In this article
Choosing an IP phone system means deciding where the system lives — on the company's premises or with a provider — and whether the internal network can carry voice. PBX and PABX are the same thing; the useful comparison is over three to five years; and the most expensive mistake is usually in the network, not the phone system. This guide sums up what DataRoad - IT Services and Consulting analyses before proposing a voice solution.
Four conclusions before you read on
- Architecture The real choice is between an on-premises system and a hosted one.
- Five questions Locations, people outside the office, internet quality, simultaneous calls and integrations.
- Time horizon Costs compared over one year lead to the wrong decision.
- Network An excellent phone system on a saturated network produces bad calls.
A short glossary
- PBX The private branch exchange that routes calls between extensions and to the outside world.
- PABX The same, with "automatic" in the name, as opposed to the old switchboards with an operator. If someone charges more for a PABX, they are selling you a letter.
- IP PBX A phone system that routes calls over the data network.
- VoIP Voice over IP technology, not a product.
- SIP trunk The connection to the carrier that replaces physical lines.
- Cloud phone system An IP PBX hosted by a provider and paid for by subscription.
Three architectures and when each one fits
Physical system on the premises
It makes sense with many analogue phones, unreliable internet or requirements for communications not to leave the building. It has the highest upfront investment and it ages.
Your own IP PBX on a server
The phone system is software on a company machine. It combines control and flexibility — a new extension is configuration, not buying cards — but it needs someone to keep it up to date.
Cloud phone system
Everything sits with the provider, paid per user. It is the natural choice for companies with several locations or a lot of remote working. In return, it depends entirely on the internet and has a recurring cost.
The five questions that decide
- How many locations? With one, any option works; from two upwards, the cloud has the advantage.
- How many people work outside the office? If it is many, the decision is almost made.
- What is the internet like? Voice uses little bandwidth, but suffers from latency variation and packet loss.
- How many simultaneous calls? Almost everyone overestimates: thirty people rarely need more than eight to ten channels.
- Which integrations? Caller identification in the CRM, call recording and queues narrow the range and should be discussed before price.
Before opting for the cloud, measure the connection at peak time and make sure there is a second backup connection: if the internet goes down and the phone system is outside, the company has no phones.
DataRoad IT Unlimited
Talk to DataRoad. We assess your operation and propose the right plan.
Cost structure
Own solution: licences per extension, server or hardware, IP phones, installation and numbering plan, annual maintenance, SIP trunk and call charges.
Cloud solution: monthly fee per user (the dominant cost), phones, initial setup with number porting, and call charges.
Your own system is daunting up front and cheap afterwards; the cloud is gentle at the start and always costs the same. Fast-growing companies rarely regret the cloud; stable companies with a single office usually pay less with their own system after four or five years. Beware: with per-user models, going from 30 to 60 people doubles the bill without any new decision being taken.
Migrating without losing a single call
- Number porting first It has legal deadlines and depends on the losing carrier; start early, because it sets the timetable.
- Two systems in parallel Divert a test number, validate quality, train the team and only then move the main numbers.
- Never on a Friday A problem spotted on Friday afternoon lasts the whole weekend.
- Review the numbering plan Who answers first, what happens out of hours and where an unanswered call goes. It is worth more than any feature in the catalogue.
Five mistakes we see repeated
- Choosing by feature list They all have dozens; almost every company uses five.
- Ignoring the internal network The answer to "the phones are bad" often lies in the network and structured cabling.
- Forgetting power Without a UPS, a power cut leaves the company uncontactable.
- Not testing out of hours Some companies discover months later that night-time calls were ringing into the void.
- A phone system exposed to the internet It is a target for toll fraud and the damage arrives on the next bill; protect it with managed firewalls.
Next step: voice integrated into your infrastructure
DataRoad installs and manages IP PBX phone systems, on-premises or in the cloud, with number porting and integration into the existing network, under an IT Unlimited contract. Ask for a no-obligation proposal.
More than 10 workstations · support contract · remote, on-site and telephone support. Call +351 211 459 950* or write to sales@dataroad.pt.
*Call to a Portuguese landline.
