Cloud phone system

A cloud phone system (also called hosted VoIP or hosted PBX) moves the call-handling brain to the provider's data centers. Your office keeps the handsets, the network and the internet connection; everything else, from auto attendants to call recording and voicemail transcription, is configured online. UCaaS is a cloud phone system with meetings and messaging added.

Growing businesses choose it for the pace of change: a new hire gets a working extension in minutes, a new office needs no phone closet, and a storm that closes the office does not stop calls reaching mobile apps. It is also the platform that makes an AI voice agent practical, because the agent connects to the service rather than to copper lines.

Ask a provider what happens to calls when your internet fails, how E911 location is kept current for each phone and remote worker, which existing handsets can be reused, what the all-in monthly cost is per user, and how your numbers are ported in and, if needed, out again. Ask for references in your industry.