Hosted Cloud Phone Solutions: Are you Ready or Not?

Hosted or Cloud based phone solutions have seen a tremendous boom in the last 5 years. Once riddled with call quality issues, unreliable connectivity, and high prices, Hosted Systems now offer one of the most attractive solutions to SMB and Enterprise customers. But how do you know if Hosted Phones are right for you?

1. What do you need out of your phones?

If you have high call volume, a receptionist transferring/fielding calls, or an extensive auto-attendant with more than just personal voicemail boxes, then Hosted may not be your best choice. However, if your business runs mostly on outbound calling and DID (Direct Inward Dialing), then these systems may be perfect!

Unlike traditional phone systems, cloud based hosted business phone systems offer a wide range of new applications meant to integrate seamlessly into your business for little to no additional cost. Conference Bridges, Mobile Extensions/Applications, Push-to-Cell, Salesforce Integration, and Soft Phones are just a few of the options available on most Cloud systems.

2. What kind of services do you receive from your voice & internet carrier provider?

Most carrier providers in the Austin area utilize two types of cabling: fiber and coax. Fiber offers a dedicated line to your office with equal upload & download speeds. Telco Data highly recommends only rolling out a new Hosted Cloud Phone System if your office has fiber available to your. See our Business Class Carrier Services page for more information on how to receive assistance from Telco Data on negotiating your next contract!

3. Do you have an on-site IT staff?

Some, but not all Hosted Cloud Phone System providers include on-site installation and network set-up assistance. However, most won’t double check your wiring or your switches or your assist with establishing a separate voice network to control QoS. Businesses with a full time IT staff typically have little to no issues here. Between Telco Data’s complimentary site surveys and the IT personnel’s network programming, hiccups can be avoided. However, for smaller businesses utilizing third party vendors or simply winging it themselves, this can result in frustration and headaches.

Want a complimentary demo of a Hosted Phone System with our expert Sales & Estimating team? Want a complimentary site survey of your space to confirm compatibility? Contact Telco Data today and we’ll get you the information you need for your new Hosted/Cloud business phone system!