Buying a Phone Systems
When was the last time that you thought about your business phone system? There is a very high chance that you are paying way over the odds. Sometimes it can be down to time. A customer just doesn’t have time to run a business and browse through hundreds of website pages to find the best deal. It could even be that business owners just don’t know where to start and think it is not worth the hassle. Really though, what is more important than your profits!
At CompareYourBuisnessCosts we understand this and your business comes first. We want you to not only find the cheapest deal for your business but also to find a provider that suits your business’s needs. We put steps in place to simplify the process for you. Sometimes it can be hard to choose which one is suited to your business and its needs. We can ease the stress for you. CompareYourBuisnessCosts provides you with the best options for your company based on the information you provide us with. All you need to do is go online to our website and fill out the 30-second form to compare providers and get the best deal for your business!
For further information and pricing on phone systems, click here.
What is a Business Phone System Responsible For?
A business phone system is responsible for allowing your company to handle phone calls and transfer calls, to use for conference calling, call metering and for private and shared voice message boxes. Phone systems are an essential part of running a business effectively. Businesses such as hotels or recruitment companies all need to make sure they are using a good quality phone system from a reliable supplier. In previous years there was just one sole provider of phone systems. This meant that businesses really had no choice but to go with them and often paid out hefty prices because of this. Now though, there are so many different options for a business owner to consider including different types of PBX, cloud phone systems, pbx phone systems, VoIP phone systems, IP PBX systems, Unified Communications, hosted PBX and many others. This is why switching systems can seem daunting.
UK VoIP Providers |
Company |
Price |
Free Trial |
Customer Rating |
Who is it Best For |
|
£19 per user, per month |
✓ |
4.7 |
Small businesses with big growth plans
|
|
£9 per user, per month |
✓ |
4.6 |
Small businesses looking for a cheap and easy solution
|
|
£12 per user, per month (billed annually)
|
✓ |
4.4 |
Telesales teams and small businesses with high turnover
|
|
£6 per user, per month |
✓ |
4.4 |
|
|
£10 per user, per month |
✓ |
4.3 |
Companies that need to communicate remotely
|
|
£7.99 per user, per month (billed annually)
|
✓ |
4 |
Small businesses with varied departments
|
|
£14.99 per user, per month
|
X |
3.9 |
Small companies that are based online
|
Different types of Business Phone Systems
- Firstly you have the KSU (Key system unit). This phone system is a basic type of business telephone system. This works really well for small businesses and is easy to use.
- Then you have an OBX system (private branch exchange or traditional PBX) although more costly this system has more advanced features and is suitable for larger companies.
- Lastly, the VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) (VoIP) systems are more advanced and cost-effective. The system runs via the internet so it is also cheaper to set up as you only need a computer, headset and connection. The system also uses the same internet connection that the workplace already uses. You will need to remember that this system relies on a strong internet connection, so it will not work well for a workplace with a poor connection. This system would be great for the current situation with employees working from home and access can be gained via a mobile phone. VoIP can start as low as £10 per calendar month. This will vary depending on what provider you choose, what your business needs are and the features included. VoIP works out cheaper for your business than an ISDN line.
Usually, your package will include a set number of minutes. If you exceed this then you could be charged a flat rate, depending on the terms, so look out for this it could be a rate such as, 2p a minute or 5p a minute, you can see it pays to shop around. VoIP users can make free calls to other VoIP users around the world. If you have offices globally, then this system is perfect for you. Check your provider’s customer service. You would expect them to offer free, impartial advice with regards to fixing your VoIP system and look out for 24/7 advice as well, as this would even better for your business. There are a couple of options with the system you can choose. If you have a self-hosted VoIP system, this is more expensive than the traditional hosted system because your business will need to pay out for the equipment and maintenance costs. For this reason, you may want to consider a hosted service, especially if you are a smaller business with a smaller budget.
Why Switch Telephone Suppliers?
Technology is constantly being updated and evolving daily. Your business needs to remain competitive and professional. If you have an outdated phone system or poor supplier this will not be the case. You may have outgrown your current system, perhaps your small business is now a large one. You may also find that you now need more features and you have a lot of incoming calls to deal with. It could even be that the quality of the current system is poor. You should think about modern features such as the click to contact button. A potential customer could be browsing the internet. Most customers will select the easiest option. We know this from using the internet ourselves. So, if your business has an easy contact click button this could be the difference from losing or gaining a customer. Especially if the customer is using their mobile phone, this is even easier for them.
Who is There to Choose From?
RingCentral is a complete cloud-hosted communication system (VoIP). This means there are no expensive start-up costs as it is using the cloud, all you need is internet access. You will need to make sure that you have good speed internet access in your workplace though. The supplier’s average uptime is very good, sitting at 99.999%. This means that per year the system has not been down many times. With this system, it is possible to carry out unlimited calls, messaging and video conferences. RingCentral offers four plans to businesses that range in price depending on the features included within them. The more features a business needs the more prices the plan will be and the cheaper plans do not all have access to 24/7 customer service. Similarly, this works well as a business is then not paying extra for features that they do not use. RingCentral offers its users unlimited calling and call recording that can be used for customer safety and training purposes in the long run.
It has call log and performance reports. You can use the feature of team messaging which is included on the platform. If your business has a lot of callers it has the handy feature of call queues is also available here. For meetings, it is possible to host a conference call to up to 1000 contacts. Extras the platform has are their mobile app. With this app, users can send texts and faxes, check their voicemail and take calls. This is a great feature with the current situation of Covid 19 meaning lots of people are having to work from home. This ensures that the service provided from home is still professional and up to standard. RingCentral offers the option to rent phones from them. The company takes your security seriously and have protection built in such as firewalls, multiple authentication levels, intrusion detection systems and fraud analytics. This protects your business and customers.
Vonage has its headquarters in New Jersey and provides three plans for phone systems, mobile, premium and advanced. The selection of plans ensures that even if you have a budget you should be able to get a plan to suit your business. Costs can rise if you select add ons and the more users that you have. The company’s Mobile plan proves great for remote work, though businesses with internet protocol desktop phones will need to subscribe to the Premium or Advanced plans. Vonage is also cloud-based meaning you can also access it anywhere and use mobile phones. They were one of the first companies to offer the VoIP phone service to the residential market. They use one system to carry out text messaging, video conferences and team collaboration. They have lots of different features some included and some at an extra cost. Features included are caller ID, call screening, back up directed calls if there was to be a power cut, call logs and users can call up to five numbers in a sequence.
If employees are busy there is the option to not disturb and they can be redirected to voicemail. Added features like spam screening and call recording all cost extra but you may want to consider these to help the efficiency of the business. They also have the option to add a customer’s contact button to appear on your website, this makes it easier for customers to contact you. Call quality is said to be HD quality. Vonage has a mobile app where employees can make and take calls. They can also send texts and share files. Employees can carry out conference calls using Vonage Meetings. This also works really well for home working.
Broadvoice offer metered, standard and pro packages. With the cheapest package, your business can receive features such as, call forwarding, call Park, find me/follow me, hot desking, web portal, text messaging and voicemail to email notifications. With the standard package not only will you get the above features but additionally you will get unlimited Calling and local DID. Lastly, with the pro package business can have access to everything above and virtual fax, one number, global extension, call Recording, communicator, call catch and integrations. Keep in mind that this option will be the most expensive package. Their website is also very user friendly. They feature a blog with advice on anything from the golden rules of business texting to texting Vs emailing. Support on the website is also great and they have videos on the dashboard, personal settings etc.. to help with using the system. Like the other providers, they have kept up to date and offer a mobile app.
Stratotel was named after Sir Isaac Newtons (cradle) device. A cradle uses a series of swinging spheres. Stratotel is a British made supplier and has 18 years of experience in the SMB market. They specialise in integrated telecommunications services for businesses with up to 250 employees. Stratotel also provides a cloud-based network meaning staff can work from any location. Working with the cloud saves initial costs as there is no need to pay out for system upgrades or new equipment. Stratotel is suitable for any sized business and can be applied to multiple sites. They claim their connection is high quality and reliable. Stratotel offers phone systems, internet access, multi-sites, mobiles and maintenance. Stratotel promise dedicated account managers, UK based support, tailor-made solutions and one single provider. Calls between offices are free! Small businesses can benefit from internet access, phone systems and mobiles as well as initial consulting and network designing.
They will receive maintenance and support. As well as this, medium-size businesses can get their own account manager. Multi-site businesses can get access to the ability to transfer voice, data, VoIP and video between locations. They will design a connectivity solution to suit you, by using various Ethernet and leased line products. Features offered by the phone systems supplier are CRM integration, auto attendant, call groups, extension Dialling, multi Locations, call Recording, unlimited conference calling, call queuing, unified voicemail, landline numbers, fax, emergency calling, click to dial, hot desking, speakerphone paging, call parking, call monitoring, call management and online account management.
Stratotel has access to mobile apps. Most businesses can keep their existing numbers when switching but in some cases where they are not transferrable, they hope to be changed over within 7 to 10 business days. They say that they differ from other providers with their additional features such as hunt groups, call transfer, music-on-hold and auto-attendant, which are all tailored to your needs. They also offer to put in place automatic call forwards to alternative numbers, so that if there was to be a power cut or the internet failed then your customers would not be disadvantaged.
How to Switch Phone Providers?
Now you are aware of the different options available to you and your business and all the factors you need to consider. We are ready to simplify the process of selecting a supplier for you and provide you with the best options for your company based on the information you give us. All you need to do is go online to our website and fill out the form to compare providers and get the best deal for your business! Tell us what you want and we will find it for you. Keep in mind when the three factors that you will influence which supplier is right for you. First, what type of system will you want? Next, the different features that you will need. Lastly, how many employees will you have using the system? We like to keep totally impartial and we understand that more goes into your decision than just the price. Find the best deal to suit your business needs and cut costs with us today! Before looking to switch we recommend that you first review what you already have for example to equipment that you already use.
This will save you from buying new equipment as most companies use cloud-based systems now. Then you will want to consider how reliable your current internet connection is. If this is not very reliable, could you also look at changing this or upgrading to a dedicated line? Next, consider what features are an absolute must for your business. You do not want to be paying for features you don’t use, but also you don’t want to not have everything you need. Think about things like call recording, transferring calls, voicemail, international calls, video calling, IVR systems, call forwarding, call logging and CRM Integration. You may like to keep in mind, what training on how to use the system itself a supplier is offering and how this is going to be done. With the current situation, virtual training would be your best option. Also, the installation of the actual phone systems.
How to Compare Suppliers
When you are comparing suppliers and you have gathered quotes for each you should first look at the price. What are the cheapest business phone lines offered? Then look at the number of users each package is offering. There is no use comparing one provider that is offering 50 and one that is offering 250. Then look at the features each provider offers to your business. You would then want to look at the locations you can access this system if this applied to your business. Lastly, the equipment is provided and that you will need.
FAQ’s
How much will switching really save me?
Prices can start from as little as £7.99 per month.
How long will it take to fill out the form?
As little as 30 seconds!
Can CompareYourBusinessCosts really help me?
CompareYourBusinessCosts has helped companies compare their company costs already such as eBay, Rolex and Nikon.
Buying a Phone System 2024 – Other Useful links about phone systems
Talkdesk
SugarSync
Mitel
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James Ward is CEO and founder of CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, a website that won the Prestigious ‘Website of the Year’ only in its second year of operations in 2015. The website has grown organically since then offering comparisons on over 20 different products including insurance, energy, telecoms, card machines, coffee machines and much more. James has a range of interests including horse racing, skiing, rugby and boxing. He splits his time between home family life, friends, exercise and socialising.