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Choosing a business phone system? What to know before you buy
Overview
Which type of business phone system do you need?
A business phone system manages inbound and outbound calls for your team, with features a normal phone line can't offer: call routing, queues, recording and reporting. Most businesses now choose a cloud system.
VoIP and cloud phone systems run over your internet connection with no on-site hardware, priced per user per month. See VoIP in the ACXPA glossary.
Cloud or hosted PBX gives you enterprise call handling (auto attendant, queues, recording) without owning the equipment.
Unified communications (UCaaS) combines calling with video, messaging and presence in one platform for hybrid teams.
Microsoft Teams calling adds phone calls to Teams, for organisations that already live in it.
On-premises PBX is installed and managed on site, for specific security or infrastructure needs.
Do you need a phone system or a contact centre platform?
A business phone system suits teams where calls are one part of the job. Once you have dedicated agents handling high volumes of customer calls, you'll usually need a contact centre platform instead.
Phone system: extensions, transfers, voicemail, simple queues and basic reporting.
Contact centre platform: skills-based routing, IVR, real-time dashboards, workforce management, quality tools and omnichannel. See contact centre platforms.
Features
Which phone system features matter most?
Auto attendant: greets callers and routes them to the right team, around the clock.
Call queues: hold callers in order with messages, instead of sending them to voicemail.
Mobile and desktop apps: take business calls anywhere, on any device.
Reporting: call volumes, missed calls and wait times by team.
Integrations: with your CRM, help desk and Microsoft Teams, so your team sees who is calling.
SMS: send and receive business texts from the same platform.
Pricing guide
How much does a business phone system cost?
Cloud phone systems are priced per user per month, so cost grows with your team. These are ACXPA's indicative benchmarks, set in Australian dollars and converted to your currency.
Cloud VoIP: entry level
A$15 – A$30
per user, per month
Core calling: routing, auto attendant, voicemail and apps.
Cloud VoIP: advanced
A$45 – A$65+
per user, per month
Adds call recording, analytics, queues and integrations.
On-premises PBX
A$5,000+
set-up
Hardware, installation and configuration, plus ongoing maintenance.
IP desk phones
A$80 – A$300
per handset
Optional. Many teams use apps and headsets instead.
Indicative ranges in Australian dollars.
Also budget for: number porting, set-up and training, and headsets. Check whether national and international calls are included.
How to choose
How do you choose a business phone system supplier?
Count users and call types
How many people need phones, which of them handle customer calls, and where they work.
List the features you'll use
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves so you don't pay for features nobody uses.
Check your internet connection
Cloud calls depend on it. Each call needs roughly 100 Kbps each way, and a backup connection keeps you running.
Plan number porting
Keep your existing numbers and agree a cutover date that avoids your busiest periods.
Compare total cost
User licences, call charges, hardware, set-up and contract length, not just the headline price.
Learn more
Want an independent view? Free ACXPA resources
ACXPA's independent resources help you plan the technology behind your customer conversations.
What is the best phone system for a small business?
For most small businesses, a cloud VoIP phone system: no hardware to buy, apps for mobiles and computers, and a monthly price per user.
What is the difference between VoIP and a cloud PBX?
VoIP is the technology that carries calls over the internet. A cloud PBX is a full business phone system built on it, with features such as auto attendant, queues and recording.
When you have dedicated agents handling high volumes of customer contacts and need skills-based routing, real-time reporting and quality tools. See contact centre platforms.
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