The recent snowstorms along the east coast have been particularly detrimental to “normal” life. Numerous businesses have been adversely affected. It’s times like these that having remote operations capability becomes all the more important, and cloud-based telephony is a great way to get there.
Three common tools in cloud-based telephony are the local number, toll-free number, and call routing. In the case of a local phone number, users can select from a variety of prefixes depending on where they intend to offer their products or services, and offer those numbers up to the region they plan to make contact with customers.
The customers then call the number as they would any other. But instead of going directly to a location in that area, with a cloud based phone system such as Halloo, the call can be forwarded to the specific location a business wants to operate from. So while a business may be temporarily relocated in, say, Texas, the callers are instead calling a number with their hometown prefix.
Toll-free numbers serve much the same purpose as local numbers in cloud-based telephony, but without the local connection. A toll-free number allows a business to be located anywhere, while providing a unifying national presence.
The issue of business continuity–of being able to pull stakes and move anywhere in the midst of disaster and yet still be able to operate–is one of vital importance to many businesses. Individual retailers, service industries, and more, can benefit from having a disaster response plan in place. In the case of many businesses, disaster planning includes having a way to work remotely. Cloud-based telephony is a great way to ensure that business can carry on in the face of even the worst weather.