Hosted Telephony: enhanced agility doesn’t need business hostility

Hosted Telephony is one of the most important tools for today’s businesses, yet so many are still hesitant to adopt the technology.

The last twelve months have taught businesses the importance of agility during economic, political, and social uncertainty globally. This has quickly become a key skill to survival and technology is often the key driver to achieve that agility. 

Yet the perceived complexity of embracing new technology has unfortunately stopped many businesses in their tracks, with many delaying adoption for fear of making poor choices around solution or provider. Now that we prepare to emerge from the pandemic and remote working is sure to stay in some form, technology will be vital to ensure we all continue working productively long-term. 

Hosted telephony, a cloud-based phone system that runs over the internet, has been rising in popularity since before Covid-19 hit. Millions of businesses have recognised the flexibility that it enables, but the concept of a cloud-based phone system can be confusing to some. 

Hosted telephony offers more than just basic phone call functionality, as it enables instant messaging, voicemails, and conference calls, all within a single application. What’s more, employees can stay in touch wherever they are from any device, which is great for employees on the go. 

Arguably the best feature of Hosted Telephony is the ability to contact one person on one number, wherever they are and whatever device they’re using. You’ll no longer need to try multiple methods and numbers to get hold of someone. All communications can be managed within a single application and the one number per person will reduce the time spent digging through your phone book. 

Despite this, let’s breakdown the top five reasons why businesses aren’t investing in Hosted Telephony and analyse the truth behind those misconceptions:

“New technology is often more expensive than the current solution”

This can often be the case with new technology, but not always. Cloud-based services don’t require anywhere near as much hardware as traditional fixed-line services, which presents an immediate cost reduction. There is also a greater variety of hosted solutions that can be matched to your exact needs, size, and budget with an array of features that the traditional telephone can’t match. 

In addition, many businesses have invested in new hardware and software to support remote working since the pandemic, yet because hosted telephony can act as your phone, message, and conferencing system, you can consolidate the number of solutions you use across the business, saving money and reducing complexity.  

“I don’t understand how hosted telephony works, and I imagine that the setup will be complex” 

While the concept of telephony in the cloud may sound complex, it’s actually the preferred solution for IT professionals. The provider manages all security and data backups whereas general management such as adding users or removing devices can be completed remotely wherever your user administrator is, and at any point in your billing cycle using a centralised dashboard. Traditional phone systems often require physical installation, regular maintenance, and demand lengthy contracts that are hard to amend or cancel. 

“My business is functioning perfectly as is using a combination of email, phone and mobile”

Every business learns to adapt with the tools they’re given, but efficiency matters too. Staff are often using their time ineffectively by trying to keep up with messages across instant messaging platforms, emails, voicemail, and any other internal or external communication platforms, such as workflow or CRM tools. It’s then inevitable that important messages are missed which could affect your overall business performance. Hosted telephony aims to make communication as simple as possible. Team members can be contactable from one platform, on one number across devices. This allows your staff to focus on running the business, wherever they are working from. 

“I don’t want to cause further disruption to my staff as they try to learn a new system” 

Hosted telephony enables all business communications within a single application. Consolidating your systems into one system will actually make it easier for staff to work with thereby increasing simplicity and enhancing productivity. No formal training is required as the application is straightforward to use, so staff can be up and running within minutes. Your provider can also help you manage the setup process to ensure there is no downtime between switching off your old system and implementing the new one. 

“Can I rely on third-party security and backups? Is it compliant with GDPR and any other data regulations?”

As an expert provider, we choose to work with best-in-breed vendors that provide secure and reliable solutions. We independently test and verify solutions to ensure they adhere to all regulatory compliance within the relevant geographic territories. The solutions also run entirely from the cloud, so you won’t be reliant upon on-premise hardware when everyone is working remotely anyway. 

If your business is considering hosted telephony or interested in learning if it is the right fit for you, please contact one of our team for more information, request a call back today, or dial 0800 123000.