Is Now the Right Time to Move My Phone System to the Cloud?

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I speak to business leaders every week who say the same thing: “We know we’ll have to move to the cloud at some point, but right now everything works fine.”

And they’re not wrong. Their phones work, customers get through, and there’s no obvious reason to change. But the truth is, the world around those systems has shifted. What used to be “good enough” can quietly become a liability that costs more in lost time, missed calls, and poor visibility than most businesses realise.

With two decades in telecoms, I’ve spent most of my career helping UK businesses like yours stay connected and competitive as technology has evolved. So, I can tell you firsthand that it’s all too easy to outgrow a system without realising it, and that proactive changes can make a huge difference to team efficiency and customer experience (CX).

In this article, I’ll share how to recognise the signs it’s time to review your communications setup, what’s changed in the market, and how to use those insights to make smarter, lower-risk decisions about when and how to modernise.

What this Blog Covers:

The World Has Changed
The Warning Signs That Tell You That You’re Outgrowing Your Setup
Don't Wait for the Breakdown
It’s Easier and Safer to Migrate Than Ever Before
Stay Connected, Stay in Control

The World Has Changed

A few years ago, most businesses could get away with a “set and forget” approach. Phones sat on desks, calls came into the office, and customer service was handled in a single location. That world doesn’t exist anymore. Today, hybrid work, mobile teams, and customer expectations for instant, personalised service have completely redefined what “good communication” means. Customers want to reach you on their terms — from anywhere, on any device — and they expect your team to have the full picture every time they call.

Two major shifts have changed the game:

1. The ISDN switch-off.
If you’re still using digital or analogue phone lines, time is running out. BT is retiring ISDN and PSTN networks across the UK, and by 2027, those lines will no longer work. Businesses relying on that infrastructure must move to SIP or cloud-based systems. So, it’s not a question of if, but when.

2. The rise of AI and analytics.
Modern UC (Unified Communications) platforms use built-in AI and analytics to help teams work smarter, tracking call patterns, improving response times, and giving managers real visibility into performance and CX. These insights are transforming how teams operate, and older systems simply can’t keep up.

These shifts don’t just change how we communicate; they’ve quietly moved the goalposts for what customers and teams now expect from every interaction.

The Warning Signs That Tell You That You’re Outgrowing Your Setup

Most businesses don’t notice the problem until they can’t ignore it. But there are usually a few signs that show you that it’s time to take a closer look:

You’re missing calls or can’t track them: If you don’t know how many calls go unanswered, you’re already missing opportunities.
Your team’s using workarounds: When people start relying on mobiles or Teams to fill gaps, it means your tools aren’t joined up.
Simple changes take too long: If adding users or changing call flows needs an engineer, your system is slowing you down.
Customer feedback feels off: You’re not necessarily getting complaints, but satisfaction has plateaued, and you can’t shake the feeling that you could do more.
Your provider’s talking about end-of-life: If your PBX system or hardware won’t be supported much longer, waiting will only make it harder to plan an upgrade.

When I walk customers through these signs, most realise they’ve been working with so many limitations for years, and the fixes are far easier than they expected.

Don't Wait for the Breakdown

Downtime aside, falling behind without realising it is another huge risk. While your PBX might still meet your basic needs today, your competitors are already investing in tools that make them faster, more responsive, and easier to work with. Customers have grown used to instant communication — from live chat to mobile callbacks — and they expect that same experience when they call your business. If your system can’t keep up with those expectations, you’re not just losing efficiency — you’re slowly losing relevance.

Older PBX and early UC setups were built for a different era. They rely on physical hardware, offer limited reporting, and struggle to support hybrid or remote teams. Technically speaking, they still “work”, but every day they quietly cost you more: in missed calls, manual fixes, and lost visibility. And when something does go wrong, it’s always at the worst possible time — right in the middle of a busy day, a customer rush, or a critical call.

It’s like driving a ten-year-old car. You know it inside out, it’s been reliable and gets you from A to B. But it doesn’t have sat nav, Bluetooth, or electric windows, so you’ve adapted. You plug your phone into the USB, stick your TomTom on the dash, and charge it through the old cigarette lighter. It still runs, but one day it won’t — and you won’t get to choose when or where that happens. When it does eventually stop working, you’ll find that those old parts are discontinued, and you’re stuck without a car for who knows how long. It’s the same with your phone system. You can keep patching it and making do, or you can trade it in and move to something safer, smarter, and built for how your business works today.

It’s Easier and Safer to Migrate Than Ever Before

One of the biggest surprises for most customers is how simple modern migrations really are. You don’t have to rip out your old setup overnight or face any downtime. Instead, we build your new cloud platform alongside your existing system — you can test, tweak, and train your team until everything feels right. Only when you’re happy that it’s performing exactly as you need do we make the final switch. It’s seamless, safe, and designed to give you total control throughout.

That process starts with the SmartComms Healthcheck, a short, expert-led review that shows how your current setup performs today and where it could be doing more for you. You’ll get a clear, jargon-free view of what’s working, what’s holding you back, and what your options are, because understanding your communications shouldn’t be complicated — it should just make sense.

Stay Connected, Stay in Control

Your communications setup might still be working, but the real question is whether it’s still working for you.

Technology, customer expectations, and the way we all work have changed dramatically in just a few years. Waiting until something fails isn’t playing it safe: it’s gambling with downtime, customer trust, and lost opportunities.

A quick review gives you clarity on how your system’s performing today and what could be improved tomorrow, before problems appear. That’s exactly why we created the SmartComms Healthcheck: a free, expert-led review that helps you see where your communications could be smarter, simpler, and more connected.