“Thank you for calling today! Can you wait one moment while I forward you to the correct department?”
Mastering office communication is a must for any business. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems allows businesses to utilize a phone service over the internet rather than the conventional or analog phone setups. These phone solutions offer an array of benefits for organizations looking to improve telecommunication. One benefit is that compared to local phone company prices, VoIP service providers tend to offer lower rates which is a huge plus for smaller businesses.
VoIP systems have an array of features that include voicemail-to-email, auto attendants, conference calling, ring groups, and so much more. These features vary depending on the platform that best suits the business. Two options available include hardphones and softphones.
Decisions, decisions…
Choosing the right VoIP system for your business can be confusing when considering all of the requirements you need now and may need in the future. So, let’s take a look into why a business would choose either a hardphone or softphone system.
VoIP Hardphone Systems
Hardphone VoIP systems commonly resemble the typical “office phone” that everyone has seen before. These phones act similarly to a traditional desktop phone that features a handheld receiver with a base. On the base, you can find a display (touchscreens now offered) as well as buttons for dialing and accessing other features.
Although these resemble traditional business phone systems, VoIP hardphones have much more capability and offer a variety of advanced features. Modern hardphones are now built to include an operating system that gives the user the ability to make video calls, link voicemail to email, and record call details.
Some of the main advantages of using a hardphone over a softphone are the potential for greater uptime as well as improved call quality. As we dive into softphones more, you’ll notice that utilizing hardware over software can reduce the chances of technical issues and lesser overall performance.
VoIP Softphone Systems
Softphone VoIP systems are a little harder to picture off the top of your head. That’s because softphone systems are actually just software programs. One of the more familiar softphones is Skype. These systems are compatible with most computing devices such as:
- Desktops
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Smartphones
Although Skype was used as an example above, these systems can be tailored to meet specific business needs rather than being a “one-size-fits-all” solution.
Softphones have many benefits that hardphones cannot match. One being that launching a softphone VoIP system is more cost-friendly. With no extra hardware other than a computer and possibly a headset, businesses only pay for licensing and service provider fees. Also, softphones can be quickly implemented and scaled more efficiently. The softphone software only needs to be installed and replicated throughout the office based on the number of employees. This far outweighs having to manually install hardphones for every office, department, and employee. Lastly, if you have remote workers or outside representatives, softphone VoIP systems are a great solution.
Which VoIP System is Right for You?
All in all, the features of both hardphones and softphones are similar in many aspects. Making a decision on VoIP systems for your business should be focused around functionality and your operations. Hardphones should be prioritized for organizations seeking high call quality and the assurance of uptime. Softphones are better suited for businesses prioritizing flexibility, scalability, mobility, and overall costs.
Interested to learn more about VoIP systems that match your business needs? Reach out to Creative Network Innovations today, and we’ll work with you to develop a business phone solution that aligns with your business so you can master office communication. We work with an array of businesses in the Central Florida region with our VoIP solutions including:
Hosted PBX Phone Systems
Telecommunication Support
VoIP Setup
Remote Support
Monitoring & Uptime
Reach out today to transform the way your business communicates!