Cloud Phone Systems for Business

Name: Towner Communications
Price range: $$

Calling, messaging, meetings and mobility, without managing an on-site phone system.

Calling, messaging, meetings and mobility—without managing an on-site phone system.

Request a Cloud Phone Consultation

DESK PHONE

Feature rich phones that Towner pre-programs for you. Ready to plug and play no matter where you’re doing business from.

SOFT PHONE

Towner’s app lets you make and receive calls, chat with your team, host or join video calls and share files straight from your Mac or PC.

MOBILE PHONE

Switch between your workstation and your Apple or Android seamlessly with the Towner app. Never miss a call.

CONTACT CENTER

Skyrocket productivity and drastically improve your customer’s experience with industry leading call center features.

FREE

Get a Free Desk Phone with Each Eligible New Cloud Use

Fanvil V64

Yealink T33G

Save BIG today and get a FREE phone! Use our calculator to see how much you would save each month when you move to Elevate.

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The offer does not apply to new lines added to Towner’s legacy Cloud PBX service. Additional service, licensing, installation, shipping or contract terms may apply.

Cloud Phone Systems at a Glance

Deployment: Provider-hosted business communications without an on-site phone server
User access: Desk phones, desktop software, browser tools and mobile applications
Core capabilities: Calling, voicemail, auto attendants, call queues, messaging and video meetings
Collaboration: Team chat, presence, file sharing and meeting tools
Integrations: Microsoft Teams, customer management platforms and other business applications
Administration: Centralized user, number, feature and call-routing management
Implementation: Planning, configuration, number porting, deployment and employee training
Support: Ongoing assistance from Towner’s communications team

All About Elevate

All About Elevate
Cloud Phone Training and Administrator Support

All About Towner Communications Cloud Solutions

What Is a Cloud Phone System?

A cloud phone system is a business communications platform hosted in secure provider-managed data centers rather than on a telephone server maintained at each customer location. Voice calls travel through internet protocol technology, commonly called VoIP, while users access the system through desk phones, computers and mobile applications.

Modern cloud platforms can combine calling, voicemail, messaging, video meetings, presence and file collaboration. This broader model is commonly called Unified Communications as a Service, or UCaaS.

Because the provider manages the core platform, businesses can add users, adjust features and connect multiple locations without expanding a traditional phone system at every office.
What are the benefits of Towner's Unified Communications solution?

Towner Elevate: The All-in-One Cloud Communications Solution

A unified cloud communications system like Towner’s Elevate helps businesses save money while streamlining operations, improving performance, and enhancing customer experiences.

What Towner Elevate Includes

Business Calling and Call Routing

Configure business numbers, extensions, auto attendants, call queues, ring groups, schedules, voicemail and forwarding rules around how the organization handles calls.

Desk, Desktop and Mobile Calling

Employees can use supported desk phones, computer software and mobile applications while presenting the company’s business number rather than a personal telephone number.

Messaging, Meetings and Collaboration

Elevate can combine team chat, business SMS, video meetings, presence, screen sharing and file collaboration with the calling platform.

Centralized Administration

Authorized administrators can manage users, telephone numbers, permissions and communication features through a central online portal.

Multi-Location and Hybrid Work Support

A shared cloud platform can connect employees across offices, homes and job sites while maintaining consistent dialing, routing and business identity.

Integrations

Elevate supports connections with Microsoft Teams, contact center technology, customer management platforms and other business applications.

Security and Platform Management

The provider manages the underlying cloud platform, software updates and core infrastructure. Towner assists with system design, configuration, deployment, training and ongoing support.
How can businesses across different industries maximize the benefits of Unified Communications (UC)?

How Businesses Use Cloud Phone Systems

Retail and Multi-Location Organizations

Cloud administration helps organizations manage users, numbers, business hours and call routing across multiple locations. Employees can share a consistent business identity while calls reach the appropriate store, department or team.

Education

Schools and educational organizations can connect administrative offices, classrooms and distributed staff through calling, messaging and collaboration tools. System design should account for emergency calling, location information, paging requirements and continuity planning.

Healthcare

Healthcare organizations can use secure calling, messaging, routing and contact center capabilities to support patient communication and staff coordination. Required privacy, security, recording and retention controls should be reviewed before deployment.

Professional and Financial Services

Mobile calling, Microsoft Teams integration, call recording, archiving and centralized administration can help professional organizations support hybrid employees and maintain consistent customer communication.

Manufacturing and Field Operations

Mobile applications, call routing and shared business numbers help connect office employees, facilities, field teams and job sites without exposing employees’ personal telephone numbers.
When a Business Needs Contact Center Capabilities
When a Business Needs Contact Center Capabilities

A cloud phone system supports everyday employee calling and collaboration. Contact center technology adds more advanced tools for teams that manage larger or more complex customer interactions.

An organization may need contact center capabilities when it requires:

Skills-based or high-volume call routing

Supervisor dashboards and agent monitoring

Call recording and quality management

Workforce management

Customer interactions across voice, SMS, email, chat or social channels

More detailed service-level and performance reporting

Contact center software can work alongside Towner Elevate or integrate with another supported communications environment.

Learn more about Towner’s contact center solutions.
More businesses are integrating UCaaS and Contact Center software to streamline their communication systems into a single, unified platform for employees. This not only simplifies operations but also enhances the customer experience by enabling frontline staff to seamlessly collaborate with internal experts for faster issue resolution. Additionally, consolidating communication services with one provider can lead to significant cost savings.
With Towner’s Elevate, you gain access to cutting-edge business communication tools designed with enterprise-grade security at their core. Towner’s Triple Shield Security is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that proactively identifies and mitigates vulnerabilities across all communication channels—ensuring secure user access, protected applications, and a fortified cloud environment. This multi-layered approach includes advanced password management, data encryption, next-generation anti-phishing protection, and highly secure, continuously monitored data centers, safeguarding your business communications from cyber threats.
With Towner’s Elevate, you gain access to cutting-edge business communication tools designed with enterprise-grade security at their core. Towner’s Triple Shield Security is a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that proactively identifies and mitigates vulnerabilities across all communication channels—ensuring secure user access, protected applications, and a fortified cloud environment. This multi-layered approach includes advanced password management, data encryption, next-generation anti-phishing protection, and highly secure, continuously monitored data centers, safeguarding your business communications from cyber threats.

Cloud Phone Training and Administrator Support

A cloud phone system only helps when employees and administrators know how to use it. Towner provides implementation guidance, employee training and ongoing resources for managing calling, voicemail, meetings, messaging and other platform features.

Training resources include:

Employee calling and voicemail instructions
Desktop and mobile application guidance
Administrator and auto-attendant training
Meeting, messaging and collaboration tutorials
Assistance with user changes and feature adoption

Visit Towner’s business phone, VoIP and cloud training center for step-by-step resources.

Cloud Phone System Features

Auto Attendant

Route callers according to business hours, departments, employee availability and other call-handling rules. Recorded greetings can provide consistent information and help callers reach the correct destination.

Voicemail and Call Forwarding

Users can receive voicemail notifications, forward calls to approved devices and manage how calls reach them when they are away from a desk.

Business Messaging

Supported plans can combine internal team chat and business SMS with the organization’s calling platform. Messaging configurations should follow applicable registration, consent and compliance requirements.

Presence and Availability

Employees can see whether coworkers are available, busy, away or already on a call before transferring a customer or starting a conversation.

Call Queues and Hunt Groups

Distribute incoming calls across a department or group of employees. Routing can follow a defined order, ring multiple users or place callers into a queue until someone becomes available.

Business Integrations

Connect calling and communication workflows with Microsoft Teams, customer relationship management software and other supported business applications.

Security for Cloud Phone Systems

Intermedia describes its cloud-communications security approach as Triple Shield Security. It addresses three primary areas: user access, applications and devices, and the underlying cloud infrastructure.

Security and Compliance Requirements

Supported Intermedia services use encryption for various communications and stored content, including calls, messaging, recordings and shared files. Exact protections and configuration options vary by application and service.

Cloud Infrastructure

Intermedia operates through geographically distributed data centers with physical safeguards, network controls, monitoring and threat-detection processes.

User and Administrator Access

Intermedia maintains security documentation covering controls and certifications such as ISO 27001 and SOC reporting. Healthcare organizations can request a Business Associate Agreement for supported services. Every organization should confirm that its selected services and configuration meet its specific legal, regulatory and retention requirements.

Applications, Calls and Stored Data

Review Intermedia’s cloud communications security guide

Cloud Phone System Integration with Microsoft Teams

Organizations that already use Microsoft Teams can connect business calling with the collaboration environment employees use every day. Towner’s Elevate for Teams Advanced combines Microsoft Teams with supported cloud voice, routing and communication capabilities.

Depending on the selected configuration, employees can:

Make and receive external business calls within Microsoft Teams
Use an established business telephone number
Access call routing, auto attendants and call queues
Use supported business texting capabilities
Maintain calling access through additional desktop, mobile or desk-phone options
Receive implementation and ongoing support from Towner

Microsoft licensing, voice configuration and feature availability should be reviewed during system design.

Learn more about Elevate for Microsoft Teams.

Cloud Communications Archiving and Retention

Organizations in regulated industries or those with formal record-retention policies may need to preserve business communications beyond standard platform storage.

Elevate Archiving can capture and retain supported communication records, which may include:

Business calls and call recordings
SMS messages
Team chat conversations
Meetings and related communication records
Associated metadata

Authorized users can search retained content according to the organization’s configuration and access permissions. Retention periods, recording rules, employee notice, legal holds and industry requirements should be reviewed before deployment.

Learn more about Elevate Archiving for business communications.

How Towner Deploys a Cloud Phone System

1. Discovery and Requirements

Towner documents users, locations, existing telephone numbers, call flows, integrations, mobility requirements and known problems with the current system.

2. Network and Readiness Review

The project team reviews internet connectivity, network conditions, equipment requirements and continuity plans that may affect call quality or availability.

3. System Configuration and Number Porting

Users, numbers, auto attendants, queues, schedules, permissions and other calling rules are configured before launch. Existing business numbers are transferred through a coordinated porting process.

4. Deployment and Training

Towner activates the platform, deploys supported phones and applications, tests calling workflows and provides guidance for employees and administrators.

5. Ongoing Support

After deployment, Towner assists with troubleshooting, user changes, feature adoption, system administration and future expansion.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cloud Phone Systems

Is cloud VoIP the same as a cloud phone system?

Cloud VoIP describes voice calling delivered through a provider-hosted internet protocol platform. A cloud phone system may include VoIP calling plus voicemail, messaging, video meetings, mobile applications, administration and other unified communications features.

Does a cloud phone system require an on-site telephone server?

Generally, no. The provider hosts and manages the core communications platform. Businesses may still need compatible desk phones, network equipment, internet connectivity and local power protection.

Can we keep our existing business phone numbers?

Most established business numbers can be transferred, but portability must be confirmed before implementation. The current service should remain active until the transfer is complete and inbound and outbound calling have been tested.

What happens if the internet connection fails?

The result depends on the platform and continuity design. Calls may be redirected to mobile phones, alternate locations or other approved destinations. Backup internet service and protected network equipment can provide additional resilience.

Do employees need desk phones?

Not necessarily. Employees may use supported desktop, browser or mobile applications. Some roles may still benefit from desk phones, conference phones, headsets or other dedicated equipment.

How much does a cloud phone system cost?

Cost depends on the number of users, selected features, equipment, integrations, implementation requirements and support plan. A complete proposal should identify recurring licenses and one-time charges, including phones, configuration, number porting, installation, taxes and fees.

Can cloud phone systems support multiple locations?

Yes. A shared cloud platform can connect users across offices, homes and job sites while maintaining common dialing, routing, administration and business identity.

Our cloud communication solutions are trusted by businesses in Kansas City and throughout the Midwest, and Central Missouri helping companies streamline their operations.

Compare Cloud Phone System Options for Your Business

The right cloud platform depends on your users, locations, calling workflows, integrations, reliability requirements and current contracts. Towner can evaluate your existing environment, explain the available options and build a transition plan around how your organization actually communicates.

Talk with Towner about a new cloud phone system, an upcoming contract renewal, a multi-location rollout or problems with your current provider.