Cloud Communications

Cloud Communications

Everyday goes by without another cloud story, although the Microsoft Cloud commercial on TV is my favorite. “Yeeehhhhhh Cloud”

One of the cloud services that maybe hasn’t gathered a lot of attention lately is Cloud Communications.

Cloud Communication is internet based voice, data and video communications that’s hosted by a third party. The Cloud Communication technology sits in the 3rd party’s data center and is accessible via the internet or MPLS based connections.

This solution eliminates any up-front capital costs, is easily scalable, can offer a multitude of features and is location independent.

Customers can pay for what they need on a monthly rate and pick and choose for each user what features they really need. This is an attractive business proposition as one does not need to have any technology on their premise or have to worry about any maintenance. The Hosted VOIP provider provides all those services.

These hosted services typically were just DID extensions and voice mail but now include collaboration tools such as Instant Messaging, CRM and Video.

These services now are called the sexy Cloud Communications model in order to tag along all the hype.

Today, one can take their current system depending on platform technology and put it into their private cloud or you can use as VOIP providers system.

Cloud/Hosted Communications does have some risks:

• Business customers rely on internet connections that have no quality of service. Thus calls can become disconnected or become distorted The Steve Jobs keynote last week announcing iPad 2 basically slowed down the internet for the day. Your business wouldn’t be having the greatest success if calls drop all day.

• Advanced needs such as paging, music on hold, desktop or telephone based applications specific to a certain vendor may not work

• CTI applications maybe difficult if you have a small call center

• Long Term contracts could you lock you into a poor provider

• You don’t control the telephony environment – they do

• 911 may be an issue depending on the configuration

Cloud Communications can be a very cost effective solution and a definite consideration when shopping around for a new telephone system.

John Leonardelli
Senior Unified Communication Consultant