An Explanatory Guide To Choosing Business Phone System
To make your business grow at a rocket fast speed try one of these phone system
Having a well-assembled phone system is an essential requirement for every company, whether it is big or small. To be honest, it is the need of the hour as it will only help simplify the business and make it grow every coming day.
Before we dive into this article and elaborate on the business phone systems for you, we’d like to share essential phone system terminologies which will clear many confusions for you in general.
Terminologies You’ll Come Across in Your Quest to Finding Business Phone System
1) Auto-Attendant: An auto-attendant is just like an electronic receptionist that will take calls, greet the receiver or route the incoming calls to the concerned person.
2) Cloud-Based Phone System: A fundamental and popular term of office phone system is the CPN system. This is the type of phone system that is entirely dependent on internet technology. This business phone system does not require any landline networks to set up, but a good internet connection is mandatory for it to work.
3) Hosted PBX: If you are looking for a business telephony that is simple to implement and keeps you stress-free, then you should opt for a hosted PBX. A hosted PBX will relieve you from the stress of setting up your own on-premise PBX system. As it is hosted in the cloud, the provider takes care of its maintenance and upgrades.
4) ISDN: Also known as Integrated Services Digital Network, it is the mainstream standard used by the phone networks to carry voice, video, or other data via digital methods instead of analog methods.
5) Least-Cost Routing: It is commonly called LCR, and it is the latest technology that delimits the charges of incoming calls to the company, decides the order of the calls, and routes the calls respectively to the concerned person.
6) Multi-Line Phone System: It is a popular analog telephone system that works by using two, four, or multiple lines per handset to manage multiple calls all at a time.
Types of Office Phone Systems
The top three office phone systems that you can choose from include-
i) Multi-line business phone systems
ii) PBX phone systems
iii) VoIP phone systems
i) Multi-line business phone systems
A traditional single-line business phone system is the one that lets the owner and the worker share only one telephone line. With this phone system, if you are on call with someone and if at the same time there are other callers, you will not be able to attend them, which can be very frustrating. The waiting callers will be left with a busy tone or a voice mailbox. Such situations can make the tentative customer turn away and look for new partnerships. So a growing business needs to move from a single-line system to a multi-line phone system.
How to choose correct phone number lines for business
When you decide to install a multi-line phone system for your office, you need to keep a set of things in mind, which will help you choose how many lines will be suitable for your business.
Following is the most common structure-
1) Two-line phone system
2) Four-line phone system
3) Six or eight-line phone system
1) Two Line Phone System:
If you are looking for a new phone system that is simple and affordable, then the two-line system is good to go. In this system, there will be one line for the receptionist and one for you. Or you can use it as one home phone number and another for business purposes. This is suitable for a small business model or a budding solo entrepreneur. A two-line system also allows small businesses to make calls and use a fax machine at the same time.
2) Four Line Phone System:
If your business is seeing growth or you are planning to expand, you can choose a four-line phone system. Your company should be one where you are receiving regular calls and have many employees. This type of system lets the employees use the lines without the worry of disturbing the incoming calls from outside callers or business associates.
3) Six or Eight Line Phone System:
When you have a business that is large and receives a tremendous number of calls every day, you may require a six or more lines system to handle the load. Of course, these systems will be more complex and expensive than the other ones. This system will allow multiple phone lines to operate at a time.
What are the main features (positive and negative) of multi-line phone system:
-Strengths
i) This is a great economical option for a new and budding business.
ii) One can upgrade new lines once the company starts to grow.
iii) It is easy to use and hassle-s free.
-Weaknesses
i) When compared to other office phone systems, this one is less flexible.
ii) In some cases, it is a bit expensive for phone service.
iii) If the user wants to upgrade to a cloud-based system, then it is complicated.
Now let’s talk about the technical aspect and the features that multi-line phone systems have to offer to your business.
1) Voicemails
2) Computers, connections to headsets, and fax machines.
3) Speakerphone
4) Call transfers, call hold, call waiting
5) Speed dial and directory
6) Call Conferencing and call joining
7) Option to choose from wired and cordless handsets
ii) Private Branch Exchange Phone System:
A “PBX system” or a Private Branch Exchange Phone system is a consolidate phone interface that has the ability to combine multiple people inside a company with other employees of the same company. And at the same time, it will let you send and receive phone calls from other organizations as well.
If a business is medium to large, then it is a good idea to choose PBX over an old-fashioned multi-line system because it is more advanced and easily up-gradable. And with the rise of service providers for hosted PBX systems, their requirement has increased.
What are the features of a Private Branch Exchange Phone System:
Pros-
i) It might be bit complex but is way more reliable than VoIP
ii) It doesn’t depend on internet connectivity
iii) PBX has the capability of incorporating medium to large organization requirements
Cons-
i) PBX is not dependent on the internet, but it entirely works on electricity. That means if there is no power back up, then your phone system won’t work.
ii) It is not cost-effective when compared to VoIP
iii) As there is a complicated installation, it is sometimes difficult and expensive to upgrade and add new connections
Here are some of the functional features that PBX system has to offer:
Generally, the main features of the Private Branch Exchange Phone System is the same as the multi-line phone system. But the PBX phone system has much more functional features to offer that are advanced as well. Some of them are mentioned as under.
i) Call Parking
ii) Autodialing
iii) Auto Attendant
iv) Call routing
v) Customized call menu
vi) Messaging and music on hold
vii) Location-based routing
viii) Customer service screen popping
By now, you are aware of the pros and cons of the PBX system as well as the features it has to offer. But the main point is, should you or should you not invest in this type of phone system for your growing business? The more suitable question would be which type of PBX system will suit your business needs?
If you are in a type of business where you can set up a network of phone lines, handsets, and equipment, then the on-premise PBX is best suited for your company. It will allow the company employees to make calls within the office premises as well as outside. This system also lets the customers call the PBX system, which can get routed to the concerned person. But before installing, a company should always bear in mind that as it is complex to handle this system. To handle a PBX phone system you require a group of knowledgeable staff that is trained to install, manage, and troubleshoot the problems in a short period. This is one of the reasons why PBX is not best suitable for small business types as it is high maintenance.
But there is another option where a company can install a pre-managed PBX system known as hosted PBX. A hosted PBX will relieve the company and the staff from the chaos of self-installing and maintaining the system. In case there is some issue, you need to call the service provider, and rest will be taken care of.
What we suggest is that you make a list of your requirements and your budget, and then choose which PBX system is best suitable for your business needs.
What is the average cost of a PBX phone system?
Just like any other phone system, the costing of the PBX system depends on whether you are opting for an on-premise or a hosted system. Just like a multi-line phone system, PBX includes the total cost of physical handset devices as well. In case you choose to keep the phone system on-premise, you have the freedom to select the accessories and equipment brands as per your need. But when you decide to have a hosted system, all the equipment has to be compatible with the service provider’s network. This means that if a provider wants, he can make you pay for the features you didn’t even require in the first place.
The maintenance cost can be high or low depending on whether you have chosen to “do-it-yourself” or you are relying on the service provider. In case you have a well-trained staff that can handle the system carefully, you will be saving on a lot of money. But if you don’t, then you will have to pay a maintenance service fee to the provider. A PBX system also requires you to pay for services charges and telephone lines.
iii)About Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
A phone system that is advanced, latest, and has the most innovative features to offer to a company is VoIP. It is considered superior as it allows you to connect with potential clients even if you two are in two different countries or even continents. It is an emerging technology that allows its users to make and receive calls over the internet. It can be used via the internet as well as a computer. It might get costly as compared to other systems if the number of employees needing to use the system are significant. But the most beneficial part about this phone system is that it is entirely functional via a computer as well. Still, it is considered better as when a company chooses to opt for a hosted VoIP, they can be hassle-free and enjoy zero maintenance cost.
It has features like the ability to put calls on hold, voice mails, call forwarding to an alternate number, and, most importantly, IVR. Other features include faxing, call waiting, etc.
VoIP is also a good option as its buyers will get uncountable features at a meager price even if you compare it with an on-premise PBX system. And due to lack of flexibility, most of the bug businesses are already moving to a fully cloud-based VoIP phone system to manage all their communication.
One of the most significant downsides of VoIP is that it is entirely dependent on internet connection. And without it, the system cannot work. You must have high-speed internet connectivity for a VoIP system to function at its best. If you have slow internet speed, your order will suffer, making your business suffer eventually.
If you choose an entirely virtual system, then its fine else you will have a hard time installing it on your own. In the case of a non-virtual VoIP system, you will need to connect your order to Cat5 cables, which is a hard nut to crack.
But nowadays all service providers offer free installation, so it is the least of your concern.
What are the types of VoIP, and which one will suit your business requirements?
Just like PBX, VoIP also has three variants to choose from. This might sound a bit confusing as its options look similar to the phone system. But we have tried to simplify it for you.
i) A hosted VoIP: Just like hosted PBX, there is a hosted variant for VoIP as well. In this system, a third-party company will take care of your voice services that include voicemails, auto-attendant, taking calls, and routing of calls. This will free the owner from the hassle of the complicated procedure and high-cost phone installations, sophisticated software, and expensive equipment.
ii) SIP Trunking: A session initiation protocol is a computing language. It allows your old phone systems to connect with internet networks. If you don’t want to attract massive expenditure at the moment and avoid buying new handsets or hardware, you can go for a SIP trunking enabled system.
iii) On-premise VoIP: As in the case of PBX, there was an option where the company had to handle the hardware and software of the phone system; the same is the case with on-premise VoIP. But here, the system can be entirely virtual, which is capable of taking incoming calls and routing them to a particular receiver or desired device like smartphones. If you have a small business with remote employees, then a virtual VoIP phone system will be the most efficient as it is lower in cost and is portable.
What is the cost of VoIP systems for different business types?
When compared to PBX or a traditional phone system, VoIP is way more affordable and easy to handle because it is entirely taken care of by a third-party service provider. It is cost-effective as most of the service providers don’t charge any set-up fee, and over that, they give you plenty of features like faxing, call routing, video conferencing, and voicemail. This will help you go all virtual without having to worry about actually having an office location. But in case you wish to connect your phone system to a physical location, then there will be extra charges for it. You will need things like phones or IP phones that have the Internet Protocol abilities. Other than that, you will need infrastructure for all of these things aligned and running. As this installation is expensive, it is suitable only if your staff is huge in number, and you can take care of the expenses.
Why are the new companies in favour of VoIP instead of the traditional phone system?
If a company wants to expand and grow, they need to follow the market trends, and that is why all sorts of businesses are moving to VoIP.
All sorts of businesses are moving from Public Switched Telephone Network to the more advanced version VoIP. Just by using an internet connection, you deliver calls by the usage of packet-switching technology.
The primary reason why companies prefer it is that this service is cost-efficient. Moreover, it will let you use it via any compatible devices like desktop, computer, laptop, or most of the mobile devices. Your number will remain the same no matter where you go. This means if you have internet connectivity, you can take and make VoIP calls.
What is the difference between a VoIP and a business phone system?
On the one hand, where a small business phone system needs hardware and copper wires to send calls, the latest VoIP just needs functional internet connectivity to do the same job at half the price. This lets the user save money and get away from the hassles of the hardware setup.
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