So much more than just a business phone system

Cloud Telephony solutions are incredibly flexible and scalable, making them suitable for all business sizes, from startups and SMBs to corporations. For any business whose current telephony systems are outdated and want to avoid the acquisition costs of new onsite telephony equipment, a Cloud Telephony solution is an excellent, cost-effective alternative to a traditonal phone system, especially as the ISDN infrastructure is switch off continues.

Moving your business telephony to the cloud is normally extremely easy. To make and receive calls, all that is required is a broadband Internet connection, your laptop and a headset. Another excellent option that we highly recommend is to use your smartphone. Of course, other IP enabled devices such as your tablet or an IP desktop phone are optional and can be used according to personal preference.

The terms Cloud Telephony, VoIP telephony and SIP telephony all refer to telephony via the Internet and are therefore often used synonomously. However, there is a difference between them. Cloud Telephony refers business telephony solution where all the phone system is hosted in a provider’s Data Centre and all the telephony functions are accessed via the Internet. In the case of VoIP and SIP telephony, both terms could refer to either an Internet Telephony (i.e cloud telephony) solution OR an onsite IP enabled phone system (IP PBX).

The short answer is yes. The major telecommunication providers around the world are phasing out their ISDN infrastructures in favour of VoIP technology, meaning that at some point, you will have no choice but to switch to VoIP. In many countries, the switch has already been made or is well underway. Also, given the well documented advantages of switch to a Cloud VoIP solution, there really isn’t a valid argument no to switch.

Yes, bringing your existing number with you is no problem and is normally free. Compared to traditional phone lines etc, the portability of VoIP technology is one of the tech’s main advantages as it means even if your office relocates to a new location inside the same phone number area code, you can still keep your existing numbers which was not always possible in the past. However, it is important to have all the information from your old provider contracts, particularly in terms of life contract life cycles. If you are still in contract, it is usually possible to perform a soft migration, whereby you can start using your cloud telephony solution in combination with your old provider and then port the numbers to your cloud telephony provider at a later date.