The Features And Benefits Of Cloud Telephony

These days, one often hears the phrase “Cloud Hosted Telephony”. However, what does it exactly mean? What relevance does it have in the field of interactive voice response (IVR)?
Introduction to Cloud Hosted Telephony:
From the point of view of IVR, IVR Hosting service or Hosted IVR, which allows users to design and deploy telephony applications on their own IVR is referred to as Cloud Hosting Telephony.
It probably got its name to sound the same as “Cloud Computing” in order to bring closer the specialized telephony application developer with the general web/computer application developer.
Cloud Hosted Telephony ultimately allows any developer of computer applications to add the function of telephony to the software applications they develop.
It basically means you do not require to be aware of telephony knowledge, jargons of the working of a telephone if you know what you require from your telephone. Mostly, people very easily understand how to make or receive a call on the telephone, disconnect or hang up a call, hit the right button to play a file and transfer or conference a call. Cloud Hosted Telephony allows all these functions to be added to any computer software.
These and many other telephony functions can be integrated into any computer software without the knowledge of the technology of telecoms or worrying about the infrastructure like IVR/PBX required in telecoms.
Cloud Hosted Telephony has given a refreshing change to the world of IVR, which had aged a lot. With this, there is hope that an impressive and inventive telephony application will come up, which will be able to solve actual problems and serve the distinct population.
Features Of Cloud Telephony:
1. Call Recording: All outbound and inbound calls can be recorded for various reasons by the use of this optional feature. The reasons behind recording a call may include: customer service, compliance, creation of audit trail. The system can be set to record all or few select calls as well as record on demand. The recordings and their details can be accessed easily through the portal.
2. Auto Attendant: This feature allows you to give the callers a huge range of call routing for all the dimensions of your business. You can also make announcements to inform callers about stuff like website addresses, hour of opening etc.
3. Web-based portal which is easy to use: Via the web-based portal, this feature provides access to a huge range of features of call handling. An easy access is provided, through a dashboard, to a huge amount of information like voice mails, call history or call recordings. In order to ensure that effective handling of calls, personalized settings are easy to create.
4. Administrator Interface: A huge range of capabilities of administration is provided by cloud telephony, which also includes freedom to staff for effective and quick control of calls. The process of setting up is simple and you have the authority to retain control of features of individual users or give control to the staff.
Benefits Of Cloud Telephony:
 

No capital expenditure as there are no upfront costs.
Relocation has become a lot easier as you can retain your number.
For optimum quality of voice, voice is converged, assured or lines are leased.
Business can be moved as this technology is cloud based and not a physical system.
Hot desktop supported by use of landlines and mobile.
Stay up-to-date always by upgrading to the latest software.
For compliance with PCI, options for call recording include ‘on demand’.
Easy up gradation of hosted technologies, according to the needs of the business with flexibility for up or downsizing.
Calls can be made and taken anywhere and on which ever device.
As it is resilient, it supports your strategy of business continuity.
Can be managed by internal teams easily, even with a tablet.
Ideal for operations in various sites.