Should You Become a Cloud PBX Phone Reseller?

More and more businesses are switching to hosted PBX phone services because of the enhanced reliability, flexibility, and cost benefits. Moving to a cloud-based phone system is also a logical step toward fulfilling digital transformation goals, as many businesses are heavily focused on cloud adoption right now. According to IDG’s 2020 Cloud Computing Survey of 551 tech buyers, 59 percent plan to be mostly or all in the cloud by 2020. As a cloud PBX reseller, your business is a part of this critical transformation for your customers.

And, when you partner with the right provider, you can also offer other cloud-based tools that have become essential for remote work, positioning your company as a one-stop solution for cloud communication solutions.

Let’s look at the shift to cloud-based phones, the reasons your business would want to become a cloud PBX reseller, and what you should look for in a platform and partner.

Cloud Phone Systems Are Emerging as the New Gold Standard for Agile Teams

A few years ago, on-premises PBX (private branch exchange) phone systems were the norm. Not because they are more effective or cost-friendly than hosted telephony services. They aren’t.

Before cloud technology advanced, these on-site networks were the most effective option. They enabled calls to be transferred between extensions so different departments could take incoming calls. As a result, a lot of businesses already have an existing on-site network.

On-site PBX systems, however, come with inherent challenges that cloud-based phones have overcome:

Telephony equipment with rich functionality is expensive, making it challenging for SMBs to get what they need from their phone system.

• With a cloud-based solution, advanced features are affordable, and upgrading is easy.

On-premises systems are difficult to scale. A business will need to pay for new phone lines, equipment, and possibly extra resources if they run into trouble with capacity.

• With a hosted service, the service provider handles the equipment maintenance and technology resources to ensure a high-performing, easy-to-use service, so there’s no large time and resource investment when scaling. In fact, it’s as simple as changing the number of users.

On-site PBX isn’t a good fit for remote teams. These phones were designed to empower in-house teams to communicate and work together. Long-distance calls incur extra costs, and it’s not possible to add mobile users to the network.

• With a cloud phone system, your customers have total flexibility. Their employees can work from wherever, making and receiving high-quality calls from their mobile phone, home office, or anywhere they are connected to the internet.

With clear benefits, it’s no surprise that the market for hosted PBX phones and UCaaS is expected to rise steadily from 2020 to 2026. As a reseller, you are offering the communications technology that your customers are moving toward, not away from.

The Advantages of Being a Hosted PBX Reseller

Managed service providers (MSPs), traditional PBX resellers, and other technology companies can benefit from becoming a reseller. Here’s how:

• Cloud PBX phone systems are more affordable. With a cost-effective product, you can appeal to a wider market.

• Cost-efficiency also enables resellers to set profitable margins while still delivering excellent value to customers.

• Cloud-based telephony systems have clear-cut advantages, making them easier to sell. From predictable monthly expenses to greater end-user control and mobile phone integration, switching to cloud PBX phones will be a natural fit for both existing and new customers.

• You can offer a better customer experience. When your provider rolls out new features, your customers can benefit without expensive upgrades. Also, as the phone calls are sent over the internet with VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology, they will notice better performance and reliability and fewer problems with old equipment and capacity constraints.

• Becoming a cloud PBX reseller makes your company more competitive. As businesses seek solutions to make their operations more agile, cloud-based communications adoption will continue to rise. As a reseller, you can be there to help your customers adapt to the new normal of business.

• You can maintain your existing customer relationships. As a reseller, customers still interact with your brand. You can continue offering your same great level of support and building relationships with your customers.

What to Look for in a PBX Provider and Platform

Your business will have a better experience as a reseller when you partner with the right provider. Here are factors worth considering as you choose a partner:

• Can you private label the platform? If your brand is already well-known, this will enable you to leverage your brand when connecting with your audience.

• What type of support will they offer? You will still support your customers, but knowing you have 24/7 support for your team will make serving your customers more efficient.

• Will they provide marketing materials? Reseller partners that offer sales support and branded marketing materials enable you to get started right away.

• Can you package PBX phone services with video, chat, file share, and other tools into a UCaaS platform? This will allow you to offer a complete cloud communications solution to customers.

Count on a Provider that Resellers Trust

Intermedia has partnered with over 7,000 resellers, and we are committed to helping our partners grow with high-value solutions and excellent support. Learn more about our fully integrated communication and collaboration platform, Intermedia Unite. It combines a PBX phone system with chat, file management, video conferencing, and more.

The Intermedia Team

Intermedia helps businesses of all sizes connect better – through voice, video conferencing, chat, contact center, business email and productivity, file sharing and backup, security, archiving, and more – from wherever, whenever. And, as a partner-first company, Intermedia goes to work for our channel partners to help them grow their revenue and maximize their success.