Find a phone system that’s right for your business.
- When choosing a , the first decision you have to make is what kind of system you want (landline, VoIP or virtual) and where you want the equipment hosted (on-premises or in the cloud).
- Today’s phone systems offer businesses of all sizes a wide range of valuable calling, collaboration and mobile tools.
- Business phone systems give employees numerous ways to tap into their business phone lines when they are away from the office.
- This article is for business owners seeking guidance on what to look for and consider when choosing a phone system.
If you plan to be in the market for a business phone system in 2020, there are several questions you need to consider first to ensure you get the solution that best fits your needs.
- Do you need a full phone system that includes physical desk telephones, or could your business get by with a virtual phone service that relies on mobile devices?
- If you do need desk telephones, what kind of service do you want? Are you comfortable using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system, which runs over the internet and is available from a multitude of providers? Or do you want to use a traditional landline telephone service, which is provided by a local or regional phone company?
- If you choose VoIP, do you want to house the system at your business (on-premises) or have your service provider host it (cloud-based)?
We will help you answer those questions, but if you already know what you need and just want to see our recommendations for the best business phone systems, visit our best picks page.
Virtual Phone Systems
- Virtual phone systems connect those who call a main business phone number to remote workers on their mobile or home phones.
- These systems work as an extensive call-forwarding solution, transferring calls to an employee’s cell or home phone instead of a desk phone when a customer calls the main phone number.
- These systems include a variety of features, such as automated receptionists, voicemail, call forwarding, call screening, toll-free numbers and online faxing.
Pros: This type of service allows businesses with offsite employees to present a professional image at all times. It also gives remote workers access to various phone system features that mobile and home phones don’t offer. For more information, see our review of Grasshopper, our top-rated virtual phone system.
Cons: Virtual systems aren’t full-fledged phone systems. Your calls are often still processed on your mobile or home phone network. This means you are charged for the call on the virtual system and use up your mobile or home phone minutes. Some virtual services allow you to make calls via internet connection when using the provider’s mobile app.
Traditional Landline Systems
- Landlines in this instance are traditional phone systems, typically supported by a local or regional phone company.
- Also known as public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), landlines are analog systems that run via the telephone company’s traditional copper wiring.
- To run a landline service, you need on-premises PBX (private branch exchange) hardware. This is the hardware that can create multiple extensions and provide phone system features, such as call transferring and call directories.
- Some landline systems today are considered hybrids with VoIP systems. There is a traditional phone line that connects to a business’s data network, which it uses to connect each individual phone.
- Many phone system providers are phasing out landline systems, so it might be difficult to find one that still offers this type of service.
Pros: Landline systems are a reliable, time-tested solution that many companies are comfortable using.
Cons: Most phone system providers are moving away from landlines, making them more difficult not only to purchase but to repair. It’s only a matter of time before these systems become obsolete.
VoIP Phone Systems
- Instead of the copper wires that landlines run on, VoIP phone systems use the same internet connection that a company already uses.
- VoIP systems provide a feature set that previously only large corporations using expensive PBX hardware had access to, such as automated attendants, call queues, and computer integration, which allows voicemails to be sent to email inboxes and computers to be turned into softphones.
- VoIP systems give remote workers access to the business’s phone system from their mobile devices.
Pros: VoIP provides a sophisticated phone system with all the bells and whistles. These systems are easy to set up and configure, and they are significantly cheaper than landline systems.
Cons: These systems rely on your internet connection. If you’re in a community with spotty internet service, this type of phone system won’t work for you.