on 0345 207 7000 to discuss how cloud our cloud telephony service can help you put your professional face forward as the first point of contact for your customers and business partners whenever they call your office.