‘Cloud telephony’ could be silver lining to phone costs

THE north’s businesses could cut their phone costs in half thanks to the rise in webbased telecoms, one of the region’s top communications firms has said.

So-called ‘cloud telephony’ could be the future for business communication for a variety of reasons, including the benefit of cutting costs, according to Belfast-based Rainbow Communications.

The firm said the system – which relies on an internet-based connection – could free up those reliant on a landline or traditional mobile phone.

Rainbow is hosting a free workshop in Belfast on March 7 which the company has said will “demonstrate how organisations can make substantial savings”.

The company’s claims that cloud technology could replace traditional landline and mobile phones comes as the organisation representing the industry has said that operators will make more money through data services than voice calls by 2018.

The GSMA, the body that represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, announced that mobile operator data revenues would overtake voice in five years.

The mobile data explosion is being driven by a surge in demand for connected devices and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications.

As the north’s largest independent business telecoms company, Rainbow has said the technology – which negates the need for overheads such as line rental – could work out at around £10 a month for users.

David Beatty of Rainbow Communications said the technology was available anywhere with an internet connection.

“Businesses receive an IP device, which looks exactly like a normal telephone, except it is connected via the IT network rather than a land-line,” he said.

“It means that device is no longer tied to a company’s fixed line but can be moved from the office, to a home address or anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection.

“The phone can also be deployed in software form, so the office call can be picked up on a computer, smart-phone or tablet.”

There are already a wide range of internet-based dialing systems, for both audio and video, including the ever-popular Skype.

Source: irishnews.com