The flip phone was once considered a futuristic piece of technology, but compare it to today’s iPhone and it feels positively pre-historic.
The same can be said of old-school, on-premises tech like servers and PBX phone systems, writes Nic Laschinger, chief technology officer of Euphoria Telecom. Compared to new cloud systems, they’re clunky, expensive to maintain, and not very flexible.
So why haven’t all businesses switched to the cloud yet? In a nutshell, because it’s a big leap with lots of moving parts. But for businesses setting out on this journey, here is a roadmap to guide you along the way.
The cost conundrum: upfront vs. long-term savings
Switching to the cloud sounds expensive, and upfront, it can be. But you might be surprised when you break it down. As an example, a switch to a cloud server might rack up data transfer costs to move everything from a physical to a virtual server. But you’re immediately cutting your costs on electricity, maintenance and hefty hardware upgrade bills.
When weighing up the financial aspects, look out for sneaky, hidden costs. Cloud PBX providers, for example, may try to hide behind connection fees and complex billing structures like paying for a full minute when you only spoke for 32 seconds. But there’s nowhere to hide with per second billing- you just pay for what you use.
The real value of cloud tech
People often confuse cost with value. But value is more than just what you pay upfront. A switch to cloud means fewer system failures and frustrating downtime. It’s also more agile so you can scale up or down easily to suit your needs.
But the big bonus lies in the way cloud technology supercharges big data analytics. The result? Smarter, faster business decisions, whether you’re tracking customer behaviour, analysing call reports or spotting fraud before it even happens.
Like yoga for your business
Cloud systems are just more flexible than on-premises ones and they make your business more flexible too. Cloud based productivity suites and phones give your teams the flexibility to stay connected, no matter where they are in the world. Many of these solutions also integrate effortlessly, so your CRM, PBX, storage and data backups are all linked. This all makes for happier, more efficient and productive workplaces.
Add to this how simple the cloud is to scale. Gone are the days of waiting for a new line or additional storage to be physically installed, you can do this with a click of a button now.
Locking it down
It’s a myth that on-premises systems are safer than the cloud. All it takes is one employee and a phishing email to bring the whole organisation to its knees. Cloud, on the other hand, offers multiple layers of security, including encryption and multi-factor authentication.
That said, there are still risks that both you and your cloud security provider should be on top of. Your phone system, for example, operates on the same networks as your computers, so if one is breached, the other is at risk.
Mind the (skills) gap
Switching to full cloud systems will need new skills like cloud architecture, DevOps and security and data governance. There is no getting around the fact that some of these are in short supply and expensive. So if you are making the switch, upskilling and retraining your existing people can be a smarter, more-cost effective solution.
Bear in mind that not every business is going to need full scale cloud architecture either. A small business can very easily get away with the tools and storage offered by productivity suites like Google, Microsoft and Zoho, coupled with a decent phone system. The skills required to get the best of these can easily be acquired through supplier training, and some online tutorials.
The big picture
Moving to the cloud isn’t just about having shinier, faster systems. It’s a strategic shift—a way to future-proof your business, cut down on inefficiencies, and get ahead of the competition.
The companies that understand the financial, security, and skills implications will find themselves commanding their own spaceships instead of trying to hail one from their flip phones.