July 25, 2022
What’s best for your business communications? VoIP or analog telephony? Cloud or on-premise deployment? If you’re confused, grab some coffee, and let’s go over a few things.
When it comes to deciding what is best in the case of VoIP vs analog phone systems, it’s important to understand all the variations of phone systems which are available to you.
For businesses there are six types of phone systems that can be deployed, with each one containing certain benefits and restrictions:
- Landline phone systems
- Mobile networks
- Virtual phone services
- Self-hosted VoIP
- Cloud-based VoIP
- Hybrid phone systems
As the nature of work transforms, the communication needs of businesses are changing and stakeholders around the world are seeing new benefits in communication solutions they may not have previously considered.
What is a VoIP Phone System?
Starting at the top – VoIP: what is it? A VoIP phone system is a communication solution which uses the internet to complete calls, rather than a traditional PBX and phone line.
The call is made from a computer or other connected devices such as a smartphone or tablet and routed through a virtual PBX hosted in the cloud. This means calls can be made from a business number without the caller needing to be physically present at a particular location and comes with a host of additional benefits.
What is an Analog Phone System?
An analog phone system is any traditional phone system which uses copper wires to make calls as well as physical hardware on site at a business such as a PBX and phone base sets.
Benefits of VoIP and Analog Phone Systems
There are many advantages of the VoIP phone systems for business when compared to traditional analog hardware.
Benefits of VoIP Phone System
First, is the flexibility afforded by a VoIP phone system. Because VoIP requires no physical hardware – such as copper lines – to function, businesses can scale up and down as the needs of the company evolve. If a business is experiencing a surge in line requirements, increasing call capacity is as simple as calling up their provider and adding more lines. As long as each person has a computer or similar connected device, they can make calls.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses to facilitate remote working for their staff and it seems like this pattern is set to remain even now the worst of the danger has hopefully passed. With VoIP, offering remote working options is easier than ever as employees simply need to log in from any location and can make and receive calls as if they were in the office.
Maintenance costs are also kept to a minimum with VoIP vs analog phone systems. Because there is extraordinarily little physical hardware required and the PBX is hosted digitally in the cloud, as long as your business’s computers are working and you have an internet connection, you’re good to go. The lack of hardware also means there is no installation required and your business can be set up quickly when onboarding a new VoIP phone system.
Benefits of an Analog Phone System
Traditional copper wire-based phone systems have been around for a long time and have supported businesses well since their inception.
Analog phone systems are simple to operate, and most people are comfortable with using them as they are what they have grown up with all their lives. They are easy to set up and are not difficult to maintain.
Analog phone systems are arguably more secure as there are fewer points of failure, and they are less prone to social engineering type scams.
VoIP vs Analog Phone Systems
Analog phone systems can come with a significant line setup cost – often charged at $50-$100 per line – whereas VoIP can be installed in minutes with little setup fee or disruption to your daily business.
With analog, maintenance needs to be carried out onsite by a technician which can come with excessive costs and disruption. With a hosted VoIP phone system, all maintenance and updates will be carried out remotely by your provider.
An analog phone system will often have higher monthly service fees and call rates. A VoIP phone system will typically offer free or exceptionally low calling rates – including those to international numbers – and can offer significant savings.
VoIP phone systems will come with rich advanced features at no additional cost, whereas analog has limited options for add-ons. Those which are available for analog phones systems usually carry an additional cost or require additional hardware to be installed.
VoIP Phone vs Analog Phone – Device Comparison
An analog phone will typically come with the kind of basic features you’d expect from a commercial grade phone system such as call waiting, hold, transfer, etc.
However, the features on an analog phone pale in comparison to those available on a digitally powered VoIP device.
Because the interface of a VoIP phone system is presented on a computer or similar device, there exists the potential for many more features than one could hope to fit on a single analog phone.
Caller information can be instantly and automatically populated, calls can be transferred warm or cold, an auto attendant can route calls automatically, data can be gathered and analyzed to help make future improvements, a powerhouse softphone can help reception staff manage large call volumes with ease, and so much more.
While analog devices are fixed at the point of manufacture, VoIP phones are only limited by the hardware they are operating on. New features can be added, and existing ones updated constantly.
VoIP vs Analog Phone System – Which is Best for My Business?
Without a doubt, small business VoIP phone systems will supercharge your business’s communications capabilities and make your organization more competitive and a smoother operation. Not only will it boost customer experience and make the lives of your employees easier when fielding calls, but you can make your business a more attractive employment proposition in the modern business landscape by offering remote working options.
If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with a VoIP phone system, get in touch with the experts here at net2phone today.