Here are a few things to remember when you are planning to implement hosted telephony in your business:
There is No Up Front Cost for Cloud Services
You don’t have to pay for any hardware or licenses up front. One of the main advantages of Cloud Services is you can spread the cost on a monthly payment plan
Use the Cloud for Email
You may be running POP email for your employees or you may have a server on your premises running Exchange. In either case you can use the Cloud for your email service. The advantages are you can access it anywhere and from a range of devices including any computer with an internet connection, a smartphone, or a tablet. Plus, if you’re using the Cloud for your email, you don’t have to back up your email server locally as it is automatically backed up in the Cloud. A copy will always be there for you to restore from should you need to and you can even restore deleted items for 30 days after you have permanently deleted them.
Use the Cloud to Back-Up Your Files
Offsite Back-Up is crucial now for all businesses as the threat of a cyber attack increases. Visit our backup and Security page for more information or give us a call on how we will both protect your business against a breach and help you recover quickly from one. Your data is encrypted to ensure security.
You can share business files using basic work collaboration services like Dropbox but for higher levels of security and synchronisation you will need products like Microsoft Sharepoint, One Drive, or our very own Emerald Cloud. The product you choose will depend on who needs access to what documents, whether you want to lock documents while being edited, how many people will be editing at a time, and what you want to happen if the user is offline. It's also important to understand if you want to access previous versions of files to avoid one user being able to delete everything! Your data will also be encrypted during transfer to ensure security.
Use the Cloud to Access Business Data Remotely
At a recent meeting with a prospective customer, we were told by a Project Manager accessing their IT systems remotely while on site would be 'a dream'. Data may be stored in business files as in the example above but also in software run internally that doesn't currently have a web version. using the Cloud to host this data and working with us to develop additional capability, you will also be able to access other IT systems from any computer with a web connection, a smartphone, or a tablet connecting you to your data on the move.
Use the Cloud to Create a Bespoke Solution to You
The great advantage of the Cloud is there is no need for a ‘one size fits all’ solution. Cloud Services can be tailored to your business to suit each employee’s day-to-day workflow. Options include (but are not limited to) the size of individual mailboxes, the amount of offsite storage you need, retention ratios for documents, and your collaboration processes
Use the Cloud to Save Money
The Cloud’s automatic back-up process means you can save money on purchasing back-up media including tapes etc. You can budget and control your IT spend with the monthly charges and there is no longer any unwanted surprises if your server suddenly fails
If you want to chat further about how you can take advantage of hosted telephony or an audit of your current practices and how you can improve efficiency, please get in touch!
Hosted Telephony
Testimonials
"Emerald has become our go-to for all our technology requirements. If we think we need to address an issue, we contact them and explain, and they suggest a solution not only for immediate use, but also looking at the longer term picture for our business too.
They keep a constant eye on our systems and usage and suggest when appropriate courses of action should be taken to enhance our working environment"
THE HITCHMAN STONE PARTNERSHIP
"In the past, we had experienced problems with IT companies who had the ability over promise and under deliver.
This was not the case with Emerald. Emerald are now our trusted partner for all of our IT support needs. They offer honest, impartial advice that is delivered in a language even the novice can understand.
Having one number that our team can call with any IT or telephone concerns makes such a difference, especially when this is backed up with prompt resolution."
Richard Hall - Inn Express
"We've been working with Emerald for many years and their support has been invaluable on all aspects of IT from maintenance of systems & phones to new purchases and solutions.
Emerald are professional and their services are precise and innovative where needed. Their customer support is outstanding. Highly recommended."
Jeryl Stone - Hitchman Stone
"When your whole business rests on a cloud-based system, having a flexible, cost-effective, secure, and well- maintained solution is what helps you sleep better at night. That's what Emerald is here for"
Leech & Co Solicitors Data Centre Backup
