Unlike a conventional phone system that requires a separate voice network, a hosted cloud phone system uses your business’s existing data network — i.e. the one that your team uses for emails, transferring files, connecting to the web, and so on. By eliminating the need for a voice network, you not only significantly reduce CapEx and maintenance costs, but you also unleash Unified Communications (UC) features such as video conferencing, instant messaging, call screening, integration with CRMs and ERPs, etc.
Avoiding Traffic Jams
Of course, to make all of this work and to reap the full benefits, you need sufficient bandwidth. Think of it like a freeway. Adding voice services to your existing data network is like putting more vehicles on the road. You might need to add a lane or two to ensure that all vehicles reach their destination swiftly.
How Much Bandwidth Do You Need? It Depends…
If you require a bandwidth boost, then the degree will be based on the number of employees who will be using the system, along with what they will be doing. For example, if you expect to hold multiple video conference calls a week (which is typical in many sales organizations), then all else being equal you’ll need more bandwidth vs. businesses that will exclusively or primarily be using their hosted cloud system to make and receive voice calls.
At the same time, you may need to boost the bandwidth to ensure that employees using data services — e.g. sending emails, surfing the web, connecting to SaaS platforms like Office 365, Salesforce, Quickbooks and so on — don’t experience any lag (i.e. delay).
Deep Analysis
The good news is that you do not have to launch your hosted cloud phone system and hope that you have sufficient bandwidth. Well before we start plugging in IP phones and training your employees, at a time that’s convenient for you (and that does not disrupt normal day-to-day business for your employees or customers), our team of experts will visit on-site and conduct a comprehensive site survey to evaluate critical network aspects, such as usage patterns, traffic flows, WiFi speed, switches, and more.
This deep analysis process enables our team to adjust and optimize your infrastructure as required. Also during this process, if we identify that you need to boost your bandwidth, then we will tap into our network of ISP/satellite company partners and present you with the BEST packages and pricing options.
Monitoring and Optimizing Performance
Plus, once your hosted cloud phone system is all set up and ready to roll, we put in place a suite of technology-based tools to monitor and optimize performance — because your needs may change in the future as you onboard/offboard employees, utilize more UC features, and so on. These metrics include (but are not limited to) burst density, compression, jitter, gap density, R-factor, mean opinion score (MOS), and many others. We also monitor end user experience by focusing on key network performance metrics, such as codecs, VLAN configuration, link utilization, etc.