There’s a quote that goes: “the best thing you can give your team: clarity, communication, and pulling people together around a shared mission.” This is from Anne Sweeney, the former chair and president of the Walt Disney Company. I’ve always liked that quote.
See, as a brand our goal has always been to empower people to connect better. And as a cloud communications provider we feel like it is our responsibility to educate people about telephony. Because the winds are definitely changing, and the days of traditional phone systems are almost at an end.
In this article let’s explore the differences between traditional telephony and cloud telephony. Moreover, I hope to explain why you can benefit from using the latter.
Traditional Telephony Systems are outdated
To survive in the current landscape of work, businesses have to stay updated. Where the merits of traditional phone lines cannot be understated, they are also holding most businesses back. And this is not mere hyperbole either.
Traditionally, businesses relied on on-premise PBX systems to connect to their customers. This requires physical hardware, outdated infrastructure, and has to be professionally installed by a technician. Aside from the innate clunkiness of physical phone lines, they also have a hefty price tag attached. This encompasses purchase of hardware, its maintenance, and installation fees.
These limitations are simply rendered archaic by technology available to us today.
What is Cloud Telephony?
Cloud telephony is an example of a software as a service (SaaS) that allows companies to run their phone lines on the internet. It is also referred to as cloud calling, and comes with the features you expect from on-premise phone systems.
On a technical level, a cloud PBX system works the same way as any other VOIP service. It transmits analogue voice signals via data packets that are transmitted over an internet connection. However, cloud telephony negates the need for physical hardware. Cloud phone companies like us host your PBX for you on the cloud. We also provide users the flexibility to connect via a computer softphone or smartphone applications.
It leverages the same internet connection used in computers and smartphones while freeing the user from physical limitations. This level of flexibility and cost-effectivity is what has driven cloud adoption for a whopping 94% of enterprises. SMBs report 41% cloud usage as well. There’s definitely something here.
The benefits of Cloud Telephony
In our conversations with our clients, we have found similarities in the benefits they noticed. These benefits include:
Ease of use - Our Nautilus Cloud Telephony is a plug and play model that allows users to make phone calls where they want, whenever they want. Users can choose where to make calls: their IP phone, a web-based softphone, or via Nautilus Connect– all they need is an internet connection.
Simple setup - No need for deep technical know-how. Like Nautilus, cloud phone providers handle everything from setup to maintenance. Since it is completely online, our team of experts can implement everything from the backend for customers. We even design smart, custom phone systems to ensure ease of use and optimization.
Cost-efficiency - The lack of physical hardware requirements and maintenance fees are one thing. But the fact that it is a cloud telephony software means that you only get all the standard PBX features you need out of the box. Customised features can be added at a fee, and if you do need it it can be added remotely.
Scalability - As a cloud software solution, businesses can add more extensions parallel to their growth. This is all done in the backend, and without any operational downtime.
Increased Security and Reliability - Cloud phones are hosted and managed by the provider. With Nautilus, we choose the best local data servers in Singapore to ensure maximum uptime of 99.9%. This translates to fast, consistent, and secure calling.
Managed Service - We take away the unnecessary stress of managing phone lines from customers by doing it for them. As a managed service, we monitor our customer’s phone systems for them and maintain high performance at all times. It’s like having your own team of guardian angels!
Features designed for productivity - Advanced calling features come given: a customizable IVR, call routing, call recording, etc. Nautilus even offers a comprehensive Reporting Portal to help businesses monitor their call performance.
Scalability and Flexibility
At the pace that the world is currently going, businesses have to adapt. Because the advent of the internet has untethered workers from their desks – and in some cases– from the traditional office setup. The Covid-19 Pandemic is the one thing that has propelled companies to adopt cloud communications. And the rise of cloud based contact centers definitely pushes that agenda!
Cloud Telephony offers the scalability and flexibility that traditional phone systems simply couldn’t, and the whole world is starting to notice. With trends going up and down, business communications have to evolve right along with them. Call centers facing fluctuating call volumes, for example, can add users as they grow. Nautilus can handle these add-ons remotely, without technical expertise required from the business’ end.
Cloud Telephony is the future of communications
With all the challenges that businesses have to contend with today, it helps to have a little breather. It helps to know that there are tools available for you, and that there’s a team willing to help out. With business communications, we know its importance and its weight.
That, we believe, is why we do the things we do at Nautilus. We’re a small team offering a managed service solution. And remember what Anne Sweeney said? “The best thing you can give your team: clarity, communication, and pulling people together around a shared mission.”
Our mission is to help businesses connect better. And Cloud Telephony is the best thing you can provide your team today. Need help setting that up? Want to know more about its benefits? We’re a message away.