Running a business has changed. In the old days we had to buy, store and maintain an expensive business telephone system, but now there may be no hardware, software or maintenance, as everything is on the cloud. In fact, a valid alternative is represented by virtual telephone systems, which are designed especially for medium-small companies.

Employees can benefit from interesting and competitive features, such as being able to work anywhere, as calls can be forwarded to mobile phones, Moreover, when you are busy in a meeting, you will still be able to answer calls as voice mails are transcribed and instantly delivered via email.

Your typical working day may be very demanding. A typical day involves lots of calls to clients and suppliers, meetings in and out of the office, and plenty of travelling. During meetings there’s no other choice but to put your phone on silent, and let calls go to voicemail, which is no good if the matter is urgent.

Plus, it is not always convenient to answer the phone whilst travelling. Meanwhile, clients might try calling your landline, or they might try getting in touch with another team member in the office. This may be frustrating for clients, stressful for the employees and inefficient for your company.

How Does a Typical Working Day Look with a Cloud-Based Solution?

An employee goes into the office to catch up with his team and prepare for a meeting with a client. With a cloud solution, he can log onto the system and confirm his schedule e.g. he can change his status to, "in a meeting from 10 until 12". He can also update his white list if there is one particular call he can’t afford to miss. So, while all other calls will automatically be re-routed to the receptionist, he will be able to take this particular phone call.

Now imagine while he is on the phone to supplier, another client calls. It pops up through "Alert Client" on his laptop and he can forward the call to someone else who he knows can help.

At the end of the day the employee has his meeting, takes his important call, and travels back to the office, safe in the knowledge that all calls have been dealt with. No missed communications, no frustrated clients, no stress and great added value for your company.

Last but not least, the biggest advantage of a cloud-based telephone system is the cost. It is much cheaper, as there are a lot of companies providing this service and you can choose which one suits you best.