Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) with cloud technology are starting to become a norm. Angel List reports 11,325 SaaS startups with an average value of $4.3 million. These tools can help you grow both internally and externally, especially when it comes to communication.
We asked seven entrepreneurs which SaaS products are the most attractive and why. Check out their answers and investigate the value of the following products for your startup.
Ring Central
We use Ring Central because it eliminates the need for an on-premise private branch exchange (PBX) in order to have a complete enterprise phone system. The cloud gives the same capability at a fraction of the cost. The mobility it offers is excellent: we can literally take our entire phone system out of the office, forwarding calls to our mobile devices and monitoring all activity through the app.
– Jonathan Long of Market Domination Media
TollFreeForwarding
Using a virtual PBX phone system and TollFreeForwarding has allowed us to expand our business considerably. By establishing local and toll-free numbers in a variety of countries, we can market to international audiences and serve them in their own language. Even though all of the phone lines forward to our US offices, each line has a native speaker who is able to help individuals in a variety of countries.
– Marcela De Vivo of Gryffin
Grasshopper
We use Grasshopper because it protects the personal phone numbers of our employees who answer calls and reach out to customers. It’s also easily integrated into a voice command system where the employees using the system are only one click away from connecting with customers and vice versa. I’ve always used it and have never had any complaints about their user interface.
– Rob Fulton of Rob Fulton
Google Hangouts
We are fans of Google Hangouts. Google Hangouts are the easiest way to quickly voice and video chat with one or more people both internal or external to the organization. Powerful tools like the ability to host live hangouts–which stream to YouTube and directly ring phone numbers into a conference–make it even more versatile. Best of all, it’s free.
– Nanxi Liu of ENPLUG
Sqwiggle
Sqwiggle is great for remote teams as not only can you communicate with the rest of your team, you can easily engage with them throughout the work day. They have an innovative product with click-to-talk and instant video. This allows you to stay in close contact with your team and build a strong remote culture.
– Randy Rayess of VenturePact
Skype
Our staff is based remotely around the world, and Skype wins for its universality. Everyone knows it and knows how to use it. It’s cost effective for our business, and our clients prefer using it to some of the newer voice communication SaaS products. We use it for company and team-wide chats, voice and for transferring small files. We haven’t needed to look elsewhere for communication tools.
– Jared Brown of Talentopoly
Switch
Switch is a virtual phone system made by the same guy that invented Google Voice and UberConference. Switch has a simple and clean user interface, as well as all of the features and functionality that you hope for in a modern phone system. It never ceases to amaze me how far telecom has lagged behind in terms of features and functionality. Switch gives me hope!
– Danny Boice of Trustify