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Cloud telephony vs VoIP: What Differs Them?

Cloud telephony and VoIP may sound similar, but they are not the same. In this blog post, we will explore the distinct differences between these two communication technologies and demonstrate how they can enhance your business communication.
By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of how cloud telephony and VoIP differ from each other.

What is Cloud Telephony?

Cloud telephony refers to a comprehensive suite of advanced communication tools that enable businesses to conduct phone calls over the internet. By leveraging cloud telephony, businesses can effectively manage all of their communication, including voice calls, SMS, chat, and video meetings.
Moreover, all of this communication data can be conveniently analyzed from a central online portal. As a hosted service, cloud telephony is fully managed by a service provider like TeleCMI, which takes care of hardware, maintenance, and support virtually.

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a state-of-the-art technology that allows businesses to make phone calls over the internet, eliminating the need for traditional phone lines.
To utilize VoIP and make/receive calls, businesses require an either IP phone or softphone app, which operates by converting voice signals into digital data and transmitting them over the internet to the receiver. Compared to conventional phone lines, VoIP offers several benefits, including higher call quality, lower costs, and increased mobility.

Now that we have an idea of what Cloud Telephony and VoIP are, let's compare the differences between the two.

Cloud telephony is a fully managed and hosted service, which means that the service provider is responsible for all hardware, maintenance, and support.
On the other hand, VoIP phones require self-maintenance and repair, as the user is responsible for managing the hardware and troubleshooting any issues that may arise. VoIP phones are best suited for those who are comfortable managing and maintaining their own hardware. VoIP communication can be also enjoyed using apps like softphone if you do not prefer VoIP hardphones.

While VoIP phones focus primarily on voice calls, cloud telephony offers a wide range of communication features. If you migrate to a VoIP phone system or cloud telephony, you can access SMS, voicemail to email, advanced call routing methods, and other communication methods.
Moreover, businesses can analyze their communication performance using various metrics and reporting tools to make informed decisions and improve their overall communication infrastructure.
As a result, cloud telephony is an all-encompassing solution that provides businesses with an array of tools to manage their communication needs effectively.

As a hardware device, scaling up a VoIP phone is not possible unless you’re using a VoIP phone system (cloud telephony). Businesses can only choose to replace it or purchase additional phones for new users.
In contrast, cloud telephony is highly scalable, and businesses can easily add or remove users as needed. This scalability is made possible by the cloud-based nature of the technology, which allows businesses to expand their communication infrastructure without worrying about hardware constraints.
As a result, businesses can enjoy greater flexibility, agility, and cost-effectiveness with cloud telephony or VoIP phone system compared to traditional VoIP-enabled desk phones.

Cloud telephony is a highly reliable communication technology, as the service provider takes care of all maintenance and support.
VoIP phones are not always reliable due to their hardware components, which can become damaged or malfunction over time, unlike VoIP softphone. When this happens, the damaged part must be replaced by a technician, which can be both time-consuming and costly.
This makes VoIP phones less reliable than cloud telephony and can result in prolonged downtime and decreased productivity for businesses.
By opting for a cloud telephony solution, businesses can eliminate the need for hardware maintenance and reduce the risk of downtime, leading to increased reliability and an overall better communication infrastructure.

When it comes to deciding which communication technology is better suited for your business needs, it ultimately depends on your organization's unique requirements.
If you prefer a fully managed, cloud-based solution that offers a wide range of communication features, scalability, and reliability, then cloud telephony with VoIP is the ideal choice for your business. With cloud telephony, you can easily manage all your communication needs, including voice calls, SMS, email, and more, from a single central web portal.

In conclusion, VoIP is part of cloud telephony and is a technology used in cloud telephone systems to transmit calls and multimedia messages over an internet connection.
You can access VoIP features either using VoIP desk phones or VoIP softphones (cloud telephony). If you choose a VoIP softphone, you use mobile and desktop apps for calls and other communications.
If you choose VoIP desk phones, you use traditional office phones or landlines for calls. And both modes of communication use an internet connection rather than PBX for transmitting data.

TeleCMI offers a comprehensive cloud telephony solution with VoIP technology, allowing you to utilize both communication methods without any hardware requirements.
With our cloud telephony solution, you can enjoy a hassle-free experience and utilize our services on your existing devices. You can also integrate our VoIP services to your existing IP phones and desk phones.
We encourage you to take advantage of our free trial to explore the benefits of TeleCMI's cloud telephony and VoIP technology. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help enhance your business communication infrastructure.