There are two types of phone solutions to choose from – an on-site phone system or an off-site hosted phone system. The on-site phone system can be connected using the standard telephone network as PSTN, ISDN or VOIP whereas the hosted solution can only be connected via the internet.
Note: You will need a cat5 network to operate a hosted or on-site VOIP-based system. If you have older telephone cabling then you will need an on-site solution.
On-Site System
On-site systems tend to be most cost-effective if you have more than five users per site. They allow you to choose your preferred call provider as opposed to this being fixed to the hosted service provider. With your own system on-site you do not have ongoing monthly rentals to pay per user, which means your longer-term running costs are reduced. On-site telephone systems also tend to offer a slightly higher level of functionality. However, because on-site systems need to be installed on your site they can incur slightly more start-up costs than an off-site hosted system.
Off-Site Hosted System
An off-site hosted solution is provided as a service and is usually billed on a monthly basis. The equipment on-site is limited to phones and some routing devices while the rest is managed by the service provider via the Internet.
An IP infrastructure is required on-site and the number of lines can be increased or decreased easily but it is dependent upon the speeds of your internet access circuit. There are no maintenance costs as these are built into the monthly user rental. Key benefits of hosted systems are the fact they are portable and numbering options are very flexible.
It is recommended you have either your own IT support engineer or a support contract to assist with any fault resolution related to your internet access or on-site network equipment.
It is absolutely essential you have a stable high-speed internet connection for VOIP to work properly as it relies on this connection to function. You may also need to consider backup power in the event of a power outage as this solution relies on equipment that is powered on-site.
Hosted solutions can be ideal for remote workers or smaller multiple-site applications.
Find out more about telephone lines
If you need anymore information about choosing the right telephone system for your business please contact us via email on enquiries@tech-ip.co.uk or call us on 0800 50 533 50.
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