for businesses
Cloud phone system
Dialpad's AI-powered communications platform gives you more than a cloud phone system. Make phone calls, have video meetings, send SMS/MMS messages, and more—all from a single app. Get up and running in minutes with a virtual business phone number by signing up with a free trial!
Try it free for 14 days.
What is a cloud-based phone system?
A cloud-based phone system is a type of phone system that runs over the Internet instead of traditional phone lines. Your cloud service provider maintains data centers that host the phone system, which means you don’t need any onsite hardware or complicated installations. With a cloud phone system, you can make and receive calls from any device—desktop, mobile, or browser—and even access additional features like video meetings, SMS/MMS messaging, call routing, voicemail transcription, and AI-powered call insights. This makes it more flexible, cost-effective, and scalable than a traditional PBX phone system.
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is the technology that makes it all possible. Through VoIP, voice signals can be transmitted over an Internet connection instead of through traditional phone lines.
Cloud phone system features
The best cloud phone systems let you do more than just make and receive calls, bringing together voice, messaging, video, and AI tools into one easy-to-use app. This is vital for helping your team stay connected and productive from anywhere. Here are some of the key features to look for:
Built-in AI capabilities. A must-have for cloud business phone systems today is, of course, AI. Some advanced platforms, like Dialpad, come with AI features that can transcribe calls in real time, generate post-call summaries, and highlight action items automatically. For added security, make sure you ask whether those AI features are built in-house by your provider, whether they need to plug in third-party AI tools (which may make your data less secure), and so on.
A variety of business phone number options. Keep your existing number or get a new local, toll-free, or international number in minutes. Cloud providers like Dialpad can handle the number porting process for you.
Unified communications. Make voice calls, send SMS/MMS messages, chat with teammates, and start or join video meetings—all from the same platform.
Simple setup and management. This is especially important if you’re looking for a cloud phone system for small businesses. There are many options out there that don’t require expensive hardware or IT resources. Look for a provider that lets you add users, set business hours, or adjust call routing from an online dashboard.
Integrations that fit your workflow. Your phone system should connect with CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot, collaboration tools like Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, and even industry-specific apps that you might need.
Enterprise-grade security. Protect your conversations and data with encryption, compliance certifications, and built-in security controls.
Cloud phone system features and a whole lot more:
Keep your business number
You can easily port an existing business phone number to Dialpad, whether it’s local, toll-free, or international. Our team can help you port over local phone numbers and also toll-free numbers, and your phone number will remain active while porting takes place. (Dialpad can even port Google Voice numbers.)
Truly unified communications
Dialpad is actually a UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) platform with a phone system built in, which means you get SMS/MMS and instant messaging, video conferencing, and other advanced features—all in the same app.
Set up in minutes
The best cloud phone systems can be set up in minutes. With Dialpad, you can add phone lines, create ring groups, and set your business hours in your online account in real-time. It's one of the biggest perks of having a cloud solution, and you can't do that with a PBX phone system (which takes days or weeks to do something similar).
Fully integrated UCaaS + CCaaS
If you have contact center teams and need more than just a cloud phone system, Dialpad has a cloud contact center platform that's truly integrated into its phone system. One login, one account, one user experience. Book a product tour to check it out!
Use your own devices
Every cloud-based phone system should come with a desktop and mobile phone app. Dialpad’s apps work across iOS, Android, PC, and Mac—and even works on web browsers so you can make calls from your computer or cell phone. No more provisioning desk phones (unless you want to.)
A range of integrations
Call, message, and meet in the tools you use every day. If your team is:
Collaborating in Google Workspace
Connecting in Microsoft Teams
Closing deals in Salesforce
Managing relationships in HubSpot
Dialpad’s AI-driven transcriptions, insights, and recaps keep every conversation actionable and every workflow seamless.
Call forwarding to your cell phone
With Dialpad, you can forward phone calls to your cell phone and have your caller ID show as your business phone number, not your personal number. Who says you have to take calls from your desk? Your cloud phone service should give you the freedom to take calls from anywhere (and never miss a call again).
Easy call routing and transfer
Look up any team member in Dialpad and transfer incoming calls in just two clicks. (You can even set up an IVR or interactive voice response menu in Dialpad so your customers are routed to where they need to go quickly.)
3-(or more) way calling
Need to bring someone else onto a call? Some VoIP phone services will charge you extra for three-way calls and conference calls, but with Dialpad, they’re included for free as a part of the most basic pricing plan.
Advanced analytics and reporting
With Dialpad’s built-in analytics, you can track call volume, missed calls, and response times, but that’s not all. It takes things even further with AI-powered insights, surfacing trends, frequently asked questions from customers, and coaching opportunities for managers.
Need a VoIP cloud phone system that gives you more than phone calls?
Sign up for a 14-day free trial to take Dialpad for a spin and get set up with a virtual phone number. Or, request a demo for a personalized tour of the app first!
Robust security
Dialpad is SOC2® Type II compliant and helps organizations meet HIPAA + GDPR compliance requirements. From personally identifiable information to actual phone calls, Dialpad’s cloud communications platform ensures that your data is encrypted and secure no matter where you are and what device you are using. There are also intuitive in-meeting security controls and APIs that allow for automatic pausing of recording for added security.
Real-time call transcripts
Dialpad’s unique artificial intelligence technology not only transcribes calls in real time, it even has a post-call automation that emails you a summary of action items and moments captured during each call (which is especially useful for contact center or call center agents). The best part? It’s built right into the platform, no add-ons needed.
Visual voicemail
Dialpad doesn’t just transcribe calls—it can transcribe your voicemails too. This way, if you’re stuck in meetings all day, you can still read transcripts of important calls you might’ve missed.
Customizable caller ID
Dialpad’s caller ID feature lets you customize what your calls show up as—need to call as “Greg from Waystar Co.?” You can do that. Or, set up Dialpad’s auto-attendant feature to greet callers and present them with a menu of choices to direct them to the right team members.
How to get started with a cloud phone system
Ready to upgrade from a basic business phone system to a full-fledged unified communications platform? With Dialpad, getting started is refreshingly simple. Unlike traditional PBX setups that can take weeks to install and configure, Dialpad can have your team up and running in minutes. From porting your existing business numbers to setting up call flows and business hours, the platform is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, making the transition as seamless as possible.
Dialpad gives you more than just a VoIP phone system. You get calling, SMS/MMS messaging, video conferencing, and AI-powered productivity features—all in one intuitive app that works across desktop, mobile, and even your web browser. Whether you’re a small business looking for a flexible phone system or a global enterprise in need of a scalable solution, Dialpad grows with you.
Most importantly, you’re not making the switch alone. Dialpad is more than just a provider—we’re a partner. From onboarding and training to ongoing support and integrations, we’ll be with you at every stage. Get started now with the industry’s leading AI-powered communications platform.
Take Dialpad for a test drive
Sign up for a 14-day free trial. It takes just a few minutes, and you'll be set up with a virtual business phone number at the end. From there, download the app and you're ready to go. Or, request a demo for a personalized tour first!
Cloud phone system FAQs
The engine behind a cloud-based phone system is VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol. Instead of relying on underground copper wires like traditional landlines, VoIP services use the Internet to transmit voice data. This means you don’t need any bulky hardware or complicated installations—just an Internet connection. Cloud phone system providers run everything through secure data centers, so businesses can make and receive calls, send texts, and even handle faxes from virtually any device.
A cloud phone system or virtual phone system has a few advantages over regular desk phones beyond the fact that you don’t need to buy expensive hardware to get set up. With a regular desk phone, you can only make phone calls and that’s it.
If you're looking at a cloud phone system, take a closer look to see if it's actually a unified communications platform—this would be good because it would let you also do video conferencing and send texts and SMS/MMS messages using your computer or mobile device. (Some even work with IP phones and desk phones to make calls over the Internet.)
Business VoIP providers all have data centers located around the world to help them transmit calls for their customers—and some of them will tell you that “the more data centers you have, the better.” But that’s not always the case. The more efficient the data centers you have, the better. For example, Dialpad’s data centers are designed to be uniquely scalable according to demand.
For instance, other companies might need over 50 data centers to handle a certain number of calls, whereas Dialpad would only need 10 to match that capacity. (Super rough estimate here, but that’s the gist of it.) As an example, we’ve helped one customer scale from 0 to thousands of contact center agents in just a few weeks.
Most cloud phone system providers couldn’t have handled that—it would’ve taken them months. Even the more “evolved” version of PBX phone systems (“IP PBX,” “hosted PBX,” or “cloud PBX” don’t quite measure up to pure, born-in-the-cloud counterparts.)
Some companies run their telephony through a third party, which leaves them at the mercy of their vendors and leaves the customer experience open to poor call quality, expensive routing paths, and an inconsistent experience when trying to make a phone call. Dialpad’s cloud-based business phone system is designed to provide HD audio with high availability and low latency on phone calls.
Using a network of data centers across the globe, we’re able to provide least-cost routing that not only provides cost efficiency but also ensures crystal clear voice communication by keeping traffic local.
Setting up a PBX system for small business can get pretty pricey. Namely, because companies would have to overbuy to make sure they had enough coverage. Even if somehow you did estimate correctly, you still have to spend money on implementation, software, and upgrades. Because of this, the cost of installing a PBX system is often prohibitive to small businesses.
With a cloud based phone system for small businesses, you can get more functionality (call recording, call forwarding, faxing from your desktop, call routing, and more)—at a fraction of the cost. Beyond the initial cheaper cloud phone price tag, you also have to factor in long-term costs with PBX systems. Take maintenance, for example. PBX phones will all need maintenance at some point, which usually requires the expertise of a telephony engineer. And each of your office locations will require separate hardware, software, maintenance, and labor. You can get away from all of that with a cloud business phone service.
Cloud-hosted phone systems take the cake on this one. PBX setup involves service units, circuit cards, telephone lines, wall outlets, installing desk phones, and employee training, just to name a few. Cloud phone systems are much faster and easier to install compared to a traditional PBX system. You don’t have to deal with any third-party providers, and with Dialpad, you can even connect directly with the support team if you need any help. (Not all cloud-based phone services are easy to set up though, so make sure you try the free trials!) With the right provider, you can often be up and running in minutes instead of weeks. Plus, all updates and new features are rolled out automatically—so your system gets all the latest features without extra work from your team.
With a traditional PBX phone system, you’re tied to your desk (and desk phone) all day, every day. With a cloud-based phone system, on the other hand, you can be at your desk all day if you really want, or you can be at home, or at the airport on the way to a business meeting, or at the beach…
With Dialpad, you also get phone calls and SMS messaging in one app. That means whether you need to send texts to team members or external third parties like clients, you can do it all in one place. On top of that, some cloud phone systems let you switch between devices seamlessly, so you can start a call on your laptop and finish it on your mobile without interrupting the call. This kind of flexibility makes it much easier for remote and hybrid teams to stay connected, no matter where they work.
Generally, a cloud-based business phone system is the right fit for a wide range of industries and organizational needs. Whether you’re running a small business or a large enterprise with offices all around the world, a cloud phone service can help you cut costs, hire and get set up more efficiently, and much more. For example, Dialpad’s cloud phone services are used by a wide range of companies, from startups to global organizations with tens of thousands of employees. The key is to find a provider that lets you add and remove user licenses as you need to. This will help you flexibility as you scale up or down, and keep your costs in check.
Typically, the cloud phone system provider you go with should have its own mobile app or desktop software. This is what you and your team will use to make calls and send messages over the internet—you shouldn’t be using your own phone’s calling feature!
This app is also often called a “softphone,” and it’s one of the most overlooked areas when businesses go shopping for cloud phone systems. Make sure you try it out first and look for things like whether it’s well-designed and easy to use, how long it takes to make a call, and so on. Once you’ve signed up for one of your phone provider’s pricing plans and downloaded the softphone app, you’re ready to go with your business phone system. No hardware or other setup fees should be needed.
The Dialpad desktop and mobile apps are available on all major operating systems across iOS, Android, PC, and Mac. You can also use the Chrome web app on laptops and desktops running Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Google ChromeOS. Not only that, Dialpad is also fully browser-based, which means you can just log into your Dialpad account instead of downloading the app to use it (and clients and people outside your company can join video meetings through their web browsers too).