Having an effective communication system is crucial in today’s company environment where customer service and information flow are top objectives. For this reason, companies must pick the best office telephone systems for their operations from the market’s wide variety and suppliers. To learn more about the best home office and small business phone systems, here is a guide for you.
Office Phone Systems
Businesses employ office telephone systems, a networked collection of several phone lines, to streamline internal and external communication procedures. Popular workplace phone system types that boost productivity and call dependability include VoIP and PBX systems. Business phone systems can range from a few lines to fully configurable hybrid systems. Consider your company’s needs and pick the right office phone system before buying.
Different Types of OfficePhone Systems
One of the biggest benefits of company phone systems is their versatility. There are three main types of office telephone network systems from which to choose.
#1. Multi-line Telephone System
A multi-line telephone system is one where all calls are routed through a central phone system and regulated centrally. All incoming calls are first received by the core system, which then routes them to the appropriate person or division.
#2. PBX Phone System
A landline-based private branch exchange system (PBX) connects every desk phone via cable. You can also use IP PBX calling, which uses an ethernet cable to link desk handsets to the internet.
#3. VoIP Telephone System
Internal calls can be routed using VoIP, which requires an internet connection. It’s a specific kind of cloud-based phone system where your calling is hosted on the servers of your external supplier. You only need a small amount of gear because all calls are placed via your internet connection.
Features of an Office Phone System
You can choose the best office phone system for your team by being familiar with its key characteristics. These systems’ features are geared toward user-friendly integration because they are intended to simplify office communication.
#1. Remote Office
In the modern business environment, a phone system that supports hybrid working is crucial. There can be coworkers who work totally or mostly from home or a different office. Interoffice communication is simple and swift thanks to a phone service that utilizes mobile devices or a broadband connection.
#2. Laptop App
Some suppliers of telephone systems supply their own laptop applications. Instead of having to set it up through a search engine each time, this is a simpler way to access calls.
Incoming calls can now reach your device straight thanks to this. To simplify calls, your company will have a customized business number. Your call center can record incoming calls or route them to the appropriate team members.
#3. Do Not Disturb
Your team will occasionally need to concentrate on a task without being distracted by incoming calls. A dedicated office phone system that has a “do not disturb” feature that mutes all incoming calls can prevent disruption.
#4. Block Anonymous Calls
To stop bothersome cold calls or hacker calls, business phone systems can restrict anonymous callers. Your team will benefit from the time savings, and you might be shielded from a data intrusion. Caller ID can also prevent unauthorized callers from accessing a closed communication channel.
#5. Call Monitoring and Forwarding
The ability to redirect calls to the appropriate team member is provided by business phone systems. Call forwarding is a useful method of call routing since it allows the caller and receiver to connect right away, regardless of who answered the call first.
The Advantages of Business Phone Systems
The main advantage of employing a phone system is enhanced communication. These are some of the advantages of a business phone that are most frequently in use.
#1. You May Work From Anywhere
Flexibility is produced by a phone system. If your staff has access to the internet or a designated desk phone, they can work from any location. This implies that you can communicate with coworkers who operate remotely or abroad.
#2. Cheaper International Calls
Instead of being charged per call, a hosted phone system is typically billed on a monthly or annual subscription basis. According to your plan, this permits your team to make an unrestricted number of long-distance calls for a set fee.
#3. Instantaneous Cooperation
Real-time team collaboration can be possible through calling systems. Some plans have add-ons that let you share documents and plans in addition to allowing you to call coworkers and enjoy multi-way calling.
These can be useful for your team to make on-the-fly changes to plans while on the phone.
#4. Hire Personnel Internationally
Talent is international now. Because of this, a company must be able to readily connect with any employee, regardless of location. It is straightforward to onboard new staff and get around problems caused by local phone carriers using a standardized phone system.
Best Business Office Phone Systems
It is straightforward and quick to set up and administer a software-based phone system for the workplace and home working with the leading business phone systems. It is also straightforward and quick to set up and administer a software-based phone system for the workplace and home working with the leading business phone systems. Additionally, a modern cloud-based company phone system can now accommodate business smartphones, enabling employees to take calls wherever they are, whether they are in the office, traveling, or working from home. This is possible as a result of the growing popularity of business cell phones.
#1. RingCentral MVP
An all-in-one cloud platform for calls, audio conferencing, online fax, and SMS is called RingCentral MVP. It’s a robust but adaptable system that works well with a variety of existing PBX phone hardware and lets you use almost any mobile device to run as a softphone. Along with providing team collaboration through screen sharing and HD video for both tasks and video conferencing, it also provides HD voice and audioconferencing through mobile devices.
#2. Avaya OneCloud
The service seeks to build a genuinely scalable solution using the cloud platform that suits you best. Avaya OneCloud can also simply function through a public cloud for small and medium-sized organizations that are content to rely on outside vendors. As a result, you obtain ongoing support and don’t have to worry about software upgrades or IT buy-ins. A conventional Avaya OneCloud can be set up for enterprise businesses that already use a private or hybrid cloud service or the OneCloud ReadyNow service can be customized to meet specific needs. Any necessary server hardware can either be installed on-site or hosted in one of Avaya’s data centers.
#3. Ooma Office
A web-based business phone service called Ooma Office seeks to give small businesses the same phone experience as large corporations. Ooma might not have all the bells and whistles that you could find with certain VoIP services, but it positions itself quite well as a budget-friendly option for smaller businesses. For a rather low monthly cost per user, a lot of functionality is offered. There is no hassle because you get all the services with just one membership plan, and the system is also simple to set up and use.
#4. GoToConnect
Based on the specific pricing plan that businesses choose, all of the VoIP solutions mentioned in this article offer a wide range of distinct capabilities. The platform offers businesses more than 100 calls, collaboration, and mobile features and capabilities, as well as a variety of video conferencing services, which is what makes GoToConnect’s feature set so outstanding. It’s interesting to note that GoToConnect does not charge businesses more for more capabilities, unlike the majority of VoIP service providers. Instead, the pricing structure of the organization is dependent on how many employees a company has, with bespoke pricing plans being offered to companies with more than 100 employees.
#5. 8×8 X Series
The 8×8 X Series cloud-powered business phone system delivers a feature-packed bundle, so even with the most basic plan, you still have access to a full range of services, just as you would expect from a full-fledged company PBX system. With the exception of Interactive Voice Response (IVR), the X Series X2 plan truly shines out as being relatively affordable for small and medium-sized organizations and providing most of the capabilities they are likely to want. Comparing this plan to competitors, it is also quite affordable, albeit the enterprise plans might be a problem.
Best Home Office Phone Systems for Small Business
A corporate phone system is a multiline phone system with capabilities including call recording, voicemail-to-email functionality, ring groups to call numerous employees at once, unlimited calling, automated menus, and voicemail. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), private branch exchange (PBX), and key system unit (KSU) are examples of business phone system types. The best office phone systems for small businesses and homes use VoIP technology, allowing you to run the entire system off of your company’s internet connection.
#1. RingCentral: Best Business Phone System for Collaboration
A cloud-based message, video, and phone solution called RingCentral MVP is made for companies of all sizes and in all sectors. For companies supporting remote and hybrid workforces, the solution stands out as an efficient communications platform. Create a digital workspace with tools like team chat and messaging so you can share data and set up specific folders and threads for projects, subjects, and teams. RingCentral has 32 data centers worldwide, direct peering with more than 45 carriers, and 200 internet service providers to guarantee uptime and call quality.
#2. Nextiva: Best Business Phone System for Multisite Retail and Healthcare
Having capabilities and tools to support business messaging, video conferencing, and phone conversations, Nextiva is a unified communications platform. Contrary to most carriers, Nextiva thus allows users to combine several plans to create a unique phone system that matches the appropriate features and rates with each team inside your firm.
The following Nextiva capabilities are HIPAA-compliant: phone service, auto attendant, call history, virtual faxing, one-on-one video conferencing, group video conferencing, audio-only conferencing, enhanced interactive voice response, and several software connectors. The system’s primary security mechanisms, such as its SSAE 16-certified data centers, redundant call path network, and eight points of presence spread across the United States, are also HIPAA-compliant.
#3. Zoom: Best Business Phone System for Video Conferencing
Many people are unaware that Zoom also provides a feature-rich phone system. Zoom is well known for its video conferencing service, which saw an enormous increase in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. All four Zoom Phone services offer toll-free numbers, unlimited international calling, and integrations with well-known corporate applications like Slack and Salesforce.
Today, many companies must conduct virtual meetings, and Zoom’s phone services come with superb video-conferencing features. Thus, with a few clicks, users can elevate a call to a video conference or transfer it to a Zoom meeting or Zoom room. Desktop programs for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android provide access to Zoom’s business phone and video conferencing solution. With meeting and transfer tools that make switching between platforms and adding participants simple, Zoom facilitates effective team communication. All options thus, allow for three-way ad hoc conference calls and the ability for a business to place and receive calls from various devices.
#4. Ooma: Best Business Phone System for Small Businesses
Due to its straightforward user interface, extensive range of basic features, and general usability in a small business setting where dedicated IT support is unlikely to be available to assist with the implementation of new systems, Ooma is our recommendation as the finest phone system for small businesses. Ooma excels in administrator usability, with straightforward drop-down choices that make it easy to configure modes for ring groups, business calls, and after-hours calls. For anyone putting up their first cloud-based phone system, these are simple to comprehend.
#5. GoTo Connect: Best Business Phone System for Remote Teams
GoTo Connect is a business phone system with capabilities that are especially well-suited to the requirements of remote teams. Easy-to-use features for remote device access and IT support from the company enable enterprises to adapt their phone systems to their specific requirements. If you have a dispersed international workforce, GoTo Connect also offers free international calling in 53 countries. Users appreciate having access to local, toll-free numbers that are popular with their target market and can be called from any device in any place. GoTo also provides an improved softphone that enables customers to place and receive calls from their computer from any location.
How Does a Phone System Work?
The phone’s diaphragm is a thin metal disk where the sound waves are conveyed before being transformed into electrical energy. The electrical energy is transformed back into sound waves and sent over lines to another phone, where the person on the other end may hear them.
Why Is Office Phone Important?
Your clients will be able to contact your company directly and receive answers to their questions more quickly with a suitable phone system in place than if contacts are handled through email or internet platforms.
What Is the Difference Between the Key Telephone System and Pbx?
While PBX systems rely on a central control unit situated at the business customer’s location, key telephone systems depend on switching hardware owned by the telephone company.
Related Posts
- VIRTUAL PHONE SYSTEMS: The Top Best Virtual Phone Systems For any Business (+ Detailed Guide)
- WHAT IS PBX: Clarification, Types and Price
- LANDLINE BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEMS: Best Options in 2023
- BEST BUSINESS PHONE SYSTEMS: 2023 Best Business Phone System Reviews (Updated)
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