How to Upgrade Your Business Phone System?

A business phone system is a communication network that organizes and manages incoming and outgoing calls in a company/organization. It can be traditional phone lines or modern VoIP technologies.

There are basically three types of business phone systems: Key System Unit (KSU), Private Branch Exchange (PBX), and VoIP.

KSU is designed mainly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Since it operates via traditional landlines, it has limited phone lines.

Contrary to KSU, PBX is more flexible as it is cloud-based and offers on-premises installation options suitable for large-scale industries.

Last but not least, VoIP works using the Internet. Not only is it more flexible, but it allows you to handle calls from anywhere. It is appropriate for all companies, regardless of their sizes.

As stated earlier, VoIP technologies use the Internet and are effective communication solutions. It easily allows you to add or remove phone lines when required.

In addition, here are some other key reasons to upgrade your business phone system.

Installing KSU and PBX can cost thousands of bucks (including maintenance, licensing, and technician fees), and there is also a need for additional hardware. Plus, phone bills can be costly and unpredictable.

Compared to them, VoIP doesn’t need extra equipment and works perfectly with your existing devices. Moreover, it primarily offers cheap rates for international calls, saving you a lot of money. As per reports, SMEs save 68% on average by switching to VoIP systems.

Your KSU or PBX hardware will need fixing over time. It will be challenging to find the equipment’s replacement parts and find a technician who can repair the issue. Above all, you also won’t be able to integrate third-party apps like customer relationship management (CRM) software into your phone system for efficiency.

Switching to VoIP will help you get rid of outdated technology. Moreover, you can also unite your phone system and CRM tools for proper management of calls/consumers.

Let’s say you are doing well in business and want to expand to new locations. As stated above, adding a new PBX/KSU phone system will cost you a hefty keeping in mind the pieces of equipment and other incurring charges.

Instead, opting for VoIP phone systems will allow you to do so in a few clicks. You can easily implement this modern phone system in your existing devices.

Don’t be satisfied with KSU and PBX phone systems that offer only basic features like call forwarding, routing, and diverting.

With VoIP, you get the opportunity to use and implement other advanced features like auto attendant, call recording, history, masking, filtering, blocking, voicemail-to-text, web app/app dialer, live call monitoring, and many more.

Security of any kind of data is necessary. It doesn’t matter if it’s trivial information or a sensitive detail about something/someone. Unfortunately, old phone systems transmit calls using audio signals, which are somewhat vulnerable and easy to intercept by attackers.

Unlike them, VoIP services transform your voice into digitized signals or data packets and transmit it over an Internet connection. Such signals/packets are highly protected with secured encryption, making it difficult for scammers to impede.

As aforementioned, old telephone systems are only limited to calling, and their primary features. You have to use separate platforms for emails, text messages, and video conferences.

With VoIP apps, all these functionalities come in a unified platform. For example, if a client texts, calls, and sends audio messages to you from a single number, all the data is presented in a single place without having to open multiple apps.

After taking into account the considerations mentioned above, you can upgrade your business phone system following these simple steps.

Firstly, ensure your business has a reliable connection that can support VoIP phone systems. You can use either Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) or Wi-Fi. However, fiber-optic cables are regarded as ideal.

If you have desk phones in your physical office, then you might also need IP phone handsets or analog telephone adapters (ATA) to modify your analog phones.

Sign up with your desired VoIP provider and get access to its web-based dashboard or install its application and log in. Installing a VoIP system is not as complex as KSU/PBX.

After installing/logging in, test some of its basic features like voice quality, unified platform, web/app dialer, call forwarding, transferring, and others. Following that, review its performance and see how suitable it is for your communication.

From assessing your current communication system to knowing your needs and the pricing structure, there are many things you should consider choosing the right phone system for your business.
 

1. Understand What You’re Working With: Before upgrading the business phone system, evaluate your current system. Know what weaknesses and strengths it has, and be clear about what features you wish you had.
    
2. Set Business Communication Goals: Be more goal-oriented and set fixed targets, like reducing expenses, improving user experience, etc.
    
3. Consider Automation: See if your choice of phone system offers automation facilities or not. Setting automation for routine tasks like call forwarding, recording, or voicemail saves time while reducing human errors.
    
4. Pricing Structures: As there are multiple communication system providers, ensure their subscription prices fit your budget plan and have no hidden charges.
    
5. Flexibility And Scalability: Settle on a phone system that allows remote communication and supports mobility for both you and your staff. Also, make sure it can add or remove lines/facilities per your needs.
    
6. Provided Features: Select a business phone system provider that has the needed features to handle calls/clients for efficient communications.
    
7. Free Trial Or Demo: It’s always better to try your business phone system before committing to it. See if it’s compatible with your firm or not.
    
8. Training And Support: Switching to a new phone system can be confusing for you and your employees. Consider the providers that offer proper training on how to use it. Plus, confirm that your selected provider has a top-notch support department to answer all your queries whenever needed.

Communicating through telephone lines has become a thing of the past. 31% of businesses have updated their phone systems and now use VoIP systems. While the shifting process is rather simple, there are also reasons and things to consider, like prices and features, before making a transition.

Sign up with Calilio and upgrade your business phone system without spending much. It costs as low as $12 per month to switch to an advanced phone system with us.

The price to upgrade your business phone system depends on the type you have chosen. PBX/KSU phone systems can cost thousands of dollars, while VoIP systems start at just $12 per month with Calilio.

VoIP phone system is the best business phone system. It is cheaper in comparison to PBX and KSU phone systems and has more features.