If your phones still run on an on premises system or traditional copper lines, a change is probably coming. Hardware ages, support gets harder to find and carriers keep raising prices on the lines that remain.
The good news is that the options for a company with 10 to 100 employees are better and simpler than they used to be. The work is in picking the right type and planning the move.
The main options
Cloud phone system
Calls run over your internet connection, with apps for desktop and mobile, auto attendants, call groups and voicemail to email. Priced per user per month.
Microsoft Teams Phone
Adds calling to Teams for companies that already work there. It needs a Teams Phone license plus a way to connect to the phone network, either a Microsoft calling plan or a carrier that connects to Teams.
Contact center
For teams that handle queues of inbound calls and need routing, recording and reporting. Often added to a cloud phone system for the people who need it.
Keeping the current system
Sometimes the right short term choice if the system is paid off and stable. Plan the replacement before parts or support run out.
Lines that are not phones
Alarm panels, fire panels, elevators, fax machines and some card terminals still depend on copper lines. Carriers are retiring copper and raising the price of what remains, so these lines need a plan of their own. Replacement options exist, but fire and elevator lines carry code requirements, so involve your alarm and elevator vendors early.
Get 911 right
Federal rules require multi line phone systems to allow direct 911 dialing and to send a location responders can use. Any new system should be set up with the correct address for each office, and with a plan for people who work remotely.
What to compare
- Per user price and what it includes: numbers, minutes, texting and fax
- Desk phones bought, leased or replaced by apps
- Number porting timeline and who manages it
- Whether your internet connection and network are ready for voice
- Business texting registration for local numbers
- Term length and what happens at renewal
How Level2 helps
We map how your team actually uses the phones, compare cloud phone providers and Teams Phone on the same requirements, plan the copper lines and number porting, and stay through the cutover. See internet and phones, and read our guide to business internet if your connection needs work first.
Questions we hear about this
Yes. Numbers can be ported to a new provider. Porting usually takes from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the carrier and how many numbers are moving.
It depends on which Microsoft 365 plan you are on, how many people need a phone number and which calling option you choose. Compare total cost per user, including the connection to the phone network.
Many teams no longer do and use apps on computers and mobiles instead. Front desks, warehouses and shared areas often still benefit from a physical phone.
Most cloud systems can forward calls to mobile phones or another location automatically. A backup internet connection keeps desk phones working too.