Choosing between an on premise vs cloud deployment options for your business phone system is a challenge to say the least. No two businesses are exactly the same and no one solution will fit all business models.
'Business needs, growth plans, and in-house expertise will influence your decision.
Choosing an On Premise Based Solution
Premise based solutions allow for additional control and validation, but may require expensive hardware to set up and a strong dedication from your IT department to manage, unless your provider offers telecom managed services. If your organization already has existing infrastructure then a premise based phone system may be the best option.
Premise solutions are perfect for your business if...
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I already have an in-house IT team for support
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The systems are already virtualized for the greatest flexibility and distribute services efficiently
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The nature of our line of business deters us from putting everything in the cloud
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I already have a very reliable, secure infrastructure
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Downtime is not an option - I need full control over my infrastructure
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All aspects of the communication platforms data needs to have end-to-end encryption
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My budget is largely CAPEX driven
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My location is set and I don't expect to be moving any time soon
Wait... are you ready to switch to VoIP?
Choosing a Cloud Based Solution
Hosted services or cloud solutions provide lower upfront costs, reduced infrastructure requirements, and require less maintenance over time. It's no surprise that hosted services is beginning to become extremely attractive to small to medium sized organizations. Choosing a cloud solution is a viable choice for your business if you want to reduce licensing costs and avoid recruiting additional IT staff.
The Hosted is right for my business if:
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My internet connection is at least 25 mb down
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I need flexibility in how my telephony systems are managed, but I don't have the right in-house staff
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OpEx is preferred because I need to be cost conscious and my user base is 100 users or less
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Communications is important to me, but I can tolerate imperfect calls here and there
(If it works like my cell phone, I am okay with that) -
My focus needs to be on growing my business not maintaining my technology
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I want peace of mind with high end security to protect my data at all points
Selecting the right implementation of a phone system is important for the success of your business. *Remember, it doesn't have to be just one way or the other, there are hybrid solutions that can meet your needs as well.*
Still unsure which the best phone system deployment options? Take the quiz!
