Choosing between an on-premise and cloud-based phone solution could be a big decision when it comes to price, flexibility, and company size. So let’s see what is the difference between both and how you can perfectly decide which one suits you the most.
What is (on-premise) call center?
A traditional call center with a hardware-based. It often requires upgrades every few years, which becomes costly. And it means that the hardware, software, and infrastructure are all stored and operated onsite at your organization.
What is cloud call center?
A business call center that handles customers' phone calls, both incoming and outgoing. It's also often called a cloud-based call center which is mainly hosted and supported by a third-party provider in the cloud, thus it makes interacting with customers whether it is inbound or outbound communication via voice, email, social media, and the internet, accessible from anywhere. Companies that need to modernize and cope with today’s challenges choose this cloud call center solution as customers are increasingly using digital channels.
Benefits of On-Premise Call Centers
- Full control over your hardware and maintenance.
- In-house storage of data gives more confidentiality.
- The cost covers the equipment purchasing and the needed system only.
- Maximum control over functions.
Benefits of Cloud Call Centers
- Increase or decrease operations without much effort or time.
- Fast deployment.
- Fewer costs which in return lead to higher ROI.
- Advanced features and capabilities.
- At-home agents (as it’s accessible from anywhere with a stable internet connection).
- More scalability and flexibility.
What is the difference between Cloud and On-Premise Call Center?
- Set-Up: Deploying an on-premise call center can take up to several months because organizations must purchase hardware and licenses, set up the infrastructure, and find compatible software. On the other hand, setting up cloud-based call centers involves installing an app on a computer that functions anytime and anywhere and gets access to it via a web browser from any device.
- Cost: For on-premise implementation, the costs expected will be covering the space to put your servers, hardware, licenses, etc. But for the cloud, you have an ongoing monthly subscription along with the costs of agents and services provided.
- Scalability: You might need to physically upscale or downscale in an on-premise setup which will take a lot of time, effort, and cost but with a cloud contact center solution this could be done by a click of a button which in return makes a cloud setup a lot more flexible and scalable according to the business needs in comparison with an on-premise solution.
- Reliability: A cloud call center solution removes the hassle of the physical hardware issues or any equipment breakdown as most of the problems caused by it aren’t due to failings in the technology itself but regarding the stability of the internet connection.
In a nutshell, There are many differences between on-premise and cloud call centers and it could be a big decision. Though it might be clear that for some organizations it's preferable to go for a cloud call center to get rid of numerous hassles as it's cost-effective, more salable, and reliable especially nowadays where most people are obliged to work from home for their safety and after it had been proved that it has some pros as high productivity at work and also saves time and money for both employees and employers.
So Investing in a cloud call center can help businesses to scale up and generate more ROI.
Do you need to deploy a cloud call center solution in your business?
