Cloud based telecommunications is the current

version of an old idea. In the simplest terms, it is the

difference between purchasing an in-house system to

support your needs, or purchasing these services from a

third party. Ultimately it comes down to a question of

‘control.’

Making this choice has both short and long-term

strategic consequences, and must to be thought through

very carefully. There are differences between the up-front

costs and the long-term costs. There are differences

between how responsive each is to significant change.

And, there are differences in the long-term viability of

different vendors.

Today’s cloud based offerings allow more vendors

into the game. In many cases they can deliver integrated

service more easily than if done in-house. The real

question is how best to use them. Do we use all of their

service or just part? Do we support just a limited user

group, or do we make it widely available?  Making these

choices is a significant decision. And, once the choices

are made, it becomes increasingly difficult to reverse

them.