Why this year could be the one – the 2021 – to take up a cloud phone system
To say that 2020 turned workplace communication on its head would be an understatement. These days, when co-workers collaborate, it’s in a socially-distanced fashion and often with each participant seated in their home offices. The old rulebook has largely been torn up as a result of the pandemic.
Furthermore, as is clear to see from what has so far passed of 2021, the COVID crisis – and thus the necessity of working from home – is going to linger for a while yet. For reasons like these, the argument for your business implementing a cloud phone system has probably never been stronger.
What exactly is a cloud phone system?
As you have probably already guessed, it’s far from a traditional, largely hardware-based phone system – as that wouldn’t be one many different remote workers in your team could easily use in the COVID age. A cloud phone system is so-called as its functions run through online software, opening up a rich vein of exciting new possibility.
For example, as explained in a TechRadar article, because cloud-based phone systems “use VoIP for calls and communications, they can offer much more versatile performance while including a rich range of features as standard, such as analytics and integrations.”
However, perhaps the single biggest reason why your business should seriously consider opting for a cloud phone system is that, as it will be hosted in the cloud, all members of your team will be able to stay connected to it – and, thus, with each other – from their homes or even while on business trips where those are still required and allowed.
Why is 2021 an especially good time to switch?
If your business is UK-based, one simple reason to transfer your corporate phone system to the cloud is BT’s announcement, as referenced by SME Web, that ISDN phone lines will become obsolete by 2025. Therefore, if your phone system is still ISDN-based, you should follow other businesses in looking for a more future-proof solution that won’t abruptly leave your employees in the lurch when 2025 comes around.
However, another timely incentive to go down the cloud route is the continuing uncertainty about the course the pandemic will take – and, by extension, how it will affect your business. With a cloud phone system at close hand, your home-bound workers can continue to have a wide range of functions, including instant messaging, audio calling and emailing, literally at their fingertips.
A cloud phone system would also be relatively quick and easy for your business to adjust to the ever-changing times. The flexible nature of the system means that it can easily be augmented with further telecom features and services.
For example, if your business sources much of its custom through inbound calls, you could add inbound call routing to your phone system’s repertoire. That way, if you usually take calls from the traditional office but a fresh lockdown forces you to return to your home office, you could have calls instantly redirected to there, enabling you to keep easily taking calls from customers.