Business Phone Service for organizations today

Cloud systems are a great option for business telephone service due to their Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. This technology allows you to make and receive calls over the Internet, rather than using traditional telephone providers.

Over the past decade, millions of businesses have switched to VoIP due to the many benefits this technology brings. Business VoIP solutions offer integrated communications for the modern business world. Business VoIP systems are typically more cost-effective, easier to set up, and more flexible. But the main reason businesses switch to an enterprise VoIP solution is to leverage the manifold advanced features these systems provide to a modern global business.

This article is adapted from the material shared by Zoom with their business partners addressing common challenges and proposing effective solutions for business telephony. I have highlighted some frequently asked questions below to move forward with these projects in your company, namely:

What makes cloud business phone systems different?

Cloud business phone systems deliver features and flexibility for today’s modern businesses. Zoom Phone can help businesses consolidate, simplify, and future-proof their communications systems in a smooth transition. Combining voice, video conferencing, chat, and AI into a single platform is a way of reducing unnecessary complications in your communications network.

For multinational companies, the benefits of a business phone service are even more important. By enabling businesses to consolidate communications carriers and providers on a global scale, Zoom Phone’s business phone system makes enterprise-level communications management simple, streamlined and intuitive.

Why are VoIP cloud phones better than traditional landlines?

A cloud phone system can not only compete with traditional phone technology, but it is also often better since it was developed for businesses in the Internet age. Additionally, VoIP business phone systems come equipped with additional unified communications tools (such as videoconferencing, chat, and presence), modern features (caller ID, call recording, etc.), and are also integrated to your company’s main applications, thus improving productivity.

Check below some reasons why business VoIP phones are superior to traditional landline options for your business phone service:

Can I keep my current Public Telephone (PSTN) provider?

Yes. Cirion Technologies offers both options, maintain your frames with the current carrier (other than Cirion’s) or, migrate the number to Cirion Technologies Network for their business telephone service, provided there is number portability in the country where the company resides This allows businesses to opt for a hybrid model, giving them access to all Zoom Phone’s advanced features, such as call recording, while allowing them to maintain contracts, calling rates and phone numbers from your current provider. This also enables a more gradual transition to a fully cloud-based business phone system to meet each organization’s business schedule.

What is the upgrade process from a traditional PBX system solution?

Transitioning from a traditional PBX system to a cloud business telephony system is a several-phase process. Our communications engineer team can help facilitate transition; however, below you will find a process overview followed by most companies:

1. Inventory and appraisal: Start by making an inventory of your existing hardware, business phone lines, headcount, work locations, etc. You will also want to evaluate current bandwidth availability and estimate how the transition to VoIP will affect connection speeds and bandwidth usage. Having a clear idea of how your current network is and your future business needs at the time of transitioning to Business VoIP will help.
2. Collaboration and calculation: At an enterprise level, transitioning to an enterprise VoIP line may require collaboration among various company departments. To make the transition as smooth as possible, fully evaluate LAN or WAN reliability, bandwidth availability, network performance, and any other relevant factors before migrating to Business VoIP.
3. Contact Sales: Once the company’s current telephone network has been inventoried and valued, it is time to contact Cirion Technologies Sales to procure your business lines, SIP Trunk or whatever you need at the PSTN level + Telephone Switch in the Cloud.
4. Number portability: Next, the company will need to start with the portability process to migrate existing phone numbers to the new VoIP provider where applicable. Cirion Technologies Professional Services can help with this process.
5. Hardware procurement: In many cases, the next step will be to purchase IP-compatible telephone hardware for your business phone system. Depending on the desired setup, this acquisition could include new office desk phones, conference phones, or simple headsets for VoIP calls with office equipment. To reduce initial costs, companies may consider hiring hardware through Cirion Technologies on a service basis.
6. Configuration and Customization: Working with the internal IT team and Cirion+Zoom’s support team, businesses can move on to configure and customize their new enterprise VoIP system. This includes physical hardware and network components configuration, as well as virtual features customization of the Zoom Phone integrated with the SBC (Session Border Controller) provided by Cirion in the Cloud for integration with the PSTN.
   An SBC is a network device used to protect and manage voice and video communications in an IP communications network.  Security, Quality of Service (QoS) control, sessions switch and Protocol Address translation are the main functions covered, facilitating interoperability between different communications technologies.
7. Schedule the transition: Once the new system is properly configured, you can schedule a day to fully transition to VoIP for your business. Depending on your organization’s size and network requirements, this can be done immediately or in a multi-phase process.
8. Proof of Concept:  As an additional highlight, you can also request a PoC or Proof of Concept from Cirion Technologies, free of charge, to use this technology in some specific positions and check that it works according to your expectations.

Do I need to purchase new hardware?

Not necessarily. The Zoom business phone system is compatible with select office desk phones. Zoom Phone also supports softphone use, so employees can make calls directly from their office computers using inexpensive headsets. Zoom as a Service by Cirion is another viable option that allows businesses to order business telephony hardware directly from Cirion Technologies within the Managed Service contract, with virtually no upfront costs.

Our dedicated team of Pre-Sales Engineers for businesses (no matter their size or location) is available to help you with the migration. If you have questions about transitioning from an on-premises PBX to a cloud business phone service, contact Cirion today

And remember Zoom Phone protects your voice calls with support for TLS 1.2 with 256-bit AES-GCM encryption for SIP and SRTP signaling that leverages up to 256-bit AES-GCM encryption for real-time media. It is safe and dependable to have any conversation that will be fully encrypted from end to end.

Until our next meeting.

Author:
Lic. Fernando Riedel
Voice and Collaboration Specialist
Cirion Technologies
fernando.riedel@ciriontechnologies.com