We’ve done plenty of research and blogging on hybrid work and what it entails. Hybrid work is truly the future, as employees spend less time in the office and more time working remotely. On-premise communication systems do not offer the flexibility to support a growing distributed workforce. Many companies still have hesitations when it comes to switching to the cloud. We can see the world of work is forever changed, and businesses and managers are seeing that employees can be just as productive when given flexibility. The working world will not go back to what it was before. Many major companies have already begun to adopt permanent work from anywhere (WFA) models. Businesses around the world are looking at permanent hybrid approaches—where employees split their time between the office and home.
Check out our blog article on the difference between working from home and working from anywhere.
How are companies going to be able to support this new norm? There are many facets that go into creating a flexible or hybrid workplace. For starters, we have a great blog article built out on 5 steps to take towards workplace flexibility. But it takes much more than just those five steps. One big thing to look at is taking a fundamental shift in technology. During the pandemic lockdowns, many businesses discovered that their on-premises systems couldn’t support an increasingly remote workforce.
Despite the shift to hybrid work, many leaders are still on the fence when it comes to the cloud. They may have concerns about security, costs, and other factors. In the post-pandemic workplace, switching to the cloud isn’t just a want… it’s becoming a need. Let’s debunk some of the top myths behind switching to the cloud from an on-premise PBX solution.
Myth #1. On-premises solutions are more stable than cloud solutions
Some managers feel that maintaining connectivity and service is easier when the infrastructure is located in the same building. They imagine that their IT team will be able to swiftly access their system for troubleshooting or repairs. However, with these on-premise systems, your success depends one what’s happening locally. If there is a power outage or a weather event that knocks out your service entirely, you’re out of commission.
Reality:
Cloud solutions like CallHarbor are housed in multiple geographically distributed data centers. We have 3 geographically redundant data centers where your phone system is hosted out of. If one location goes down for any reason, your system is routed through another data center, with no service interruptions. Our system is always monitoring the QoS (quality of service), so we can detect, diagnose and address issues as quickly as possible.
Alongside this, we stand behind our Service Level Agreement (SLA) that guarantees a minimum percentage of uptime, or maximum downtime. To ensure maximum service with the fewest interruptions, we have an SLA of 99.99% uptime.
Myth #2. Cloud voice call quality isn’t clear
Concerns about calls cutting out, lagging, and other quality issues can be a deterrent when it comes to switching to cloud communications solution. People have bad experiences with a few video calls, and all of a sudden they fear that all internet based communications are going to be bad. Fortunately, that is not the case.
Reality:
CallHarbor uses Quality of Service (QoS) routing to ensure the best possible sound on every call. With QoS, network traffic is classified and prioritized to improve control and throughput of important data. This helps to reduce issues like packet loss, jitter, and latency, resulting in higher call quality across the board. As long as you have stable internet connection, you are golden. With our unified communication suite, each seat gets access to our mobile app and web softphone. The mobile app works on WiFi, or can be accessed through your mobile data. This ensures an always clear call on the go, as well!
Myth #3. They don’t provide advanced calling & meeting features
With a tightly integrated system, businesses with on-premise systems might think that a cloud solution won’t have the advanced calling and meeting features they’re used to. Similarly, they might believe their workflows can’t be transferred to the cloud.
Reality:
Cloud solutions are actually much more customizable and feature-rich than on-premise systems. For example, our UC solution can provide advanced calling analytics and live reports. It gives our customers deep insight into the quality and engagement of every call in real-time and from anywhere. As far as meeting features, you will have even better collaboration because everything will be in one place! Hop on your conference line to chat, or launch up your CallHarbor video platform for your webinar.
Myth #4. There’s no control or customization
Some managers assume there has to be a catch when it comes to moving to the cloud. Another myth surrounding the cloud is that your company will lose control or customization when using an externally managed system. If a company needs to make a quick fix or edit, they fear they wont have the ability to do so.
Reality:
This myth is actually furthest from the truth. Our customer portal with tiered user access gives customization access to whoever you want to have it. You or your IT team will be able to edit users, ring patterns, auto attendants, and more with ease. The best part is that our user portal is available from your browser, so you can make changes from anywhere. You can access, configure, and maintain your entire system from one place. Everything from editing users, seeing analytics, and making changes to an auto attendant is just one click away.
You can do things like:
– Edit users, locations, and phone buttons
– View call records and detailed reports & analytics
– View call recordings and download or share them
– Enable or disable features for individuals & groups
– Change auto attendant buttons
– Add or edit call queues
– Turn on voicemail transcriptions & toggle preferences
– Add a new voicemail or greeting
Myth #5. Moving from on-premise is expensive
At first glance, the costs of adopting a cloud communications service might seem daunting, especially when added to your on-premise costs. The total cost might seem like more than what you are currently paying, which can turn many managers off of the switch. But the fact of the matter is that you are getting SO much more freedom, flexibility, reliability, features, and support.
Reality:
Studies show that businesses who make the jump can see cost savings of nearly $200K within the first year. This is possible because these savings come from so many different areas. When you eliminate a legacy system, all of the maintenance and upkeep costs fizzle out. Your IT staff, or whoever was trying to manager your phone issues, is freed up to focus on other tasks. With more flexibility and fewer obstacles to working remotely, employees are set up to work more productively. Businesses of all sizes see productivity improvements of up to 21%.
Flexible & Reliable Communications
How we work is changing, and old on-premises PBX solutions aren’t up to the task. Today’s workers want reliable, secure, and feature-rich communications that can serve their employees and customers wherever they are. And cloud communications are making it happen.