‘VoIP’ is a bit of a buzzword in the telecoms industry at the moment. VoIP phone systems are replacing their old fashioned, on-premise PBX counterpart and becoming the new standard for small business voice communications.
With so many small businesses making the move to VoIP, it’s always good to ask: is it worth it?
It’s a good question, and one that we get asked frequently, especially by small businesses and small business owners. And it’s understandable too. We know that every investment matters to a small business, and therefore it is important to know if it is worth upgrading to VoIP.
Is VoIP worth it for a small business?
The short answer is yes. A VoIP phone system is the ideal solution for a small business. Its scalability and low cost makes a VoIP phone system a great choice for businesses of all sizes, but especially good for small businesses and SMEs.
With that said, it is important to understand why VoIP is worth it for a small business.
Why is VoIP worth it for small businesses?
Upgrading your phone system may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. VoIP is honestly worth the upgrade, and here’s why:
Cost
It’s a biggie. For a long time, the cost of telephony has been a costly burden, especially to small businesses. But shelling out of expensive PBX equipment is a thing of the past with VoIP.
VoIP helps dramatically reduce your small businesses running costs. Not just because it’s cheaper in price, but because of all these other cost saving measures:
- 5,000 Free UK minutes per user
- Free upgrades and maintenance
- No hardware purchase cost
- No line rental
ISDN Switch off
In 2025, Openreach will switch off the UK’s ISDN network. This looming switch off has many small business owners worrying about what will happen to their communications. But when you move your small business to VoIP, you don’t need to worry.
In 2025, old telephone lines become redundant, but because VoIP doesn’t use old telephone lines (instead using your broadband connection), your business will be fully prepared for the ISDN switch off when the time comes.
Higher quality calls
It may only be a small benefit, but it’s something that matters. VoIP offers higher quality calls when compared to traditional ISDN and PBX telephone systems. Because it uses data packets to transmit your voice via your broadband, it has a higher sampling rate and therefore the call quality is significantly improved.
But what is VoIP?
Great, so now we know exactly why VoIP is worth it for small businesses. But what actually is VoIP and how does it work? Because if you’re thinking of upgrading it is definitely important to understand what VoIP is and how it works.
VoIP phone systems very similar to on-premise solutions. They both control all your businesses calls, and direct call traffic where required. However, VoIP telephone systems are cloud-based, whereas an on-premise telephone system is a piece of hardware that sits in your office somewhere.
For years, PBX on-premise systems have been the only option for most businesses. But this is no longer the case. VoIP is a great option for so many businesses, no matter their size. As you can see from the diagram above, it enables you to reduce your telephone lines and call charges, as well as remove the maintenance and upkeep of an on-premise PBX.
A VoIP phone system really is a great option for small businesses and SMEs. They’re more cost effective than traditional telephone systems and they’re definitely worth the upgrade.
