The Best Multi Line Business Phone Systems of 2024
Top 10 Side by Side Comparisons
The Best Business Phone Systems of 2021
Top 10 Side by Side Comparisons
What is the best business phone system for you?
If you are like most business owners and managers, you probably assume every new multi line business phone system is fairly similar to other options. Furthermore, the average business owner may assume there are only a couple options on the market. The truth is there are many different phone systems to choose from, some of which are used on the internet, dubbed “voice over internet protocol” or VoIP for short. Let’s take a look at how to select the best business phone system for your unique company.
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- Overview
- Review
- Customer Service
- Pricing
- Time in Business
- Business Health
- Customer Service
- Backend & System Management
- Group Features
- Call Center Services
- Call Management
- Mobility / Remote
Consider What Your Business Needs in a Phone System
Take some time to review what your particular business needs in a multi line phone system before considering the candidates. Some businesses require a comprehensive phone system inclusive of desk phones. Other businesses will find a virtual telephone service that functions on mobile devices suitable. If your business does not need desk phones, consider the type of service you desire. Perhaps your team is ready and able to take on VoIP technology. As mentioned above, this unique phone system operates over the web and is available from a litany of service providers. Take the VoIP route and you will have to decide whether it is better to store the system on-site or use a cloud based phone system hosted by the employer. Maybe you desire a conventional landline phone service provided through a regional phone business or local service provider.
Conventional Landline Phone Systems
Landlines are somewhat outdated and basic yet they get the job done. Provide by regional and local phone companies, these systems are analog based and operate through the phone company’s copper wires. An on-site Private Branch Exchange, also known as PBX hardware is necessary for landline phones. This hardware forms the extensions while ensuring features such as the ability to transfer calls are available. Though few know it, some of the landline phone systems in existence are actually hybrid systems with VoIP. The conventional phone line connects to the client’s network for data which is also used for phone lines.
The only downside to landlines is there is a dwindling number of service providers as the masses transition to wireless smartphones and VoIP. In short, companies that have room in their budget for landline phone systems and the IT personnel necessary to maintain these lines will find this system suffices. Furthermore, some companies are still without high-speed web access. Landlines are a suitable solution for businesses in such a predicament. However, the clock is ticking and technology is improving rapidly. It might not be long until landlines have minimal support.
Virtual Phones
Virtual phones connect incoming calls to employees’ mobile phones. This technology is essentially an elaborate means of forwarding calls in which incoming calls are transmitted to employee phones rather than a central phone operated by a receptionist. Virtual phone systems have an array of helpful features ranging from AI (Artificial Intelligence)-operated receptionists to call screening, call forwarding, voicemail, etc. A large part of the appeal of virtual phones is they connect employees to clients and others regardless of their location or the time of day. Furthermore, there is no need to pay a receptionist to handle the switchboard as the work is automated. However, there is a financial disadvantage to virtual phones in that there is a charge for the call to the virtual phone system and employee phone minutes are used. In our opinion, only small businesses or those in which the employees primarily work remotely should consider a virtual phone system.
At this point, business owners and managers are likely wondering if it is better to strictly rely on employees’ mobile devices rather than a virtual phone system. Though this employee-dependent DIY (do it yourself) route is tempting, allowing employees to answer business calls on their own phones does not present a professional image. Furthermore, mobile lines do not provide the same helpful niceties such as voicemail to email, call screening, web faxing and music while holding that are available with regular phone systems.
Voice Over Internet Protocol Phones (VoIP)
As referenced above, VoIP phone systems rely on an internet connection as opposed to the copper wires that transmit calls to and from traditional landline phone systems. VoIP phone systems are laden with features ranging from call queues to automated answering and computer integration that transmits voicemails directly to email. This technology even empowers companies to transform computers into softphones. Businesses and employees alike favor VoIP as it is possible to access the phone system from one’s mobile device while away from the office. Add in the fact that there is a short learning curve for VoIP and it is easy to see why so many businesses are choosing this high-tech option over others.
However, there is a downside to VoIP in that these systems are dependent on the web connection. Businesses with unreliable internet service will find VoIP quite frustrating. Choose VoIP and you will have to decide how to host it. The best voip phone system will provide the option of purchasing the necessary equipment or renting the equipment from a service provider for cloud hosting.
Cloud Based VoIP
Systems reliant upon cloud hosting are somewhat favorable as there is no need to worry about hardware or maintenance. The service provider stores, troubleshoots and improves the equipment on behalf of clients. Take the cloud route and your company will be able to tack on additional lines with ease. Furthermore, you won’t have to buy or maintain dial-tone service or hardware as the provider does all of that work on your behalf. The primary downside is if something goes wrong, you are dependent on the provider to perform the necessary repair in a timely and thorough manner. However, if you do not have an extensive team of tech gurus or desire a single platform for all locations, cloud based VoIP is worth serious consideration.
On-site VoIP
On-site VoIP systems are stored at your business as opposed to the provider’s site. Every single piece of necessary hardware is in-house, under your roof. This approach is comparably expensive as it requires buying the hardware and also paying monthly fees for the power to make and take calls. The IT staff is tasked with maintaining, repairing and enhancing the on-site VoIP system. However, this approach ensures you retain full control of your phone system service at all times. As long as you can afford VoIP equipment and there is someone at your building who can maintain this technology, on-site VoIP has a good chance to work out quite well for your business.
If your business has strict compliance or regulatory requirements that will prove challenging to adhere to with cloud technology, do not hesitate to take the on-site VoIP route. Businesses that lack capital and would prefer to have an experienced group of technicians to lean on in the event that something goes wrong should opt for cloud based VoIP. However, some business owners and managers are self-reliant and do not trust the cloud or others to support/maintain their phone system.
What Are the Best Multi Line Business Phone Small Business Systems?
Business phone communication systems are a step above the basic telephone operations of making and receiving calls. The best systems provide audio video integrated teleconferencing, text messaging, online faxing, and instant messaging.
The top 6 components of a unified telecom system for your business include;
- Phone calls: Traditional making and receiving of calls with optional toll-free or local numbers
- Conference calls: Each user can host their own conference call due to a system bridge, systems allowing from 5 to 10 people depending on the provider
- Text messaging: Send text messages as part of your business’s marketing without customers seeing your employee’s private numbers
- Web or video conferencing: Your business can host web conference meetings using computers or specified hardware, and some providers include screen sharing for presentations.
- Instant messaging: You can use instant message employees, and easily collaborate on projects across your business
- Fax: Use online fax from integrated unified systems to email your clients, or send to a platform-conversant fax machines
Your business’s productivity can benefit from tools offered by phone systems providers, and which make communication seamless among employees. Cloud-hosted phone systems drive the expansion of top-rated unified communications systems or your business.
What is VOIP Telephony?
VoIP is the acronym for Voice over Internet Protocol, a standard for using the internet to make and receive calls. This phone system is cheap, and it gives your business more communication scope, and the flexibility to work from anywhere using any device.
Unified communication, multi line and cloud based phone system for your business use VoIP solutions, and your calls can be routed to your smartphone. Using VoIP is the best way to take your business on the road with you, and migrating to internet-based phone systems is guaranteed to transform your business.
Review Summaries
A positive communication step for your business: your phone system equips your company’s operations with the flexibility to meet your customer’s needs better. Unified communication phone systems provide more than a tool for making or receiving calls, as your employees and customers can text, phone, or do video calls.
Your business probably receives many calls daily, and you also telephone employees, make customer service calls, and telemarketer. A phone system trumps over single line cell phone solutions, but choosing the right one for your business can be challenging.
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What to Consider Before Selecting Your Business Phone System Upgrade
Critical considerations in determining the best business phone system for your company have to be made, as the market for unified communications is saturated with a variety of options.
Increase your company’s productivity and improve communication with the highest rated phone system, considering factors such as provider, system type, and scope of features.
Factors to consider when settling for the best business phone system include;
Considerations for your business
Due to the rapid growth of your business, using cellular or predated PABX systems is becoming untenable. Instead of expanding existing hardware, which can be expensive and un-scalable, adopt a VIOIP based platform. An internet based phone system, such as a cloud-based VOIP solution, offers minimal set-up at a low cost.
- High phone bills
When your telephone bills are coming back with sky-high amounts, it’s time to migrate to the internet or cloud-based phone system. A cost analysis of aspects such as toll charges your business incurs, as the organization grows, shows no justification for continuing to pay high phone bills.
- Failure of your current phone system
Reliance on old business phone systems or cellphones can have you plagued outages and regular service calls due to operational incapacities. Like a new computer, late model internet-based phone systems have no downtime as a mark of efficiency.
- Integration issues
If your current phone system fails to integrate with other business tools, adopt a unified communication system. Interoperability features of intelligent cloud-based phone systems allow integration with varieties of business management software.
- Remote communication access
In this age of telecommuting, some or all of your employees may work offsite, and your business phone system must be able to offer full remote communication support. Access to work voicemail; Follow Me and call forwarding consist of features you can expect from the highest-rated phone system.
Technical considerations
Your technical business capacity must be assessed to determine the phone system upgrade for your internal and external communication. Some of these considerations include;
- Bandwidth
One of the critical drivers of enterprise-level communication infrastructure is how much bandwidth is available to use with a VOIP or cloud-based phone system. When your business is growing, you must assess how many kilobytes or Megabyte per second speeds for ups and downloads are available.
Upgraded digital communication must also not interfere with present levels of bandwidth, which can slow down the performance of your other business web services. Your internet provider can tell you whether the bandwidth you’ve got is sufficient for a cloud-based phone system.
- Backend system optimization
It’s critical that you consider the state of your business support hardware and software for telephony. The version of your system server, which you run, its processing speeds, memory, and data storage capacities, must be able to handle VOIP or cloud-based phone traffic.
Back end support concerns such as upgrading hypervisor or if your server is visualized must be considered and addressed. Another benefit of VOIP is remote upgrades.
- Telephony package that is best for your business
VOIP providers and cloud telephony vendors have service bundle packages from which you can select the best suit for your business. Your choice will depend on whether you will require shared multiple lines, dedicated channels, or one number for each employee.
Such vendor packages will also offer extras such as voice mail, auto-attendant or follow me, or cloud-based phone traffic.
Considerations for your business operations
Assessing how your new phone system will affect your workflow, business operations, and productivity is part of the consideration criteria. Choosing the right feature of the best-suited phone system is vital, and you must consider its support functions to your routine business processes.
Ask yourself whether your upgraded phone system will;
- Promote employee collaboration
Talking, or video meeting on the phone remains the most collaborative business tool, even with the focus being on chat systems and email. Integrated teleconferencing puts everyone on the same page at the same time, and your team can share presentations with screen share services.
You don’t want to pay for a service that goes unused, and as such, should confer widely with team members. Integrating Instant messaging or presence facility with your new phone system may lead to cutbacks in the use of email. Video meetings, on the other hand, will reduce the need for physical conferencing.
- Be vital for your business’s customer care
When providing on-phone customer service as a mainstay for your business, the right phone system and features are critical. Presence management, for instance, routes incoming calls to the correct party without wasting time, and single number calling gives your clients one number to dial.
Your phone system may feature call recording for assessment or training purposes, and network integration will match callers to records in the system to quickly fulfill or customize orders.
- Require extensive employee training
If your business phone system comes with substantially sophisticated features, they are often avoided by employees. The relative ease of use should be a consideration when looking at the best internet-based phone system, and features present must be necessary for your business operations.
Avoid an increased number of IT personnel downtime as employees are trained to use a complicated phone system, or its features are left untouched by confounded employees.
Summary
A customized business phone system solution is available to you. We are here to provide you the information you need to make the best decision to help your business communicate efficiently.