These days, the need for businesses to “do more with less” is not just important: it’s essential! And that’s why a growing number of companies — from small firms to large enterprises — are upgrading to Cloud (a.k.a. VoIP) office phone systems. Here are the 5 biggest reasons why:
1. No PBX Costs
Conventional phone systems require an on-site private branch exchange (PBX). These are extremely expensive. While the exact amount depends on the size of the organization, generally the cost is about $1,000 per employee. So, a company with 15 employees would have to spend $15,000 — or possibly more — just to make and receive calls. Conversely, cloud office phone systems do not require an on-site PBX, since everything is housed and paid for by the Service Provider. Businesses save thousands of dollars in up-front expenses, and those that choose Carolina Digital Phone can pay as little as just $20/month per employee!
2. No Maintenance Costs
You’ve heard of the “gift that keeps on giving”? Well, on-site PBX phone systems are “costs that keep costing” — because, in addition to spending thousands of dollars to purchase and install a system, there are ongoing maintenance fees. These are typically multi-year agreements, and businesses that need a rapid response (i.e. same-day service) must pay a hefty premium.
With cloud office phone systems, there are no maintenance costs. All maintenance, updates, and upgrades are handled by the Service Provider.
3. No Technical Support Costs
The average salary for an IT Director is $179,600 per year. Typically, these wizards spend around 10 hours a week providing technical support for conventional phone systems, including their least-favorite (or if you wish, most-hated) task: dealing with employee issues and problems. If we crunch the numbers, we can see that $179,600 is $89.80/hour, and $89.80 x 40 (hours per month) x 12 (months in a year) = a whopping $43,104 in phone system technical support costs. With cloud office phone systems, all technical support — including employee issues and problems — is included at no additional cost This means that IT Directors get to spend their valuable time on high priority activities like managing the internet, internet, firewall, routers, switches, network, computers, laptops, apps, etc.
4. No Domestic Long Distance Costs
Small businesses spend an average of $15/month on long-distance costs, while larger organizations can spend hundreds of dollars a month. This may not seem like a big expense on a month-by-month basis, but it certainly adds up. With cloud office phone systems, all domestic long-distance costs are 100% free. And businesses that need to reach customers, suppliers, or partners in other countries can take advantage of highly discounted rates.
5. Seamless and Affordable Scaling
Conventional phone system vendors love the acronym MAC, which stands for “moves, adds and changes.” Why? Because every time a business wants to make a change to the system — for example, add a handful of lines and assign them to new employees — there is a steep price. There may also be a delay as well depending on the standards in the Service Level Agreement (SLA). With cloud office phone systems, businesses can easily, quickly, and very affordably add new lines — which is ideal for remote employees who are working from home offices. What’s more, if they expand into new locations, they don’t have to pay for digging and wiring. They simply unplug their IP phone (which is a phone designed to work exclusively with VoIP) and plug it in at the new location. There is nothing to configure or install — and no MAC fees!
The Final Word
As Gartner points out: “Uncertainty is the new normal, and so it’s imperative that business leaders carefully weigh the implications of frantic cost-cutting vs. thoughtful cost optimization.” Upgrading to cloud office phone systems is a smart, safe and strategic way to do more with less — which these days are more vital than ever! Learn more about our all-in-one solution, and then call us at (336) 544-4000.
