How Hosted VoIP Can Break the Typical “Upgrade Path”

There is no business function that cloud technology has not changed in some way or the other. Whether it is accounting or marketing, hosted services have a substantial impact on the efficiency of business operations. Cloud services have provided the flexibility and responsiveness businesses need to remain competitive in the global economy.

Enterprise communication is no different. Organizations benefit from hosted VoIP systems, right from the moment they are purchased. From the outset, these cloud hosted PBX tools cost less than their analog counterparts. Even a small business or a startup can afford enterprise-level phone services, thanks to VoIP. There is less equipment for offices to maintain and businesses do not need specialists to configure the phones.

There is a reason for the proliferation of cloud VoIP services among all size and types of business organizations. And that reason is scale. Apart from the availability of sophisticated features and low-cost, hosted VoIP services allow businesses to change without constraints. They are able to respond to changes in the market almost immediately. They’re not limited by contracts, physical equipment or financial ability.

How does hosted VoIP change the game for enterprises?

The Typical Upgrade Path for Enterprise Communications

Before hosted VoIP services and was in the market, businesses followed a typical upgrade path for many enterprise technologies.

Many companies start out small and are unable to afford sophisticated communication systems. For quite a few, it means making a lot of compromises. Some businesses cobble together a patchwork of devices that meet their needs. Others use mobile devices and cellular connections to stay in touch with clients, especially when they’re away from the office.

Once the business grows and attains a certain level of operations, it is time to get a PBX box and business lines from the local telephone company. It is up to the business owner or manager to acquire hardware, configure the system, deploy it to everyone, and maintain it for the foreseeable future. A growing business may find itself in a catch-22 situation – it cannot afford more expensive tools but it would outgrow the capabilities of the current purchase in a few years.

If the company is successful and becomes a larger corporation with multiple offices across different states, the existing phone system may not be able to cope. That means it is time for another round of decision-making, purchasing new systems, tearing down old wiring, upgrading equipment, switching to a new provider etc.

Every single one of these deployments becomes its own project with budgets, deadlines, and requirements. Implementing these systems takes precious time away from focusing on value-added operations. Wouldn’t you want employees to spend their valuable time on critical business tasks instead of maintaining the phones?

The Question of Scale – Do You Need 1, 100 or 1000 Numbers?

Hosted VoIP offers a new upgrade path for organizations. Many service providers focus on a specific niche in the market. For instance, some services are tailored to the needs of small businesses are single person startups. Others may offer dedicated software for call center operations. However, most reputable vendors have the ability to scale. Thus, they can serve small businesses just as well as larger, multinational corporations with thousands of employees.

Suppose you wanted to start your own business in the garage. Instead of relying on a mobile device, you can purchase hosted VoIP services to project a professional image for clients. You may start with a single line and two devices. As you add employees, you can provision new numbers or add lines on demand. You can enable or disable features as and when the need arises for them.

As your business grows, the phone system will scale accordingly. If you decide at any point that you no longer need a specific resource, you can simply delete/disable it. Since you only pay for what you use, it comes in handy if the business takes a downturn. You don’t have to wait for a specialist to configure the system either. Most service providers offer online dashboards for users to make changes.

Hosted VoIP services can accommodate a single user, a handful of employees or thousands of seats at a time. Your business will not need new equipment as it grows. Most services are built on the SIP protocol. If your equipment is compatible with SIP, you have to change a single thing. If some of your employees prefer to use mobile devices, you don’t have to purchase desk phones for all of them either. You don’t have to change providers simply because your current vendor cannot handle extra users.

In today’s competitive economy, you never know when you will get a large order or lose a valuable client. You have to respond to these changes immediately to maintain profitability. Hosted VoIP gives you the option to scale up or down depending on your requirements and not on someone else’s schedule.