Ocean Telecom, one of Shropshire’s biggest business to business telecoms specialists reported record numbers of sales of cloud phone systems.
The company, based on Mile Oak Industrial Estate in Oswestry, says that hosted ‘cloud phones’ are the fastest growing telecoms system in the UK. Cloud phones rely on the internet to carry calls from user to user and have seen huge popularity in the UK recently thanks to cost savings and additional functionality not offered by standard landline phone systems.
“We have seen huge growth in this sector in the last 18 months and we don’t expect it to stop any time soon,” says managing director Jeremy Rose.
“We anticipated the switch from analogue to cloud phones some years ago and began preparing for it then; employing specialist technicians and increasing the knowledge of our team on cloud hosting and VoIP technology.
“What’s so popular about our system is that other than handsets, there is no additional equipment required and users can manage their own account on a web portal.”
Seven out of 10 of Ocean Telecom’s biggest customers have now made the move to VoIP technology, that equates to over 30% of their total customer base now making all their business calls through the cloud. Jeremy expects those numbers to double in the next 18 months as businesses learn more about the benefits of making the change.
“Cloud phone systems are the latest in communications technology. What our customers like about it is the ease of scalability. Extra handsets can be added any time, and all have a fixed cost meaning calls to local, national and mobiles are free. Features such as call recording and auto attendant are also included.
The flexibility of the system is also very attractive. Because the whole system is hosted in the cloud, it can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. So remote workers can work from home as if they are based in the office and in the event of a disaster calls can still be taken from anywhere with an internet connection.”
One business to benefit from a cloud phone system is Traditional Products, based in Oswestry.
Proprietor Jean Watson said: “We heard about Ocean Telecom from a recommendation by another business, so we were happy to engage their services to improve our telecoms.
“As a growing business, it’s essential that we have a telecoms system that supports our growth over time and is scalable. The hosted IP system gives us that flexibility and saving money every month on our calls and broadband is a bonus too.”
Pictured: Ocean Telecom MD, Jeremy Rose.