On-Premise vs Hosted
As a business owner, you likely already know how important it is to have a sound business phone system in place. Unified Communications decisions are some of the most important decisions that you’ll make concerning your business. VoIP is one of the most innovative technologies in business communications systems, but there are different delivery methods for it, and before you choose the best system for your business, it’s essential that you understand the different options out there. There are two primary options to choose from when it comes to Unified Communications for your business: hosted PBX or on-premise solutions.
Usually, when you think of a hosted solution, you’re thinking of cloud PBX. As its name implies, hosted PBX is hosted in the cloud. You might have to purchase business phone systems, routers, and other network equipment, but ultimately, your communications system is hosted by the company you choose to get to host it. It’s kind of like outsourcing your communications needs to another company so that you don’t have to have an in-house department dedicated solely to the maintenance of it.
Hosted VoIP Grows with your Business
Hosted PBX usually ends up being the more affordable option for most small to large businesses. In fact, hosted PBX solutions usually save customers up to 50 percent of what they would have spent if they used another type of Unified Communication solution; all while connecting customers to remote employees anywhere via one system – Stratus Web Portal.
Going Hosted also provides customers with unlimited capabilities to customize their settings by adding or removing lines and features. Admins or agents can customize their experience on the Web Portal to improve benchmarking or increase productivity and collaboration.
Unified Communications You Can Rely On
Hosted PBX solutions are also more than 99.999 percent reliable, and they come with built-in failovers. One of the most beneficial aspects is that it is easy to manage. You won’t have to do all the work yourself since all the maintenance, updates, troubleshooting and support you’ll need for your system can be provided by the hosting company, like SpectrumVoIP.
On-Premise Phone Systems
On-Premise systems are business phone systems based on-site. Premise phone systems must be set up in-house, which means that your business will be responsible for providing each aspect of support and equipment needed for your telephony communications system. On-Premise solutions tend to cost more in total ownership than cloud PBX solutions. Moreover, they result in you being tied to your desk because that’s where all your equipment is located, so operating on a larger scale could become challenging. Scalability can be another hurdle, as on-premise-based solutions are limited to a certain number of lines and features. You’ll only have access to what you have set up.
On-Premise Systems Offer Reliability
As far as reliability goes, on-premise systems are just as reliable as cloud-based at 99.999 percent. However, the methods they use are more complex and expensive than cloud-based solutions. Moreover, a full time IT team will be personally responsible for implementing updates, fixes, and on-going maintenance. As you can easily see, hosted solutions have many benefits over an on-premise offering, especially in regards to cost and scalability.
Contact us to learn more about these systems and how we can assist you.