Healthcare Company Compares Cloud and VoIP Phone Systems
FormFast, a St. Louis healthcare technology company with a call center and 100+ remote employees, needed a phone system they could control — without the cost and complexity of building one from scratch. Here’s how Phonewire helped them find the answer.
About FormFast
FormFast is a healthcare technology company based in St. Louis, Missouri. They automate medical documents and streamline workflow for hospitals and medical clinics — a highly technical, process-driven environment where communications reliability directly impacts clinical operations.
At the time of this engagement, FormFast was growing rapidly — operating a call center and supporting over 100 remote employees across multiple locations.
The Challenge: Controlling Your Own Communications
For years, healthcare and healthcare technology companies have faced the same dilemma when evaluating phone systems: cloud VoIP is convenient, but often means surrendering control to a third-party vendor. On-premise systems offer control, but require significant internal resources to build and maintain.
FormFast hit this crossroads directly. As a highly skilled, technical company, they initially believed they could build their own proprietary phone system — one with no limitations that would scale with their growth. Their requirements were substantial: a full call center capability, remote employee connectivity across 100+ locations, and deep integration with their existing Salesforce CRM.
After thoroughly researching the project, they reached a clear-eyed conclusion: they lacked the time and internal resources to build and sustain a system of that complexity. They needed a partner, not a DIY project.
The Decision: Asterisk vs. Switchvox
FormFast turned to Phonewire to explore their options. Given their technical background and desire for maximum control and flexibility, the conversation centered on two paths: building on Asterisk — the open-source telephony platform that powers a significant portion of business VoIP worldwide — or deploying Switchvox Cloud, Sangoma’s commercial platform built on top of Asterisk.
Build on Asterisk
- Maximum flexibility and control
- Open source — no licensing costs
- Requires deep technical expertise to configure
- Ongoing maintenance burden on internal team
- No commercial support — troubleshooting is internal
- Integration with Salesforce requires custom development
Switchvox Cloud
- All Asterisk features and flexibility — fully managed
- No technical overhead or DIY configuration
- Commercial support and regular updates included
- Lower cost than comparable pre-built alternatives
- Built-in UC features — no add-ons required
- Native Salesforce CRM integration out of the box
“Switchvox Cloud offers all the features and functionality of an Asterisk system without the headaches — and costs less than other vendors’ pre-built phone systems.”— FormFast case study, via Phonewire
The Solution: Cloud Simplicity, On-Premise Power
Phonewire deployed Switchvox Cloud for FormFast — and it addressed every requirement on their list. Because Switchvox Cloud leverages Asterisk’s underlying flexibility, FormFast could connect remote employees across all locations through a web-based interface, adding new users regardless of location without any on-site configuration.
- Remote workforce connected — 100+ employees across locations linked through Switchvox’s web-based management interface
- Call center operational — full call center functionality included in the Switchvox platform, no additional licensing required
- Salesforce CRM integrated — Switchvox’s built-in UC features include native Salesforce integration, giving staff full client context on every call
- Lower cost than alternatives — Switchvox Cloud came in below comparable pre-built systems from other vendors while delivering equivalent or greater functionality
- No internal maintenance burden — FormFast’s technical team retained the flexibility of Asterisk without the responsibility of running it themselves
Read the Full Case Study
The complete FormFast case study details their full decision process — how they evaluated Asterisk vs. Switchvox, the pros and cons they weighed at each stage, the specific configuration Phonewire built for their call center, and the outcomes after deployment.
Covers the complete Asterisk vs. Switchvox evaluation, the decision framework, and the full solution built for FormFast’s call center and 100+ remote employees.
Facing the Same Decision?
Whether you’re evaluating cloud vs. on-premise, trying to connect a distributed team, or need CRM integration in a healthcare environment, Phonewire can walk you through the same process FormFast went through — honestly, without pressure, and with real recommendations.
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