Business phone lines have undergone a huge transformation over the years, from traditional landlines to today’s modern VoIP systems. As a company owner, it can be tricky to know whether a digital, state-of-the-art solution is worth it or if the good old familiar landline is still the preferred option. So, in this article, we will explore the differences and benefits of each.
Understanding business landlines
Traditional business landlines primarily refer to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which relies on copper wires infrastructure to provide basic call functionality. The ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) is the more modern version of this, providing digital transmission of voice calls while still relying on copper wires. These landlines offered a slightly better quality and more features, such as multiple calls per one line.
However, both PSTN and ISDN are constrained by their dependency on physical infrastructure, which needs to be installed in the office to work. They also lack the flexibility and scalability of more modern alternatives, but it’s safe to say they provide highly reliable communication.
The VoIP revolution: flexible, feature-rich communication
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has revolutionised business communication. This type of business telephone line transmits voice calls as digital data packets using internet connection, as opposed to physical wires. As such, this technology offers many unique advantages, including:
- Cost-effectiveness – typically lower call rates and reduced infrastructure expenses;
- Convenience – the phone line can be set up within minutes, simply by creating an account with your chosen system;
- Flexibility – Calls can be made anytime, anywhere, from any device, as long as the agent has access to a stable internet connection;
- Scalability – Increasing your user or line number is as simple as upgrading to a new plan, no need for any manual installations;
- Smart functionality – VoIP phone systems typically offer a lot more functionality than just basic call management, such as video conferencing, voicemail-to-email, call recording and transcription, auto-attendants, detailed analytics, and so on.
- Integration capabilities – Many modern phone lines can connect to other business tools, such as CRM systems or email management software, helping streamline workflows between different platforms.
Many also offer integration capabilities with CRM systems, streamlining workflows through softphones, IP desk phones, and mobile applications.
Advanced AI solutions
With the development of AI (Artificial Intelligence), business phone lines are becoming even more advanced, offering intelligent functionality and tools like never before. For instance, the latest solutions are capable of transcribing your call in real-time, performing a sentiment analysis and providing you invaluable data.
This can help better understand the subtle emotions or frustrations of the customer on the other side of the line, prompting you to follow-up with them appropriately. It can also automatically detect the key topics discussed in the conversation, creating a handy summary for future reference.
But, as this technology continues to evolve, we’ll certainly see even smarter features going forward.
What’s the right option for you?
Although modern systems are miles ahead in terms of functionality and business efficiency, selecting the right phone line is really down to your company’s needs. If you only need to deal with calls occasionally, then you may not see the need to upgrade from your landline phone. However, if voice and video communication is core to your business, a modern solution will be irreplaceable for business efficiency and growth.
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