Living in Legacy Land
So many businesses are caught in an intense game of tug-of-war, pulled between the needs of the future and the familiarity of the systems they already have. It’s the battle between legacy systems and cloud communications.
We hate to be the one to tell you, but being stuck in the middle isn’t a neutral position. It’s not just keeping your business from where you want it to be, it’s actively pushing you backwards. Look at all the ways legacy technology is hindering your organization:
It’s not scalable.
You’ve just closed out the most successful year your business has ever had, and you’ve been presented the opportunity to expand. But don’t start celebrating yet. You better be prepared to spend a lot of time and money setting up another on-premise PBX if you’re still hanging onto your legacy system. Growing your business isn’t easy when you’re living in legacy land.
If it’s flexibility and scalability you’re hoping for, you’re going to have to make the transition to the cloud.
It’s limited.
Legacy systems prevent your business from taking advantage of the advanced features of a cloud-based solution. You’re stuck with whatever features came out of the box, and it’s on you to implement whatever software upgrades have since been released. Frankly, this lack of innovation puts you at risk of dwindling long-term profitability and losing your competitive advantage in the market.
Not to mention the fact that you’ll be unable to support remote work. If your employees need to be sitting at their desks to answer the phones, how are you going to provide the type of flexibility expected by the next generation of employees? You’re going to end up losing out on competitive talent.
It’s distracting your resources.
There’s more to worry about than just implementation. Legacy hardware requires regular maintenance and software upgrades to remain feasible. How much of your IT resources are you willing to dedicate to basic operations and regular maintenance? Wouldn’t you rather have them focused on the kind of research and development that can enhance your operations?
Plus, now you’ve got to make sure you have the skills on staff (with the proper training and certifications) to maintain the system.
It’s expensive.
Implementing a legacy system is a huge up-front capital expense. Think of all the hardware you’ll need to purchase! But it’s not just implementation that pulls from your pocketbook. It’s the ongoing costs of maintaining the system that is the real kicker.
Hardware fails and degrades as it ages. All the costs of equipment maintenance, repairs and replacements fall squarely on your shoulders. Not to mention the proper power, cooling and rack space for servers. Is that really the kind of financial burden you want to take on?
If your business is dependent on a legacy phone system, you’re not getting the flexibility, functionality or value you need to succeed. What you’re getting in return for your hard-earned money is costly hardware, constant maintenance and an operational headache.
You don’t just want to survive. You want to thrive. Your only option in this digital landscape is to leave your outdated system and move to the cloud.
Besides, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes in the telecom industry you may not even be aware of. And they’re going to have major impacts on your business if you’re not prepared. Jump to the next chapter to find out more.
