You have reviewed the pros and cons and done the math. Now, before moving forward, add these important items to your to do list for your cloud deployment.
Build the highway before taking the journey
As they say in real estate, the top 3 priorities are Location. Location. Location. When it comes to Cloud phone systems, the top 3 priorities are The Network. The Network. The Network. The quality of your cloud phone deployment is directly proportionate to your focus on building a solid network prior to installing your system. Expect to invest some time and money in assuring that your local area network and internet connection are ready for prime time. If you buy a top of the line sports car and send it down a bumpy road with detours, stop lights, and pot holes, you will end up disappointed in your experience. Likewise, if you deploy cloud phones on a less than adequate network, performance will suffer.
Pick a good horse
The market is currently flooded with cloud phone providers, make sure you do your homework and pick a good one. Due to the internet, it is very easy for a small provider, hosting a phone system in their garage to get the same exposure that a larger, more formidable provider with multiple data centers may get. Some Important questions to consider are as follows. What is their network like? The best providers will expand their network once it approaches 60-70% capacity. The below average providers will oversubscribe their network which will cause potential call quality issues. How long has the provider been in business? What is their product roadmap? Where do they rank in the Gartner group quadrant? Do they have the potential to be part of a messy acquisition down the road? How often do they have network issues? One of the good web sites to review performance is downdetector.com. This site reports network outages for most major providers.
The Customer is king
What level of customer service is delivered? Going to the cloud, in most cases, means you will now be relying on someone at the end of an 800 number to help you with issues. It pays to find out what the customer experience with the vendor is, long after the excitement of a new installation wears off.
Think about the Pre- Nup
Moving to the cloud can be a long -term decision and you could be with your provider for a long time if you pick the right one. However, with technology, the landscape is ever evolving. Forging ahead with caution is often the best approach. Plan for your exit in advance and pick a provider that allows for an easy migration to a new one in the event you aren’t happy. If possible, start out with a short-term contract and renew only if you are satisfied with the product being delivered.
Avoid a DIY install
Often the allure of a cloud-based phone system, is the “simple, plug and play” installation that many companies tout. As in the case with most technologies, expect to get what you pay for. You may be able to muddle through your set up with someone at a call center, but don’t expect to have all the functionality you need delivered. Don’t attempt to become a phone system expert once every ten years. Instead, hire a professional to assist you with this important transition.
