Making the move to Cloud has been a hot topic in the VoIP industry for a while now. There are plenty of reasons to consider it:
- Less hardware to manage
- OPEX make for easy monthly payments and less upfront expenses
- Flexibility to grow as your business grows or reduce during slow seasons
And, with the industry as a whole making a move to hosted offerings, it’s a future-proof business decision that’s sure to benefit your business. So, if it’s such a smart move, why are intelligent vendors not throwing their customers into the Cloud overnight? Like most business transitions, moving your business phone system to the Cloud needs to be accomplished gradually. If you rush the process, you could overlook some crucial steps and make what should be an easy transition into a nightmare.
Consider your Contracts
First and foremost, be aware of your contractual obligations to your current phone service provider. It can actually cost you an arm and a leg of your company if you abandon ship too soon. Secondly, be aware of any phone numbers that your current provider may “own” that you intend to use with your new hosted provider. Setting up a forwarding process to temporary DIDs from the new hosted vendor is a necessary limbo land you will live in for a few days-weeks. If you cancel your service too soon, you can lose those numbers, and there is usually no getting them back.
Evaluate your ISP
When making a move to Cloud, your ISP network is about to be important in a whole new way: it will be the highway that is used to deliver your hosted service from your new vendor. Although hosted vendors are offering very attractive limited time offers, it would behoove you to take the time to call your Internet provider and confirm your bandwidth. Evaluate how much of your bandwidth is used for day-to-day operations and remember that in order to have an optimal voice quality with hosted phone service or a hosted phone system, it’s recommended that you have at least 100Kbps, per concurrent call.
Compare Vendors and Try Demos
Finally, take your time and really compare vendors. Although vendors boast a lot of the same features, what you actually receive when you sign the line on a contract can vary substantially. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions around contract obligations, support hours, pricing per feature, what if I need to add or drop extensions, and if a vendor offers a trial that is a great bonus you should definitely consider. What better way to evaluate a vendor’s service than taking the system out for a test ride?
Enjoy a free Moving to the Cloud Playbook
Just like a runner needs to know their own skill level before entering a marathon, you need to know what you require from your phone system before making the move to Cloud. Where do you stand with your current vendor? Do you have the bandwidth to support a hosted phone system? Spread out all the quotes you procured from different vendors and get out your magnifying glass to see what the differences might be. In order to give you a head start, Sangoma put together a Moving to the Cloud playbook that covers additional tips that can make this important transition one of the easiest. Also, feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Our knowledgeable sales team is always eager to help.