Communication is key in any business be that internal or external. With the ever-evolving digital environment it is imperative that businesses also adapt. Business telephone systems can help keep on top of communication both internally and externally, helping your business grow and thrive.

A business telephone system is a telephone system designed specifically for businesses in mind.

It is easy to think that a business telephone system is just the same as the regular landline-based telephones that you find in homes.

However, they are much more flexible and intricate than those designed for residential use.

What are the benefits of a business telephone system?

As mentioned, a business telephone system is more sophisticated than your standard land line and typically come with these great benefits:

Conference calling
Conference calling allows you to call multiple people at once.

Automated attendant
A recording that prompts the ringer to press buttons which divert the call to the correct person or team.

If your lines are busy then these can update the ringer on the progress of their call.

Voicemail to email
Any voicemails left can be forwarded directly to the email(s) of your choice.

No matter where you are, you will stay connected and won't miss a beat.

Call monitoring
This feature records phone calls which can be used as a valuable training tool, staff appraisals, complaints handling and even any legal issues you may encounter.

Call forwarding
This means that phone calls will automatically be forwarded to an employee's mobile number.

This way if they are away from the office then a phone call will never be missed.

Multi-line telephone systems
Similar to a traditional phone system but with the capabilities to host multiple calls at once.

Multi-line telephone systems are helpful if you're taking a large number of calls.

Employees can also be allocated their own phone number so they can personally be contacted if needed.

Alternatively, all calls can be filtered and directed towards a dedicated member of staff such as a receptionist or PA.

Main features	Location	Suitable for...	Price point
Multiple lines Muliple handsets Basic call handling	On your premises (self-hosted)	Very small to small businesses	Low to mid

PBX telephone systems
Not too dissimilar to a multi-line telephone system.

The main benefit of a Private Branch Exchange or PBX business phone system over a multi-line system is that it facilitates automated call handling.

This will automatically transfer phone calls to specific departments or individuals via a pre-recorded selection menu.

PBX business phone systems also have the ability to connect to the internet as well as integrating third party software such as email.

Data is readily stored on a PBX system including call volume, call length and frequency of calls for specific numbers.

Main features	Location	Suitable for...	Price point
Multiple lines Muliple handsets PBX hardware Basic software integration Automated call handling	Either on your premises (self-hosted) or in the cloud (hosted)	Small businesses	Mid to high

VoIP Telephone Systems
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) aka IP PBX telephone systems are the same as PBX systems except they rely exclusively on an internet connection.

These are extremely easy to set up and even come with a simple software app that can turn the business phones that you may already have into a cloud-based VoIP system.

These tend to be far more reliable as the only thing that will affect the quality of calls would be your internet connection.

VoIP business phone systems are also extremely cost effective, for example international dialling is far cheaper through VoIP than it is through a land line.

Main features	Location	Suitable for...	Price point
Multiple lines Muliple handsets Advanced software integration Advanced call handling	Either on your premises (self-hosted) or in the cloud (hosted)	Small, medium, and large businesses (basically everyone!)	Low to high

Still not convinced of the benefits of a business phone system?

Below is a quick list of exactly how properly utilising a business phone system can help your business.

Build and maintain relationships
Whether it's with customers, clients, trading partners, whoever.

Healthy relationships are key to your business' success.

Much of that relationship comes from actual dialogue, with none more effective than a simple voice to voice chat.

Multi-line	PBX	VoIP
Have customers call straight through to the department they need	Set up an automated attendant to automatically direct callers to the right department Integrate your CRM software in order to streamline your customer relationship management Have calls automatically forwarded to different numbers so your staff never miss a call	Set up an automated attendant to automatically direct callers to the right department Integrate a variety of software to streamline your business' whole operations Have calls automatically forwarded to different numbers so your staff never miss a call Set up multiple voicemail functions, so you're always on top of missed calls Choose your own hold music to keep customers patient

Remote and home working
Remote working may be essential for some industries and homeworking has become increasingly popular amongst numerous sectors recently.

This can be facilitated and even directly aided with a business telephone system.

Multi-line	PBX	VoIP
Make calls internally and externally at the same time	Make calls internally and externally at the same time Redirect or automatically forward calls to your team's mobile phones	Make calls internally and externally at the same time Redirect or automatically forward calls to your team's mobile phones Use the same number across multiple devices and locations Easily move offices with a cloud-based VoIP system

Improve Internal Communication
We've all been there trying to get hold of someone in another department and it seems like they don't exist.

Even trying to get hold of someone in our own department can be hard enough.

With business phones keeping you and your staff connected has never been easier.

Multi-line	PBX	VoIP
Easily dial and transfer calls internally	Easily dial and transfer calls internally Conference call with other offices	Easily dial and transfer calls internally Conference call or video call with other offices Integrate instant messaging software for speedy internal comms

Streamline productivity
Time is money and any business that has a business phone system set up is saving both.

Multi-line	PBX	VoIP
Give each department its own phone number, meaning less time is spent directing calls	Set up an automated attendant to direct calls for you Use basic call data to make more intelligent business decisions Easily forward calls to a call center	Set up an automated attendant to direct calls for you Use detailed data insight to see high performing and underperforming employees, and inform and improve your sales strategy with call data Easily forward calls to a call center Set up intelligent API for automated call answering

It's good to ask yourself a few questions before you start sifting through the array of providers out there.

This way you will be able to gauge exactly what it is you're looking to get out of a busines phone system and that can help you make the right choice.

"Where is my business heading?"
One eye should always be looking towards the future as a business owner.

Are you expected to have a tighter budget going forward?

If yes, then a more cost-effective VoIP system may be more appropriate compared to the others

"Do I want a self-hosted or hosted system?"
The difference between hosted and self-hosted systems are where the system is stored.

Self-hosted means that the system is hosted on your premises whereas a hosted system is stored by and maintained by an external third party, over the cloud.

The only hardware you will need to worry about maintaining with a hosted system are staff headsets.

Multi-line systems will typically be self-hosted due to the simplistic nature of the device.

However, these will need to be maintained by you so be wary of this, especially if you don't have an in-house infrastructure specialist.

PBX and VoIP business phone systems that are hosted are slightly more cost effective compared to having an in-house specialist as a small monthly fee will cover any maintenance work needed.

"What features do I need?"
If it's something simple like additional line, then unsurprisingly a multi-line business phone can help.

If you're wanting more advanced features such as automated call handling then a PBX or VoIP system will be essential.

For the most sophisticated devices out there which include the most diverse features, a VoIP system will be what you need.

It's impossible to give a straight answer to this as a variety of factors come into play:

• Installation costs
• Hardware costs
• Number of handsets
• Number of lines needed
• Maintenance costs

These will be unique to every business and will all come into play when calculating the final cost.

Hopefully that's cleared up some questions that you may have regarding how a business phone system can help your business.

Now the last one you most likely have, is "how can I get a business phone system"?

Well, the process couldn't be simpler; all you have to do is click the "Start Free Quote" button to start comparing prices.

This is an absolutely free service and there's no obligation to commit, so click the button, follow the prompts and get comparing now.