Cloud solutions have arrived for telephone systems, and they have an alluring promise of reduced costs, better service, and more reliable platforms. However, finding the right fit to realize those opportunities for your company can be difficult.
Technology is always changing, and you’ve got little time to master it while also keeping your business running and customers happy. The specialized knowledge and expertise required to make a migration as successful and affordable as possible makes it a smart idea to consider a migration partner.
We’ll look at three of the most significant opportunities that cloud phone systems provide and discuss how a reliable migration partner can help you make the most of each. While the right relationship can save you significantly, you’ll still need to do some homework.
With the help of our free migration guide you can see what steps you and your team need to take to make the transition to the cloud as successful as possible.
Cost Savings Based on Your Needs & Goals
Cloud systems provide you many opportunities to better understand and control costs, especially as you move to remote teams.
Migrating to a cloud platform gives you a chance to reduce or remove maintenance fees on complex PBX equipment. You will also avoid future installation expenses on equipment that may fail or need to be replaced down the road.
There is no denying that by using a hosted solution, the costs for installation alone offers substantial savings.
By shifting to a monthly service contract, your costs are easier to understand and predict. If you know when you’ll need to scale up, such as after a product launch or update, these costs are also predictable and minimal. Scaling down to save is also more accessible and more immediate when compared to installed solutions.
The trick here is determining what is right for your budget. Working with a migration partner can help you understand the total costs of systems plus where you might save based on your growth plans. If you’re expanding, there is likely an inflection point where the standard licensing and per-user fees of one system will move to become more affordable than another.
Partners can help you frame costs correctly, making your solution long-term and sustainable.
Meet Growing Customer Needs With the Right Technology and Tools
Employing unified communications from one solution gives you a chance to meet the growing demands customers have for different service channels while minimizing the number of systems your teams have to learn.
This omni-channel approach can significantly boost your ability to service customers more efficiently and get your agents up to speed much faster.
However, with the constant changes happening in platforms, dashboards, and supported devices, it can be very tricky to understand what’s available from each platform and what best meets your needs.
A reliable partner can help you select based on today’s needs and where the market is headed. Partners not only look at your data, but they gather their own, and may even be given data from their vendors and service providers, giving greater market insight that the average consumer does not have access to.
For you, that could mean having the right support to add in SMS tools now and know that you’ll need dynamic chatbot tools in 6 months.
Partners can help you find solutions where scalability is expected and enables you to pay for each channel as it is added, so there’s no waste in what you don’t need now. This limits your need to rip-and-replace in the future. Knowing which platforms have a long history of quality support and working with customers like you will give you the best chance to pick a smart partner.
Your research should include evaluating these partners. Speak with multiple partners to ensure that you find honest, independent companies that have trusted relationships with their vendors and offer consultative advice to help you choose a solution that enables you to service your customers in the ways your customers are expecting.
Implement Trusted & Reliable Testing Processes When Moving to Cloud
It’s incredibly challenging to learn a new system and be able to test functionality thoroughly. Partners who are experts in communication technology know the limitations and requirements, plus their experience helps them identify common gaps and interruptions.
With the right team, you’ll know the most common pitfalls and interruptions that cause issues with a chosen system. Their experience helps you avoid problems before they interrupt mission-critical service delivery. It’s all about making proactive efforts with a knowledgeable partner.
Partners can develop a detailed test plan to assist you before any migration begins, with small tests based on your data and then the proper reviews, audits, and tests as you migrate. Avoid concerns over types of data, sources, and integrated applications by bringing on a partner company that has seen these migrations before.
What you’ll want to ask about are detailed testing plans and learning options. You might discover that a vendor offers standard cloud and online training but can also send an expert to a location.
Avoid Hidden Troubles and Maximize Spend
While minimizing infrastructure and transitioning data to a new platform, many small issues can crop up and potentially halt your efforts. Picking a reliable partner helps you avoid these concerns.
Together, you and your partner can plan to address and migrate slowly, avoiding data loss or service disruption. There are checklists you can review to help you create your plan together.
It’s a complicated process, and the best way to get started is to learn about the challenges that others face, and the steps needed to overcome them. To avoid these pitfalls, take a look at our free eBook The Ultimate PBX to Cloud Migration Guide. If you want to learn more about service selection, migration steps, and other safeguards feel free to reach out and we would be happy to assist you on your journey to a cloud-based phone system.
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