If you’re considering upgrading your business phone system, 8×8 could be the solution you’re looking for. Whether it’s a first foray into cloud-based VoIP or an upgrade from a legacy, clunky, or hard-to-manage system, our clients love it thanks to its intuitive features, straightforward but comprehensive reporting and flexibility.
After all, communication sits at the heart of every successful organisation, and the systems you rely on every day need to be flexible, consistent, and user-friendly. That’s where 8×8 can come in, and we have created this complete guide that breaks down exactly what it is, how it works for businesses, and why so many organisations are moving towards it. Let us explain…
What Is 8×8?
8×8 is a business cloud phone system, capable of delivering calls, video meetings, messaging and reporting functionality over the internet rather than through traditional hardware and phone lines. Calls can be recorded and monitored if required and routed intelligently to reach the right teams quickly. There’s rich reporting built in as standard and some pretty impressive AI features, too.
What really makes this business phone system stand out is the benefits that it can bring. With calls all managed through the cloud, teams can work from everywhere yet maintain the same numbers, call flows, and sense of professionalism. There are no physical lines to install when teams grow or change, with everything sitting on one platform that’s designed to scale as your organisation grows.
How Does 8×8 Work?
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? But how does this all actually work? There are five key components of 8×8, which are worth understanding if you want to get the most out of the cloud phone system.
Logging In
Because 8×8 operates via the cloud, there’s no need to use a specific desk or device to make and take calls. Instead, you simply log in via the 8×8 desktop app, web browser, or mobile app.
From there, your extension, direct dial number, and call settings follow you. In simple terms, this means that wherever you are, you can present the same business identity and operate with full functionality at all times.
Making & Receiving Calls
Making and receiving calls in 8×8 is designed to be straightforward. You can call out by dialling a number, calling a saved colleague, or a number from your CRM if set up.
When a call comes in, it can then be transferred directly to a colleague, warm transferred, parked and picked up elsewhere, and recorded if required. Presence indicators also show whether colleagues are busy or tied up elsewhere, keeping everything smooth and professional.
Queues & Flows
The ability to structure queues and call flows is where 8×8 can really start to add value to your business. If you’ve got different departments making or taking calls, you can map out who will do so and when. Everything can be customised, from who the call goes to first to how long callers should wait before the call is routed through to a different colleague.
Voicemail
Calls naturally get missed or cannot be taken from time to time, and 8×8 makes this easy to manage. Teams can access voicemail messages directly through the app, playing and deleting as appropriate. Voicemail-to-email notifications can also be set up so that key messages land in shared inboxes or don’t get missed.
Analytics & Reporting
For those managing the system, some of the real value of 8×8 comes from seeing how calls are performing. Analytics can be accessed both in real-time and historically, including call volumes, missed call rates, wait times, and recordings. New features like Conversation IQ also use AI-powered analytics to surface trends and provide opportunities for training and development. This means that, rather than guessing how your phone system is performing, you have the right data to make informed decisions.
To understand these different features further, watch the short video below where James walks through how 8×8 works in more detail.
Using 8×8 With Agile Comms
If you’re keen to discover how the 8×8 business phone system could work in your organisation, we can help. At Agile Comms, we install and support 8×8 for businesses of all sizes, creating custom configurations and call flows that work around the needs of your teams. All of our 8×8 solutions are delivered with flexible terms and training that helps you to really make the most of your system.
To get a demo or find out more about how 8×8 works with us, simply get in touch today.
