As a mechanism of delivering business phone systems VoIP is becoming the de facto standard replacing conventional PSTN/POTS technology in the UK superseding ISDN as BT will retire the network in 2025. Convectional phones (POTS/PSTN systems) are hardware based and transmit phone calls via an analogue signal using the whole line. Put simply VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), compresses the call transmitting it as data packets across the Internet using IP (Internet Protocol) technology. This means the call can share a line with your other internet traffic and other voice calls. The result is a more flexible, reliable and above all cheaper service.
There are 2 ways a VoIP Phone System can be delivered; they are usually from the cloud or from servers held on your premises; the choice of which is typically dictated by the number of seats required, where they are used geographically and whether you wish to use features such as call recording or video calling.
Wizards VoIP solutions choices are dictated by numbers of users, planned and unplanned growth or decline in requirements and customer budget. Wizards approach has never been one size fits all to find the package that fits your needs please contact Wizards via sales@wizards.co.uk or 0333 241 7707.
Why Buy a VoIP Phone System?
All phone systems have a life and your legacy hardware PBX plus analogue handsets are fast becoming obsolete. Given that end of life position you will be pleased to understand moving to VoIP delivers the following benefits:
Cost Of Ownership
Initial Costs:
Traditional phone systems are based on dedicated proprietary hardware requiring a dedicated “machine” to deliver; that “machine” is expensive to buy and maintain where VoIP systems run on computer hardware either in house or hosted by the provider in the Cloud. Thus VoiP Phone Systems are cheaper to buy, own and maintain than traditional dedicated hardware systems.
Running Costs:
Traditional phone systems place calls over dedicated lines with attendant charges dictated typically by BT. Calls on VoIP Phone System are routed automatically via the least cost supplier over the internet meaning you save money on each call. A call to an internal VoIP user is free and calls to a landline and mobile users included with SIP charges.
Flexibility
Legacy phone systems are hardware based and usually limited by the actual hardware in use i.e. the “box” you own dictates how many extensions you can have and the features you may have. A Wizards supplied VoIP Phone System solution will essentially look like this:
- A Sip Trunk connection to carry voice calls over the internet
- Optionally a connection to one or more BT PSTN or ISDN trunk lines for external “landline” calls
- A phone on each desk, with normal handset, perhaps with a headset, or a cordless handset.
- Voicemail
- Music on hold
- Auto attendant
- Facilitate home and remote office users to have phones which appear as ordinary extensions on your system
- Facilitate smartphones wherever they are in the world to act as the user’s own extension or DDI as if they were at their desks in the office.
- Call forwarding, hunt groups, call queues, call transfer, etc.
- Direct-dial-in numbers to individuals or departments.
- Allow remote offices to have similar systems routing calls transparently between them over the Internet.
- Facilitate “soft phones” i.e. phone software on a laptop or desktop with headset or speakers and microphone which acts as the user’s office extension or DDI with no hardware required.
- No phone cabling required as the IP phones are connected to your normal data network.
To find the package that fits your needs please contact Wizards using sales@wizards.co.uk or 0333 241 7707.