The collaboration scene transformed drastically as the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm. For some, hybrid and remote work was a natural lifestyle. However, for the rest of the population, this instigated a major transition in their work life – going from being immersed in an office environment every day, to having to collaborate over video calls and while working from home. 

Prior to the pandemic, most organisations had an on-premises calling system which limited the ability for at-home and hybrid work. The time and money required to retrofit functionality to the existing systems was excessive and meant that organisations started using cloud calling services such as Webex Calling. 

The cloud PBX system held prominence in the collaboration space during the shift to remote work as it helped combat these challenges and is still widely integrated in organisations as they continue the hybrid work lifestyle.

Cloud PBX

Cloud PBX is a phone system that uses the internet to manage all communication services, such as voice, video, and messaging. Unlike traditional PBX systems, cloud PBX does not require physical hardware. Instead, it is hosted on remote servers, allowing businesses to access it from anywhere that has an internet service.  

One of the biggest advantages is the flexibility of cloud PBX. Traditional PBX involved having to physically add or remove phone lines, extensions, features – all of which would be a complex and time-consuming process. It was also expensive for businesses to scale up and having to purchase extra hardware. Cloud PBX allows organisations to scale up or down with ease as extra hardware is an unnecessary component.  

Businesses are now able to provide uninterrupted customer service and fulfil their customers’ expectations with features such as auto attendants to assist with call flows, intelligent call forwarding, inbound call queuing, and built-in video calling. 

One of the most secure cloud PBX platforms is Cisco Webex, an app which allows users to make audio and video calls, text, and organise meetings for groups of any size. An app that is accessible via desktop or phone has created a flexible collaboration experience, eliminating the need for a physical phone or any analogue hardware while improving both the audio and video quality, and enabling uninterrupted meetings. If users have an existing physical handset from Cisco, then in many cases these can be continued to be used, obtaining further benefit from the investment already made. 

“The biggest stumbling block to hybrid work was providing users with easy access to telephony services while still adhering to corporate security policy, with cloud calling only an Internet connection is required,” says Barry Fialkov, Collaboration Practice Lead at Outcomex.

Keeping your collaboration experience secure

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome with migrating calling services to the cloud was the perceived cyber-security risk. By adopting a cloud calling strategy with a service like Webex, end-to-end security is maintained with all calls encrypted, data sovereignty is maintained and the platform regularly audited to ensure on-going security compliance.