Eager to Compete? The Cloud is Ready for You

Business has always been competitive in nature, and with a shrinking world and rapidly expanding technology, it can seem like business is more competitive now than ever in the past. But the same expanding technology that some also believe makes the world smaller can even provide the basis to compete in this new world; particularly in terms of cloud-based technology. IT-Online recently took a look at just what the cloud—particularly in terms of cloud-based voice systems—is doing for enterprise users in the field.

Cloud-based technology, especially cloud-based voice systems, are offering up not only an impressive array of features for users to put to work, but are allowing access to such systems regardless of location or what area telephone providers are willing to offer. That versatility and access to new features is driving quite a few businesses—particularly those in the small to medium-sized business (SMB) class—to consider the use of cloud-based voice solutions ahead of more standard telephone options.

For instance, customers taking advantage of the Euphoria Cloud VoIP PBX system see some impressive savings over the competition, as the Euphoria Cloud requires little in the way of hardware to set it up. With voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) capable handsets, the operation can be put in play, meaning investment is minimal. Better yet—for many businesses—much of the up-front expense is instead converted into a recurring monthly expense, essentially, another bill. That can make it more manageable and better able to fit into a standard budget, which a major capital expense often can't.

Perhaps best of all is that this recurring monthly expense—essentially much like a phone bill—comes with so much more than a phone bill might ordinarily cover. Yes, there's inbound and outbound calling, but depending on the provider selected, an array of features might come into play with a cloud voice system. Features like find me follow me systems and mobility mechanisms allow customers to reach the business, one way or another, regardless of where the staff is at the time, a particular value for the SMB user. Other tools include things like analysis tools to figure out how to get the most out of incoming and even outgoing calls, and some systems can even work with a customer relationship management (CRM) tool. We have video about this and a variety of other subjects available at this link.

The old saw about the right tool for the right job is still in place, and it's a very important point to keep in mind. It's well known that offering a quality customer experience can help drive sales; customers that believe the businesses dealt with value said customers' time and business are more likely to get those customers to return to do business in the future. It's not guaranteed, of course—sometimes customers will go elsewhere even if a satisfactory experience is delivered—but it does increase the likelihood nicely.

Businesses have more tools than ever to attempt to make contact with customers, and in turn, get an edge on the competition. While no tool can promise improvements in business, those who fail to use the tools at all often have a much worse chance of getting ahead than those who do. Regardless of what tools are ultimately used, tools in isolation will do little. It's the effective use of these tools, along with the product offered and the customer experience provided, that will ultimately save the day for a business.