Optimize Your Communication: Which Phone System Is Right for You?
Every business needs a reliable phone system. Phone systems do more than allow you to make and receive important calls. They offer an identity for your business and convey a sense of professionalism.
If you’re thinking about implementing a new phone system, consider a few questions. Do you need a complete phone system, or could your business suffice with a virtual phone service, eliminating the need for physical telephones? Do you foresee using a traditional telephone company, or should your system run over the Internet? Also, if it’s the latter, do you want it to be self-hosted, or cloud-based?
Whatever the answers are to these questions, here is some information on the respective types of phone systems to help you make an informed decision.
Virtual phone systems – These systems work by connecting a business line to your employees’ mobile or home phones. They can include features such as automated receptionists, voicemail, call forwarding, and more. Virtual phone systems are great if your employees are spread out geographically, but don’t include all the features you’d get with a full-fledged phone system.
Landlines – Landlines are the most traditional phone system, and they operate along a telephone company’s copper wiring. They’re incredibly reliable, but many businesses are moving away from them because they can be expensive.
VoIP systems – VoIP systems use the Internet that is already being used by the business. This means voicemails can be sent to email inboxes. These systems have all the features one might need, but they are entirely dependent upon an Internet connection. So, if you lose your Internet connection because of sever weather or maintenance, you also lose your phone system temporarily.
Self-hosted vs. cloud-based VoIP systems – Another consideration for VoIP is whether you want a self-hosted or cloud-based system. A self-hosted VoIP system means just that. Your company owns and pays for the equipment. This means you are in absolute control of your system. However, self-hosted VoIP systems cost more up front. A more cost-effective approach is a cloud-based VoIP system, for which there is no maintenance or hardware to worry about.
Now that you have a basic understanding of various phone systems, contact us today and we’ll help you find which one is perfect for your business.