The terms ‘Cloud Phone’ and ‘VoIP’ are often used interchangeably but are actually very different from each other in terms of what they provide and how each system operates. In this blog, we’ll briefly look at what each system is, what they offer and what the difference between them actually is.

What is a VoIP PBX system?

A traditional VoIP PBX system aims to replace the regular analog-style PBX systems that have been popular in larger businesses up until recent times. This is the traditional phone system that requires a lot of cabling and physical hardware to control and manage phone calls. Essentially, a VoIP system allows for the removal of these complex wiring systems as it works by wirelessly connecting each phone to one central piece of management hardware.

What is a Cloud Phone PBX system?

Similarly to the VoIP solution, a cloud phone system also aims to replace traditional analogue PBX systems, by removing the requirement for wiring. However, a cloud phone system also removes the requirement for physical PBX hardware that is required with VoIP. This is because a cloud-based solution is entirely virtual and hosted entirely online without the need for any hardware onsite. This comes with a host of advantages over regular VoIP solutions.

What is the difference between Cloud Phones and VoIP?

The fact that cloud-based PBX systems are hosted entirely online and require no physical hardware other than the phones the system is running on is the main difference between the two. This gives cloud phones a few advantages over VoIP including;

• Ability to easily expand in the future – with a cloud-based system, it’s very simple to add new users and expand the phone system alongside your business. This could be an issue for a VoIP system as the installed hardware may only be able to manage a specific number of devices. This may mean you will need to purchase another piece of hardware if your business expands too much for the VoIP system to handle. Cloud phones are somewhat infinitely expandable.
• Manage your system online and offsite – with cloud-based solutions, you can manage your system through handy web apps and even if you’re not in the office. This means you can make critical updates or changes during times you’re not at work, which could be crucial to keep downtime to a minimum.
• Minimise downtime – as with any hardware on-site, a VoIP system is at risk of things such as power cuts, damages and other events that could cause your system to go down. This could lead to your customer’s inability to contact you, something we all aim to avoid. A cloud-based solution would entirely negate this issue. Power cut? Continue to communicate with your clients through mobile devices connected to the online system, with no problem.
• Integrate with mobile devices – a cloud system can even be used on mobile phones. This means you can manage your communications with staff that are constantly out and about, carrying out work or going to meetings etc. VoIP tends to only work for devices in the office that are connected to the onsite hardware.

Cloud Communications with Intrasource

At Intrasource, we offer high-quality and complete IT solutions for businesses in Hull and across the UK including all the IT services and support services mentioned above. With our first-class mobile device management, you can modernise your business communications. No matter what size your company is we will be on hand to assist with your IT services.

See our full list of IT services here or contact us today via telephone at 01482628800 or email [email protected]