Moving to the Cloud? Your Phone System is a Great Place to Start
Steve Farmiloe
Top Gun Show Host. I help Sales Partners / Advisors / VARs / MSPs uncover sales opportunities by assisting/training them on selling the complete stack of telecom services.
In its projections for cloud services, Gartner predicts markets for Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) are all set to grow between 20% and 40% as enterprises seek to cut data center costs and deploy systems and databases over more cost-effective networks.
Despite these growing adoption rates, many companies still aren’t ready to make a full-scale move to cloud-based technologies. If you are among those who want to take a measured approach to cloud adoption, look no further than your phone system as a great place to start. By working with a communications provider who offers both cloud and on-site phone systems, you’ll not only get expert guidance, but also the flexibility to customize a migration path that fits your business.
Below are four reasons starting your journey to the cloud via your business communications needs makes sense:
- Manage Deployments in Small Groups - For many businesses, the phone system is the ideal service to serve as a catalyst in your transition to the cloud. Since it can be deployed in a phased approach, you can learn by transitioning small groups, teams or locations one at a time with little overall risk. Plus, you can also lean on the expertise of your service provider because most cloud vendors have helped countless other companies through similar transitions.
- Flexibility to Subscribe to the Features Right for You - With cloud services, you have the ability to mix and match user profiles and subscribe to the specific features you want. This means you never waste money paying for features you don’t use or feel stuck in your purchase. Your cloud communications solution will evolve along with your business, providing you with the flexibility to grow and evolve on your own terms.
- Smarter Use of Internal Resources - A system provider with cloud expertise can help you make better use of your internal IT resources. With a cloud deployment, applications are hosted remotely and maintained by the provider, relieving IT of most or all network-related tasks. The business then consumes the services on a subscription basis rather than owning the infrastructure. In this model, the cloud provider manages the extra workload while allowing your IT team to focus on the initiatives that drive revenue for your business.
- Gain the Buy-In You Need to Move Forward With Other Cloud-Based Solutions - For any deployment to be successful, it must have buy-in from users. By focusing on your phone system early in your migration, you can introduce employees to the cloud’s many time-saving, productivity-enhancing benefits. As their comfort grows, your ability to transition other systems and processes to the cloud will become easier. A provider with a reputation for excellent customer service and training options will help you quickly get buy-in from your employees.
For many of today’s businesses, a move to the cloud is just a matter of time. Choosing a phased approach with an early focus on your phone system is a smart choice, and tapping the expertise of a cloud phone service provider can make it an even smarter one.
Contact me for more information at [email protected]