Nowadays, many of the most cutting-edge and sought-after call center software systems are cloud-based as opposed to premise-based. Indeed, these systems provide the flexibility you need to allow your agents to work remotely while maintaining access to all the software and data they need in order to do their jobs. They also offer unlimited storage, enhanced security and safety and serious cost savings compared to a premise-based system that operates using landlines. But what exactly does it mean for a phone system to be virtual, or based on the internet? We’re breaking it down for you.

Traditional phone systems are referred to as landlines because they are physically tied to a specific location. With a landline, phone calls are transmitted through the phone jack that the phone is plugged into and over phone cables to the person on the other end. You can make and receive calls using that number from that location, but nowhere else. Then there are cell phones, which instead of physical wires rely on proximity to cell towers to connect with others. Since there are so many cell towers, people are able to make calls from cell phones from almost anywhere.

Then there is VoIP, which stands for voice over internet protocol. These are the phone calls that are transmitted over the internet, which is the method that a cloud-based phone system uses. Unlike traditional phone systems, which use wires, and cell phones, which use cell towers, VoIP phone calls only require that the caller and receiver both have an internet connection. It also means that people in different locations who are all connected to the same system can appear to be calling from the same number or set of numbers or appear to be in the same location. While a phone system like this may take some getting used to, it also comes with a wider variety of additional features than can be accessed from a traditional phone line—and it typically costs much less than a cell phone plan. The sound and call quality also tend to be better, as they only rely on a strong internet connection.

It’s true that the idea of a phone system existing without any actual phones is a little hard to wrap your head around. But once you understand how it works and the perks that can come along with it, a cloud-based phone system can be a huge boon for your business—as can cloud-based call center software, like that offered by CallShaper. To learn more about how you can integrate the two to streamline your business, contact us today.