Cloud or On-Premise Phone Systems?

Businesses change with every technology advancement, usually multiple times in a decade. As an employee or owner, you might see changes in the types of goods you produce and how they are delivered, how payroll is managed, or how coworkers are hired. One thing that doesn’t change is the need for a quality phone system. Your phone system can be cloud-based or a more traditional, on premise setup. Today, we’ll examine cloud-based vs. on premise systems.

Cloud Phone Systems

Cloud phone systems allow you to connect to the internet and make calls from anywhere via an off-site cloud data center. Cloud phone systems save time and money because you and your business are not tied to one specific phone server or line 24 hours a day. Instead, you’re able to connect with clients and coworkers and answer their questions in real time. Many IT professionals are now trained to work with cloud-based systems, which decreases the need for phone and computer repairs. Additionally, cloud-based systems usually come with a variety of features including conferencing and queues. These allow conference calls and online meetings to proceed more quickly and smoothly because less time is spent waiting for employees to dial in or access passwords.

Some cloud phone systems require extra money for extended features. In addition, although the upfront cost to install a cloud-based system is low, you will have to pay a monthly fee. Since calls are often charged by the minute, this fee may not be consistent. The need for a cloud-based system will help you prioritize your budget and economize the business overall. With a cloud-based system, training is the employer’s responsibility and each employee is responsible for his or her own server and devices. This not only saves money in the IT department, but encourages each employee to be careful with his or her devices and use them wisely. This can help decrease server outages, internet malfunctions, and the use of internet for non-work activities.

On Premise Phone Systems

As the name implies, an on premise phone system keeps all your phone lines on one premise. This allows employees to contact each other easily through extensions and other in-house numbers. Using an on premise system rather than a cloud-based one still has its share of problems. If the phone line goes down in your workplace, employees may not have access to another phone. While they can use their personal phones, their systems may not integrate well with the workplace’s system. This slows down the speed of work and can negatively influence project quality.

On premise phone systems don’t have monthly fees, but they tend to have very high startup and equipment cost than cloud systems. Unlike a cloud-based system, professionals will install an on premise system and train your employees to use it. This often means paying more for IT services and retraining employees when a new “best practice” is implemented.

If you want a cloud-based system, Kinetic VoIP can provide all the services that come with it. We can integrate your system with almost any CRM including Salesforce, Zoho, and Sugar CRMs. Our professionals will train you in the use of click-dial, calling logs, and other features. Call Kinetic VoIP today for a free consultation or phone demo.