Online phone services provide organizations of all sizes more flexibility in managing and delivering critical business communications. Discover the advanced features and versatility an online phone service can deliver over traditional landline phones.
In this guide
- 01 How online business phone systems work - Jumplink to How online business phone systems work
- 02 The advantages of VoIP phone service over traditional telephony - Jumplink to The advantages of VoIP phone service over traditional telephony
- 03 The benefits of online phone systems - Jumplink to The benefits of online phone systems
- 04 Key differences to note between online phone systems and landline phones - Jumplink to Key differences to note between online phone systems and landline phones
- 05 How online phone systems benefit business communications - Jumplink to How online phone systems benefit business communications
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Online business phone systems use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. VoIP is a series of telephony protocols that transmits digital voice data over the internet. It allows users to make calls to any phone number, in almost any country, rather than traditional landline phones.
Online phone services provide the software, technology, and cloud servers necessary to facilitate internet phone calls. In many ways, these services function similarly to traditional telephone providers — the difference is that they offer lower costs, better features, and a much more versatile product.
You can place a VoIP call with any device with a reliable internet connection, including a desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Extensive business phone features give users incredible flexibility to make and receive calls from anywhere without being dependent on a physical location like an office desk phone. If desired, you can also use traditional office phones, computer headsets, USB phones, or any given combination of devices.
Over the past several years, businesses of all sizes have turned to VoIP to replace their legacy business phone service and give their employees the tools they need to communicate in an increasingly mobile world.
VoIP phone service gives businesses greater flexibility in how they communicate, with more features and services for deploying and scaling.
Businesses looking to switch from Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) may find that VoIP phone service addresses the limits of traditional telephony features, such as hardwired desk phones and landline infrastructure, especially as more businesses support remote workforces.
Here’s a look at some of the benefits of VoIP compared with traditional phone service.
| VoIP phone service | Traditional phone service |
| Make and receive calls on any internet-connected device | Limited hardware desk phone |
| Conduct calls from almost any device | Calling limited to traditional desktop phones |
| Affordable end-user devices, such as a headset | Expensive to purchase, install, and upgrade hardware |
| Quick and easy to add or remove users and extensions | Scaling requires installation of new hardware |
| Extensive features like call queues, call routing, and call forwarding | Extra costs for additional business features |
| Affordable domestic and international plans | Generally more expensive and with unpredictable costs, especially for calls made internationally |
| Real-time call performance monitoring | Difficult and time-consuming to troubleshoot issues |
An online phone system offers a host of benefits for businesses of all shapes and sizes. For one, costs are substantially lower than traditional providers, and you can also easily migrate your business phone numbers or add new ones. Perhaps more important, cloud phone providers offer a host of advanced features that can help firms thrive in the modern business world.
Connection type
Internet phone: Internet phone services are connected using VoIP. Devices are connected via ethernet, WiFi, cellular data, or direct USB connection to an office computer.
Landline phone: Landline phones are connected through Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems. Devices are connected via dedicated copper wiring and routed through a traditional telephone service provider.
Secure solution
Experience unparalleled reliability and trusted security with support for TLS 1.2 and 256-bit AES-GCM encryption, full geographically dispersed redundancy, and up-to-date certifications that help enable SOC2 and HIPAA compliance.
Voice quality
Internet phone: Internet phone service makes use of HD voice, producing the best quality audio for optimized business communications.
Landline phone: Landline phones make use of standard voice, often resulting in poorer quality audio than that of internet phones.
Features
Internet phone: Internet phone systems have all of the standard features found in landline phones – plus a host of advanced features, including call recording, video calling, audio & video conferencing, global calling, secure HD audio, integration with business software and applications, SMS messaging, automated virtual attendants, and integration with UCaaS systems.
Landline phone: Standard landline business phone features are typically limited to voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, and support for multiple phone lines. Some more advanced plans may offer conference calling, video support, and international calling.
Versatility
Internet phone: Internet phone service is maximized for versatility. Users can access VoIP services from almost any device. Calls can easily be transferred between devices without interruption. Users can make and receive phone calls anywhere in the world using the same phone number.
Landline phone: Landline business phone has limited, if any, versatility. Landline providers restrict calling to users who are physically located at the office. The number of business phone lines is limited by the volume of physical connections and the capacity of the PBX system. International calls are possible but often expensive.
Scalability
Internet phone: Internet phone service is maximized for versatility. Users can access VoIP services from almost any device. Calls can easily be transferred between devices without interruption. Users can make and receive phone calls anywhere in the world using the same phone number.
Landline phone: Landline business phone has limited, if any, versatility. Landline providers restrict calling to users who are physically located at the office. The number of business phone lines is limited by the volume of physical connections and the capacity of the PBX system. International calls are possible but often expensive.
Costs
Internet phone: The cost of internet phone service is often competitive and predictable. Costs scale with the needs of the business – desired features and number of users – but are typically significantly lower than traditional landline providers.
Landline phone: The cost of landline phone systems are moderate to high-cost and unpredictable, especially with international calling. While basic landline services can be reasonably priced, they can become exceedingly expensive with advanced features and a large number of users.
Device Compatibility
Internet phone: Internet phone systems have broad device compatibility. Access business phone service via computers, laptops, conference phones, USB phones, smartphones, and VoIP-enabled desktop phones.
Landline phone: Landline phones have limited device compatibility. Landline services typically only work with traditional, wired desktop phones.
Organizations of all sizes are turning to internet phone services to replace their legacy business phone systems. In today’s fast-paced, increasingly mobile world, only internet business phone services offer the features, versatility, and low costs to help firms thrive. Zoom Phone is a leading internet phone service provider, helping to keep the business world connected today and prepared for tomorrow.
