Hosted phone systems are the latest technology that, just like the newest IPhone/Smartphone, are designed to give you more features and capacity. But still, would one be the right fit for your business?
To help you make a determination, I’ve outlined the basics of these systems from what they are to what they offer.
A hosted phone system has its processing components in the cloud vs. a traditional phone system where the main 
intelligence for it is located on premise using a CPU, KSU or PBX.
The most prominent features of these systems:
- A hosted phone system is more dependable than a traditional phone system; since it is cloud based, incoming calls can always be answered even if your office loses power or internet service
- The phones used with this type of service have more in common with a laptop or smartphone than they do the older style standard office phone – with all the benefits (see next bullet)
- Systems offer features not found in the older, traditional phones such as call-transfer to phones
outside of the system, like staffs’ cell phones or other offices – standard phones do not have this capacity; phones have incoming caller ID, voicemail with auto-attendant, and message on hold capacity - This service has no expensive feature upgrades, so when that time comes for you, all upgrades are handled by the carrier and are at no extra cost
- Most cloud-based phone service providers offer free phones when you sign up
- Phone clarity with these systems is far superior to traditional phones: for example, when you’re on speaker with traditional phones it’s obvious, and annoying for the person on the line; hosted phones’ speakers are the same quality as holding the receiver to your ear
- If the above sounds interesting but not compelling, this may just do it for you: services start as low as $60/mo for a three person office
The businesses that won’t benefit from this state-of-the-art system/phones are:
- Warehouses
- Any business with no high speed internet
- Cell phone only based businesses
Finally, many established providers handle these cloud based systems, so you have a choice of service carriers. But, when considering a switch to a hosted phone system, be wary of:
- Landline carriers offering to bring in a separate box of their own; this is not a true switch but a stop-gap measure – say no thank you
- Fly by night hosted carriers – of the 100 carriers I recently found in a google search, maybe 6 were really good ones.
Contact me directly for a list of carrier my company has screened and can highly recommend.