Imagine an office with bulky landlines and desks cluttered with wires. Your team must remain at their desk to take calls because their communication tools cannot travel with them. This once was the reality for every business; for those still using traditional voice systems, it remains the norm.
Hosted voice solutions offer an approach to business communication that frees teams from the constraints of traditional systems. With hosted voice, staff can connect from home, the airport, another country, or the office. Considering that Microsoft 365 users spend 57% of their time in communication apps, today’s workplaces need the smoothest solutions possible.
Share of time spent in Microsoft 365
Source: Microsoft.
Understanding hosted voice
Hosted voice, or hosted VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is a solution managed by an external provider. It overcomes the rigidity and limited scalability of traditional on-premise voice systems by using cloud technology. Your business can adjust communication capacity and functionality with minimal infrastructure investment. For this reason, hosted voice is particularly suitable for growing and changing business environments.
The need for a modern voice communication solution
Despite instant messaging and video calls dominating much of our workday, voice communication still belongs at work. However, the workplace has changed. More people rely on digital communications that keep them connected regardless of location. Today’s work dynamics have displaced traditional, legacy voice systems that cannot effectively support distributed teams.
Additionally, traditional systems hinder business growth. They require significant hardware investment and complex upgrades to scale, which can become costly and disruptive to ongoing operations. This lack of agility in adapting to new business demands makes legacy voice systems a bottleneck for growth and efficiency.
Key benefits of hosted voice solutions
Scalability
Hosted voice solutions scale based on business needs without significant infrastructure change. Unlike traditional voice systems, which typically require extensive hardware setups and are not easily scalable, hosted voice operates on a cloud infrastructure. This setup allows for quick adjustments in service, supporting anything from small startups to large enterprises.
As companies grow, hosted voice services can expand to include more lines, features, and even international support, all without the capital investments typically associated with expanding traditional phone systems. Hosted voice is an adaptable and cost-effective choice for businesses in growing markets, providing them with the tools needed to remain competitive and responsive to market dynamics.
Communicate using any device
Hosted voice solutions support access from any device, including mobiles, tablets, and computers. Accessibility at this level ensures that remote, hybrid and mobile workers can stay connected. Hosted voice uses the internet to deliver connectivity, allowing people to stay connected with colleagues and clients wherever they have internet access.
In contrast, traditional voice systems are confined to specific hardware and fixed locations, limiting flexibility and accessibility. By removing the dependency on physical infrastructure, hosted voice enhances workforce mobility and supports the adoption of new working models, such as hybrid and remote working.
Cost optimisation
Moving to hosted voice solutions significantly reduces the need for physical infrastructure, which cuts down on initial setup and ongoing maintenance costs. Rather than your business purchasing and maintaining hardware, the hosted voice provider manages the underlying infrastructure off-site. As a result, your business eliminates costly investments in physical phone systems and the IT labour required to maintain them. This shift decreases capital expenditure and lowers the operational expenses associated with repairs, upgrades, and electricity consumption.
This cost-efficiency contrasts with traditional voice systems, which often incur high expenses due to maintenance and upgrades, placing a continuous financial burden on a company’s budget. Traditional systems typically involve complex installations and updates that can disrupt business operations and require additional investments. Hosted voice offers a more predictable cost structure with subscription-based pricing, making budgeting simpler and more predictable.
Reduction in hardware costs and maintenance
Hosted voice solutions remove the need to purchase and maintain physical hardware, reducing capital expenditure and ongoing costs. By hosting the voice communication infrastructure in the cloud, your business eliminates the need for on-premise phone systems because the service provider manages the cloud infrastructure.
In contrast, traditional voice systems often require extensive hardware setups and continuous maintenance, leading to higher long-term expenses. These systems require complex installations and ongoing upkeep by on-site IT staff, which escalates costs for parts and labour. Maintenance often disrupts operations, causing downtime and lost productivity.
Seamless integration with communication software
Hosted voice solutions integrate with your business communication platforms like Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and Salesforce. For example, integrating hosted voice with Microsoft Teams allows people to make and receive calls in Teams, connecting voice communications with project files, notes, and meetings without switching applications. This integration facilitates efficiency and a unified user experience.
Traditional voice systems typically operate in isolation, requiring manual information transfer between systems, which can result in issues and inefficiencies.
Conclusion
Hosted voice solutions enable organisations to scale voice communication in a way that traditional platforms cannot achieve. These solutions offer scalability, flexibility, and integration to support your business. From significantly reducing physical infrastructure and associated costs to enabling seamless integration with existing business platforms, hosted voice improves efficiency and supports your team no matter where they dial in. These benefits make hosted voice an invaluable tool for businesses to modernise their communication systems and foster a more connected and productive workforce.
Wyntec can deploy hosted voice in your business
Are you looking to unify communications across your organisation? Wyntec’s Hosted Voice solution, in partnership with Access4, transforms your operations by bringing communication tools into one integrated platform. With the powerful features of the Access4 Product Suite, you can experience unmatched clarity and reliability in voice communication.
Visit our Access4 page to learn more about hosted voice.
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