Riding the Wave of Cloud Computing

cloud-based telephone systems

BY NANCY ZAMBRANO ON FEB 25, 2014 IN BLOG, CLOUD COMPUTING FOR BUSINESSES, HOSTED COMMUNICATIONS

As far as buzzwords go, “the cloud” has been one of the biggest in recent memory. But just because it has popped up like a tidal wave does not make it some kind of fad. In fact, cloud computing has been around much longer than the devices that use it today. Some incarnation of cloud technology has been in existence since the introduction of the IBM PC Ethernet adapter card, but with modern advancements in wireless and mobile technology, the cloud is beginning to experience a new life as the standard for both enterprise-class computing and unified communications initiatives.

According to research conducted by the Manchester Business School and Vanson Bourne, 88 percent of companies in the United Kingdom and the United States feel that their experiences with the cloud have been financially beneficial by cutting costs, with 56 percent saying similar things about building profits.  The ease of use inherent of technologies like cloud telephony was also touted as a way for organizations to free up IT departments from dealing with basic operational inquiries from the general staff. With more time, IT employees will be able to drive innovation and enable other areas of the company – according to Ramco, 90 percent of surveyed companies found improvement in their IT departments since moving to the cloud.

Cloud technology is not only popular, but it is being implemented at such a rate and in so many ways that migration is inevitable. The benefits of using the cloud are too great to ignore not only for storage and app deployment, but also for communications. By enabling employees with the ability to connect to servers and VoIP telephone systems effectively from remote locations, businesses will be able to increase productivity and maintain relevancy.

Cloud Service Adoptions Surging

hosted telephone systems

The cloud is grabbing the attention and acceptance at an incredible rate. Awesome Cloud Services found that cloud computing is growing five times faster than IT as a whole, and it is doing so on a global scale. 50 percent of the revenue brought in from this development came from the U.S. alone.

The market for cloud-based solutions is clearly growing, and it is only expected to get bigger over the next few years – namely in government agencies. According to research from IDC, spending on private cloud services for federal-level institutions in 2014 is expected to reach $1.7 billion. By 2017, that number will reach $7.7 billion, part of what Awesome Cloud predicts will be a $22.2 billion-dollar private cloud infrastructure industry. Cloud unified communications solutions will undoubtedly be a part of these purchases.

This will no doubt contribute to the increased demand for employees with cloud management experience. IDC has also found that the cloud will be responsible for the creation of 1.2 million jobs in the U.S. and Canada – some of 14 million globally – by 2015. The obvious need for staff members with appropriate credentials is indicative of how seriously many organizations all over the world are taking the impending move.

Surf’s Up

Much like a tidal wave, cloud UC and computing developments seemingly crashed into the business world. The workplace was instantly flooded with just as much confusion as it was with new options and advancements. But more organizations are recognizing how to navigate the currents of cloud-based phone systems, connecting to new channels and utilizing them in ways they never could before. With new waters being tested and approved by companies every day, understanding and incorporating the cloud into daily office operations is becoming required to stay afloat. Riding this wave of technology allows businesses to stay competitive in a constantly-evolving landscape.

8 Reasons Why Technical Buyers Should Love Unified Communications

BY NANCY ZAMBRANO ON MAY 14, 2014 IN BLOG, HOSTED COMMUNICATIONS

Being a technical buyer isn’t easy. With so much changing technology, choosing the right systems and applications can feel like a shot in the dark. There’s pressure to ensure the chosen technology was worth the investment and will do exactly what it says it will do, including integrating with existing platforms. Even when the ideal technology is found, the installation, deployment, training, maintenance and future upgrade costs associated with it can make the total cost of ownership for it skyrocket…and guess who is at fault when the numbers don’t quite deliver?

When it comes to phone systems, many companies struggle to provide employees with modern phone systems without budgeting for huge upfront costs. After all, most already invested a significant amount of money on their existing phone platform and can’t justify upgrading until it gets so bad, they have no choice. Dropped calls, spotty service, limited call features, and escalating maintenance and operating costs on legacy systems all point to one thing: you need a new phone system and it’s up to you to find one.

What if it was all made so simple, an administrator with no technical skills could manage the rollout? Unified communications is the telephony industry’s attempt to do just that, particularly if the phone system is hosted in the cloud. When everything is integrated, control is centralized and time is suddenly freed for more strategic initiatives. Here’s how unified communications (UC) hopes to solve much of a technical buyer’s challenges:

1. Using the capabilities of VoIP, multimedia communications, enterprise applications and personal information can be integrated, such as phone, instant messaging, video conferencing, mobility, presence, collaboration capabilities and CRM/ERP and application tracking systems.
2. UC can be utilized by both on-premises, cloud-based and hosted phone systems.
3. Easy-to-use tools on the UC phones can instantly initiate many daily tasks that can be personalized with minimal training.
4. Hosted VoIP systems require no technical skills to install, deploy, maintain or add additional features or upgrades because the system is hosted offsite by the vendor who performs those tasks as part of the hosted service.
5. The unified platform distributes the system’s intelligence across the communications environment so the system can scale as needed with minimal time or resources.
6. If the VoIP phone system has a distributed architecture, there are built-in safeguards in the event of a power failure to ensure mission-critical business continuity.
7. A high-quality VoIP phone system will provide quality sound and reliable service with minimal support requirements.
8. “Smart” phone systems offer mobility and personal call management options, provide metrics to understand your callers and your employees, and integrate with business applications to improve customer service.

Any company still dealing with antiquated phones and difficult service providers needs to know there is a better option. Time and resources are precious commodities so preserving them where you can is paramount. Surprisingly, not all phone systems require a large upfront or ongoing operating budget, even if your organization is in constant growth and flux. 

To learn more about the best solution for your business, please visit  www.generalcom.com or call (781) 756-5100.

Cloud-Based Business Telephone Systems

Your grandfather’s PBX is still just as reliable as your grandfather, but you don’t have the time that your grandfather did!  So, for some businesses, cloud-based telephone solutions offer the benefit of time. Time that will allow you to be more productive and to impact your bottom line!

Today, most people are familiar with the benefits of cloud computing, outsourcing their payroll, HR and IT Services, but are less familiar with the benefits of moving their telephone system to the cloud. Why is this true? Because it has taken more years for the technology to develop and prove itself incontrovertible when replacing an end-of-life or ancient PBX telephone system. Today, discussions about cloud-based toll quality is as infrequent as discussing the benefits of unleaded gasoline.

What do you eliminate with a cloud-based telephone system? You will eliminate separate billing for technology upgrades, equipment obsolescence, maintenance costs, costs for local and long distance lines and trunks, and the costs for adds, moves and changes to your system. 

What you will gain back is all your time dealing with carriers to break/fix circuits and paying monthly invoices. You will gain back all of the time spent on maintaining telephone hardware, including central processors, software versions and software and firmware upgrades.

What you will not lose is confidence that General Communications will be able to see you through the cloud conversion process and train your employees to use cloud-based telephone technology to make your business more competitive and profitable.

Click here to learn more about our cloud-based solutions 

Please do not hesitate to call us if you have an interest in discussing how a cloud-based telephone solution will benefit your employees, customers and ultimately impact your bottom line. 

(781) 756-5100

General Communications Corp.

info@generalcom.com