The basics of cloud communications and their impact on business.
There are a lot of people, and a lot of firms, talking about cloud communications these days. There’s so much talk about this field that some would think that without these tools in place, your business is on borrowed time, waiting to be subsumed by savvier businesses who made the move already. Understanding cloud communications is the first step to realizing what they can do for your organization, and the value they can bring with them. Senior care facilities in particular can see significant benefits from cloud communications.

What Are Cloud Communications?

Cloud communications are exactly what the name denotes: communications systems that are hosted by and operate within the cloud. This particular cloud is also known as a “third party hosting service.” Cloud communications itself is also a blanket term that covers several different technologies, including video conferencing, voice over internet protocol (VoIP), and others. It differs from “cloud services” in that it focuses on communications.

The Benefits Cloud Communications Can Offer

Cloud communications may sound complex, and can be without the help of an independent expert.. With this complexity, however, comes a range of benefits that’s difficult for anyone to pass up. Absolute mobility. Since cloud communications are  internet-based, they can work from pretty much anywhere there’s an internet connection available. If you have people on the road regularly, cloud communications allow them to keep in touch with the office at all times. For senior care facilities, this can be especially useful for those who travel between facilities and the other health care providers. Perfect for multiple locations. If you’ve got more than one building in your business, then cloud communications are heaven-sent. They seamlessly can connect all facilities with voice and video. It doesn’t have to end there either; cloud communications won’t just connect you to others in your organization but also to vendors and colleagues alike. Imagine attending—or even giving—a symposium at your location without having to travel or set up large-group facilities. For senior care facilities, this is even better; multiple-location connection is now a breeze, and face-to-face contact can be encouraged at every point in the chain. Improving profitability. There are two sides to profit: raising revenue and reducing cost. Cost cutting always varies from one business to another, but there are plenty of potential ways to save money with cloud communications. The biggest is for businesses with lots of long-distance calling; hosted VoIP often offers very attractive rates on long distance, better than many dedicated phone companies will. International calling represents an even bigger difference. Cloud communication costs are based on a monthly service fee, so there are no major upfront, capital expenditures. Less risk. Cloud communications actually present less of a security risk than non-cloud systems, because cloud service providers have a vested interest in keeping security as up-to-date as possible. Software and firmware updates that may go unnoticed or unheeded by an internal IT team are applied as rapidly as possible at the cloud provider level; there’s no sense in leaving an easily-exploited angle uncovered. For senior care facilities, which not only come under regulators’ scrutiny but also want to provide the safest experience for their residents, better security is a value that speaks for itself. Rapid scalability. “Scalability” refers to the ability to increase, or decrease, access to service as is required. When a business has to take on large numbers of new employees to address the “busy season,” for example, anything that can step up access to match is a scalable system. Cloud communications are some of the most scalable tools out there, with improved access available for a new PC or other endpoint and perhaps a new license. For senior care centers, this means expansion—and contraction—are now delightfully simple. Whether it’s new residents needing communications tools or new staff, these can be added with a minimum of difficulty. Avoiding obsolescence. Nothing’s quite so painful as finding out the powerful new tools you bought just a few years ago are now the kind of things that children play with. A lot of investment comes with these tools, and suddenly, it’s all but useless. The same rapid updates that make cloud communications safer, however, also work to prevent obsolescence and help preserve the value of your investment. For senior care facilities, this provides an extra layer of future-proofing, makes forward planning easier, and allows for better focus on resident care since the upgrades are taken care of at the provider level.

How to Get Started Bringing Cloud Communications to Your Business

With all those benefits, putting cloud communications in place at your business probably sounds like a great idea. When you’re ready to put this great idea into practice, get in touch with us at Edge Insights. Not only is senior care one of our main areas of focus but we also offer a wide range of telecom services, from audio and video conferencing to disaster recovery and hosted VoIP options. So put the power of cloud communications to work for you today and reach out to us to make it happen.