Why Private Schools Choose Cloud Phone Systems to Enhance Communication

Across the country, many private schools are making the switch from traditional phone systems to advanced and reliable cloud phone systems (a.k.a. Hosted VoIP phone systems).

As with any industry, cloud phone systems offer a higher standard of business communication that can no longer be matched by traditional phone systems. With the private school industry, specifically, we find some interesting advantages.

Below, we highlight the 5 key reasons behind this growing trend:

5 Benefits of Cloud Phone Systems for Private Schools

1. Dramatic Cost Savings

Private schools often have multiple data circuits and a solid networking infrastructure powering their servers, computers and devices.

A cloud phone system efficiently leverages this infrastructure and enables private schools to enjoy dramatic cost savings compared to traditional telephone systems – especially when it comes to eliminating recurring maintenance costs, which for many private schools is several hundred dollars per month. Furthermore, web and video conferencing features reduce the need for costly staff travel.

2. Improved Connectivity

It is a best practice – and in some cases, a fundamental requirement -- for private schools to have phones in each classroom so teachers can easily contact parents or colleagues, or even alert authorities in the event of a security issue or emergency.

A cloud phone system makes deploying one or even multiple phones in each classroom practical and affordable. What’s more, private schools do not need to keep adding new lines. Rather, they can assign (and re-assign) extensions.

3. Improved Parent Engagement

As noted above, cloud phone systems enable teachers to contact parents from their classrooms, rather than going to the school office, or contacting them on their cell phone. Naturally, the opposite is also true: parents can call teachers to inquire about their child, ask about a school event or address any other issue or concern.

This is important to note because private schools pride themselves on being responsive to parents and including them in their child’s development and growth – academically, socially, emotionally and otherwise. A cloud phone system is a clear way for private schools to demonstrate that they support parent involvement. Instead of saying “call our office and we’ll have your child’s teacher paged”, private schools can say “you’re welcome to call your child’s teacher directly, and here is the number”.

4. Advanced Calling Features

Private schools are taking advantage cloud phone systems’ advanced calling features in a couple of key ways. First, features like voicemail-to-email, personal dial plans and more will help keep staff connected, regardless of whether they are co-located in the same building, or spread out over multiple sites or campuses. Second, features like web and video conferencing help teachers “virtually” connect with parents and students.

5. Total Call Management

Cloud phone systems empower private schools with total call management, so they can control and change various aspects of their system anytime they wish. For example, they can (as noted above) assign and re-assign extensions, monitor usage for compliance purposes and ensure that they have the optimal number of licenses and monthly allotment of minutes. Instead of having to hire an external consultant to “crunch the numbers”, private schools easily get the actionable intelligence they need to make smart decisions.

The Bottom Line

If your private school is thinking of switching to a cloud phone system, or you have made the switch and aren’t happy with your level of service or access to benefits and features, get in touch with the experts at Votacall today.

We have extensive experience serving private schools, and part of our commitment is to thoroughly evaluate your campus network in order to ensure a smooth, successful implementation. We also provide continued personalized support – because we are a proven long-term partner, not just a vendor.

Looking to learn more? Download our FREE eBook "10 Reasons Why Private Schools Are Switching to a Hosted VoIP Phone System" today: