Cloud phone systems, or virtual phone systems have a few advantages over regular desk phones beyond the fact that you don’t need to buy expensive hardware to get set up. With a regular desk phone, you can only make phone calls and that’s it. With cloud phone systems, some (not all!) are actually unified communications platforms that let you also do video conferencing, send texts and SMS/MMS messages using computers or mobile devices. (Some even work with IP phones and desk phones to make calls over the Internet.)

Business VoIP providers all have data centers located around the world to help them transmit calls for their customers—and some of them will tell you that “the more data centers you have, the better.” But that’s not always the case. The more efficient the data centers you have, the better. For example, Dialpad’s data centers are designed to be uniquely scalable according to demand.

For instance, other companies might need over 50 data centers to handle a certain number of calls, whereas Dialpad would only need 10 to match that capacity. (Super rough estimate here, but that’s the gist of it.) As an example, we’ve helped one customer scale from 0 to thousands of contact center agents in just a few weeks.

Most cloud phone system providers couldn’t have handled that—it would’ve taken them months. Even the more “evolved” version of PBX phone systems (“IP PBX,” “hosted PBX,” or “cloud PBX” don’t quite measure up to pure, born-in-the-cloud counterparts.)

Some companies run their telephony through a third party, which leaves them at the mercy of their vendors and leaves the customer experience open to poor call quality, expensive routing paths, and an inconsistent experience when trying to make a phone call. Dialpad’s cloud-based business phone system is designed to provide HD audio with high availability and low latency on phone calls.

Using a network of data centers across the globe, we’re able to provide least-cost routing that not only provides cost efficiency but also ensures crystal clear voice communication by keeping traffic local.

Setting up a PBX system for small business can get pretty pricey. Namely, because companies would have to overbuy to make sure they had enough coverage. Even if somehow you did estimate correctly, you still have to spend money on implementation, software, and upgrades. The cost of installing a PBX system is often prohibitive to small businesses.

With a cloud based phone system for small businesses, you can get more functionality (call recording, call forwarding, faxing from your desktop, call routing, and more)—at a fraction of the cost. Beyond the initial cheaper cloud phone price tag, you also have to factor in long-term costs with PBX systems. Take maintenance, for example. PBX phones will all need maintenance at some point, which usually requires the expertise of a telephony engineer. And each of your office locations will require separate hardware, software, maintenance, and labor. You can get away from all of that with a cloud business phone service.

Cloud-hosted phone systems take the cake on this one. PBX setup involves service units, circuit cards, telephone lines, wall outlets, installing desk phones, and employee training… Just to name a few. Dialpad is quick and easy to install compared to a traditional PBX system. You don’t have to deal with any third-party providers, and you can connect directly with Dialpad support for any direct help. (Not all cloud-based phone services are easy to set up though, so make sure you try the free trials!)

With a traditional PBX phone system, you’re tied to your desk (and desk phone) all day, every day. With a cloud phone system, on the other hand, you can be at your desk all day if you really want, or you can be at home, or at the airport on the way to a business meeting, or at the beach… With Dialpad you get phone calls and SMS messaging in one app. Whether you need to send texts to team members or external third parties like clients, you can do it all in one place.

Generally, a cloud phone system is the right fit for a wide range of business needs. Whether you’re running a small business or a large enterprise with offices all around the world, a cloud phone service can help you cut costs, hire and get set up more efficiently, and much more. For example, Dialpad’s cloud phone services are used by a wide range of companies, from startups to global organizations with tens of thousands of employees.

With Dialpad, you just need to download the softphone app just like you’d install any other app on your phone, tablet, or computer. You do need to be on one of the pricing plans, which starts at $15 per user per month. Other than that, you’re ready to go with your business phone system. No hardware or other setup fees needed.

The Dialpad desktop and mobile apps are available on all major operating systems across iOS, Android, PC, and Mac. You can also use the Chrome web app on laptops and desktops running Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Google ChromeOS. Not only that, Dialpad is also fully browser-based, which means you can just log into your Dialpad account instead of downloading the app to use it (and clients and people outside your company can join video meetings through their web browsers too).