Follow These Steps for a Successful Cloud Telephony Deployment

So, you’ve decided to switch to cloud telephony solutions. First off, congratulations! You’ll enjoy many benefits, from better productivity and steep cost savings! But before you start researching providers and choosing your perfect system, let’s talk about cloud telephony deployment.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through three steps that will help you deploy your cloud telephony solutions successfully. If you hit any bumps along the way, remember that the team at Midwest Dial Tone is here to lend a hand.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Setup & Plan Ahead

Once you’ve chosen your cloud telephony solutions (and provider), it’s time for an audit. Here are a few questions to get you started:

What software currently integrates with your phone system – if any?

• Do you need to replace or upgrade any old hardware?

• Is your internet connectivity strong enough to support a cloud-based system?

• How many users will you need?

• How many features will those users need in their day-to-day activities?

• Where are those users located?

• Will you establish a Bring Your Own Device policy, or would you like these employees to use proprietary phones?

When those questions are answered, you’ll get an idea of how to customize your cloud telephony solutions to fit your specific teams. 

It’s also helpful to map out an implementation timeline. This specifies when and how each step of the deployment will take place. When you draft this plan, make sure to involve someone from every level it affects – from management to IT. They’ll help you make sure the timeline fits well across all departments.

And that, when you finally cut over to the new system, it can be done without disrupting your daily business operations.

Step 2: Optimize Your Network

Your cloud telephony solutions rely on a stellar internet connection. So, make sure your network meets these six requirements:

1.       High bandwidth: The higher the bandwidth, the more call data it can handle. High bandwidth means you can handle lots of video calls, messages, and other traffic with zero lag. Aim for a connection with at least 100kbps of bandwidth per simultaneous call. Upgrade if your bandwidth needs to be increased.

2.       Low latency: You want minimal delay between speaking and the person hearing you on the other end. Low latency ensures smooth, natural communication without lagging words or annoying echoes. Make sure your latency is below 150 milliseconds (ms). Fiber optic or cable internet connections would be ideal.

3.       Stable connectivity: Reliability is essential for cloud success. Make sure your internet service provider (ISP) is reliable and has a service level agreement (SLA) guaranteeing high uptime and minimal downtime.

4.       Room to grow: Make sure your network can easily accommodate an increase in voice traffic or general usage. Our recommendation is to plan for at least a 20% growth margin in bandwidth.

5.       Backups in case of outages: Whether it’s storms, tech glitches, or other circumstances, your phone system should be able to weather the storm. And that requires backup plans. Talk to your ISP about potential backups, like 4G LTE or secondary WAN links, and how to deploy them. 

6.       High levels of security: See what kind of security your ISP offers. This could include firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and advanced encryptions. 

It’s also important to talk to your ISP or cloud telephony solution providers about the Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms they have in place. Typically, these are specific configurations made on routers and switches that provide features like:

• Traffic prioritization: When it comes to internet connectivity, voice calls should be prioritized ahead of file downloads or emails.

• Bandwidth reservation: Set aside a particular lane on your network for voice calls so they don’t get stuck in other traffic.

• Packet queuing and scheduling: Make sure voice data gets sent and received without delays or hiccups by organizing how the data is sent.

Make use of whatever QoS features your providers have.

Step 3: Conduct Testing & Training

Once you near the end of your implementation, it’s time to put your cloud telephony solutions to the test! Using a controlled environment, conduct extensive testing to find and solve any issues before using it regularly.

We’d recommend testing:

• Call quality and reliability: Make test calls using different devices from various locations in the office. Pay close attention to how clear the calls are, how stable the connection is, and if there are any echoes or distortions.

• Scalability: Simulate high call volumes to confirm the phone system can handle the increased workload without lagging or dropping calls.

• Failover solutions: Intentionally disrupt your network connections or power sources to ensure these backups kick in seamlessly in case of an outage or hardware failure. 

• Feature functionality: Explore and test all the features of your new cloud telephony solutions to ensure each one operates as intended. You can also do this in tandem with training if you’d like.

Once tested, it’s time to offer comprehensive training to your employees - from basic call handling to advanced features. And that includes your IT staff. Ensure they’re trained in system administration, troubleshooting, and any maintenance tasks required to keep your new phones running smoothly.

Throughout all of this, gather feedback.  Encourage users and IT staff to test the system in real-world situations and let you know how intuitive it is or if there are any areas of improvement. This will help you fine-tune the system for maximum satisfaction after deployment.

And there you have it! Three simple steps to make sure your deployment is a success.

Want Simple Cloud Telephony Deployment? Give Midwest Dial Tone a Call!

With our cloud telephony solutions, deployment is an absolute breeze! We work alongside you every step of the way to make sure your system fits you perfectly, works flawlessly, and is installed seamlessly – with plenty of training to boot. Want to learn more? Reach out; we’d be happy to fill you in on the Midwest Dial Tone difference!