Should you consider adopting new phone systems for your business? To help you decide, we’ve defined the various types of phone systems, their different life cycles, and technology options in the past and the present.

Different phone systems

Today’s businesses still use landlines to connect with various stakeholders, such as customers, investors, and suppliers, to service their needs. However, telephony has come a long way from when it first came about in 1876. For instance, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones have virtually unlimited reach, are automated, and are cheaper than ever to acquire.

VoIP is a telephony solution that uses the internet instead of wired circuits to transmit data. VoIP does more than just transmit audio — it can also send a variety of data (video, multimedia, SMS, etc.) and perform other tasks as well.

A VoIP system’s hardware (phone units, cables, CPUs, etc.) and software (one or more applications that run the system) can be either on-premises or hosted:

• On-premises – Hardware and software are physically housed within the premises of the company.
• Hosted – Some of the hardware, like phone units and other equipment, can be found within the premises. But most, if not all, of the software is hosted online. Service providers look after hosted systems for their clients.

Life cycles: On-premises vs. hosted

With hardware, it doesn’t matter whether it’s on-premises or hosted. Hardware is affected by the wear and tear stemming from daily use. Barring any accidents or physical damage, VoIP hardware should last several years.

On the other hand, software requires regular updates. It’s worth noting that it’s faster and cheaper to update software that’s hosted in the cloud versus one that’s on premises. However, there’s not much difference in how much either one can last — software for both types of VoIP systems can last upwards of 10 years, depending on how dependable your IT support is.

Technology today vs. before

In the past, hardware and software were built to last. Today, they’re built to adapt and change, thanks to cloud technology.

The effect of this shift on hardware and software is dramatic:

Most hardware components are very similar, with replacements and upgrades coming every 5–8 years on average.

Cloud software is faster, easier, and cheaper to upgrade than software for on-premises systems. Critical cloud updates can be released almost constantly, and a cloud system may be completely overhauled in as short as 2–3 years’ time.

Whichever phone system you choose, it should integrate smoothly with the other systems in your business, such as email or customer relationship management software. And as your business expands, your chosen phone system should easily scale with it, too.

Be a step ahead

Downtime results in loss of potential sales and, essentially, wasted money. If your phone service is spotty and constantly unreliable, perhaps it’s time to switch to VoIP phones.

Nowadays, it’s not the longevity of a tech solution that’s important, but rather staying ahead of the curve to trump the competition. Call our experts today so you can always leverage the best VoIP and other IT solutions available today.

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While many businesses are already using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones to connect with their customers and other stakeholders, some still depend on traditional telephone systems to get the job done. This is because many organizations aren’t aware of the crucial gains in productivity and efficiency that come with internet phones. If you’re still not convinced about deploying VoIP, read this quick guide.

What is VoIP?

Traditional telephones are still very much a part of today’s business operations, and companies use them to connect with various stakeholders such as customers, investors, and suppliers. But telephony has come a long way from when the first telephone was invented in 1876. Modern phone systems are now automated, cheaper than ever to acquire, and have virtually unlimited reach. One of the most widely used modern phones in the market today is the VoIP phone.

VoIP technology uses the internet instead of wired circuits to transmit data. And it does more than just transmit audio like legacy phones do. It can also send a variety of data (e.g., video, multimedia, SMS, etc.) and perform other tasks such as call routing and anonymous call rejection.

VoIP setups: On-premises vs. hosted

A VoIP system’s hardware and software can be either on-premises or hosted. On-premises means that all of the VoIP’s components are housed within the premises of the company. Hosted VoIP, meanwhile, means that only some of the hardware, like phone units and other equipment, can be found within a business’s premises. The rest of the technology, including the software, is hosted online. In this setup, service providers look after hosted systems for their clients.

Which setup should you choose? You may want to consider the condition of VoIP hardware and software in different environments.

Generally, hardware is affected by the wear and tear stemming from daily use, so whether you choose to house it on-premises or not doesn’t make much of a difference. Barring any accidents or physical damage, any VoIP hardware should last several years.

On the other hand, software requires regular updates and security patches, and it’s faster and cheaper to update software that’s hosted in the cloud versus one that’s on-premises. If you want to better protect your systems from cyberattacks and enjoy the latest VoIP features as soon as they come out, choose hosted VoIP.

Business adaptability with VoIP

In the past, hardware and software were built to last. Traditional phone systems, for instance, rarely get new features once they’re deployed. Meanwhile, modern IT solutions like VoIP are built to adapt and change.

These days, critical updates are released regularly, with complete overhauls taking no longer than 2–3 years. If you choose hosted VoIP technology and outsource its management, then you can enjoy a faster, easier, and cheaper upgrade via cloud-based rollouts.

Most hardware components are also improved upon every once in a while, with replacements and upgrades coming every 5–8 years on average. Note that if you outsource your VoIP systems, your VoIP provider will be the one to ensure that the hardware is up to date, and your company won’t have to shoulder outright hardware upgrade costs.

As your business moves forward, you must have a phone system that is agile and fast, and can integrate smoothly with the other systems in your business, such as email or management software.

Be one step ahead

VoIP is reliable. As long as you have a high-speed internet connection, you can guarantee high-quality voice calls with 99.9% connection uptime. Unavailability, choppy connections, and other traditional phone issues translate to lost sales and productivity. If your phone service is spotty and is constantly unreliable, perhaps it’s time to switch to VoIP phones.

VoIP is reliable, adaptable, and won’t cause a dent in your budget. Call our experts today so you can always be a step ahead with VoIP.

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The phone remains one of the first points of contact businesses have with their customers. That’s why so many companies are upgrading to affordable and hi-tech “VoIP” systems. Voice over IP solutions are a smart investment given their longevity and more.

Different phone systems
Phones have come a long way, from analog landlines to digital handhelds. Today’s businesses need a phone system that can service their numerous needs, and in most cases, VoIP phones are the answer.

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a system of hardware and software that uses the internet instead of wired circuits to transmit data. VoIP does more than just transmit audio; it can also send a variety of data (video, multimedia, SMS, etc.) and perform other tasks as well.

A VoIP system’s hardware (phone units, cables, CPUs, etc.) and software (one or more applications that run the system) can be either on-premises or hosted.

• On-Premises — Their hardware and software are physically housed within the premises of the company.
• Hosted — Some of the hardware, like phone units and other equipment, can be found within the premises. But most, if not all, of the software are hosted online. Service providers look after hosted systems for their clients.

Lifecycles: On-premises vs. hosted
With hardware, it doesn’t matter whether it’s on-premises or hosted. Hardware is affected by the wear-and-tear of daily usage. Barring any accidents or physical damage, VoIP hardware should last as long as analog handsets, usually several years.

It’s another matter with software, which needs constant updating. It’s faster and cheaper to update software that’s hosted in the cloud versus one that’s on-premises. The differences in longevity between the two should be negligible; both can last upwards of 10 years, depending on your IT support.

Technology today vs. before
Cloud technology has fundamentally changed the way IT solutions are produced. In the past, hardware and software were built to last. Today, they’re built to adapt and change.

The effect of this shift on hardware and software is dramatic.

• Most hardware components are very similar, with replacements and upgrades coming every 5-8 years on average.
• Cloud software is faster, easier, and costs less to upgrade. Critical updates can be released almost constantly, with complete overhauls taking no longer than 2-3 years.

As your business grows, your phone system should be able to adapt to rapid growth, the need for more speed, and integration with the other systems in your business, like email or management software.

Be a step ahead
Your business cannot afford dropped or missed calls. Imagine what one day of phone downtime would do to your company. The time to replace your phone system is not after it fails. The best time is before that, when you can plan and budget properly.

Nowadays, it’s not longevity that’s important; it’s staying ahead of the curve. Call our experts today so you can always be a step ahead.

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