In order to choose whether a VOIP or PBX phone system is right for your business, you need to first understand what features and costs come with each of them. Keep these points in mind when choosing.
1. Deployment time frame
How quickly do you want or need the phone systems to be active? Some systems are easy plug-and-play setups, whereas others leave you waiting for carriers to complete a series of steps before you can actually start using the system.
- VOIP: Quick deployment
- PBX: Requires lead time
2. Features
What features are you looking for in your new phone system? Do you want call management, locally based hardware and real-time management? If you answered yes to the above questions, you’re looking for a PBX system. However, if you don’t want local main equipment and are looking for cloud-based management and a portable, redundant solution, you need to consider a VOIP system.
- VOIP: More complex features
- PBX: Simpler features
3. Costs
Are you willing to pay high setup costs and have a cheaper call rate with lower call quality?
- VOIP: Cheap with basic features
- PBX: Traditionally more expensive
4. Scalability
You can start with a 2 handset VOIP system and scale accordingly as the business grows. This ensures you are only paying for what you need and can still add handsets to cope with the growth of your business. You can also reduce the capacity at any time. This directly sits in proportion to your monthly spending on the telecommunications aspect. A PBX system requires advance planning to make sure you have the right equipment so you can upgrade in the future.
- VOIP: Easily scalable
- PBX: Needs to be carefully planned
5. Multiple Sites
VOIP has the most benefits for businesses that operate in multiple sites and allows your company to break the shackles of geographic locations. Calls can be transferred from Sydney to Melbourne to Perth in a matter of seconds with internal extensions and no fee for the transfer of the call. How great is that? Multi-site offices save some cost as all the calls between their sites are free.
- VOIP: Great for multi-site businesses
- PBX: Not the best solution for multi-site business
6. Relocation
Having a VOIP system means you don’t need to stress about moving out of the exchange and losing your main number as you unplug your handsets from the old office and plug in to your new office. A traditional PBX system could pose challenges, and the move has to be planned very accurately to not lose service for hours or even days.
- VOIP: Easily plug into a new office
- PBX: Requires careful planning
The best way to make sure you’re getting the right small business phone system is to speak to one of the experts here at Arrow. We understand the challenges facing your company and can help clarify any questions or concerns you might have.
