If you decided to join the technology of the future and use a VoIP telephone system in your business, the first thing that you’ll need to choose is whether you need a purchased on-premise, managed or hosted VoIP system. In this article, we will explain the pros and cons of each type to help you decide which one is the right choice for your business.
Purchased on-premise VoIP:
This type is usually preferred by large businesses who have the financial capability and space in their premises to purchase needed equipment, including servers, cables and IP phones and run the VoIP system on their own. They also have an experienced IT team to fully manage, customise, maintain and upgrade the system without the need of a technical support from an external party.
Pros:
- Full control over your VoIP system: The ability to modify and upgrade the system any time you want.
- Limitless customisations to your system at any time.
- No costly contracts as you already own the system.
Cons:
- High upfront costs.
- The need to employ experienced IT staff.
- Continual operational expenses including maintenance and repairs.
Managed on-premise VoIP:
This type is built for small to medium businesses that don’t necessarily have the technical expertise to maintain and customise its system. With managed VoIP, your business will purchase the system but a third party will provide the equipment, software, and technical expertise so you’ll be able to enjoy all the benefits of a VoIP system and leave the hassle of maintenance and upgrades to a third party.
Pros:
- Cost-effective for small to medium businesses.
- No need for an internal IT staff to manage the system.
- Reduced risks for a companies’ telecommunication investment.
Cons
- Recurrent fees may end up in several years being higher than if the company chose to purchase the equipment and run the VoIP system without a third party.
- There’s a risk of losing the third-party support if they went out of business.
Hosted VoIP:
Hosted VoIP is one of the best telephone solutions for small to medium businesses. However, many large businesses use this type of service as well simply because it’s convenient, flexible and much cheaper than purchased and managed VoIP. With this type of service, there’s no need to purchase VoIP equipment as all the infrastructure and hardware required will be hosted by the VoIP provider and the pricing is based on usage or a fixed flat rate. The provider will manage the calls and route your calls and data over the PSTN to a hosted-PBX system.
Pros:
- Affordable monthly fees.
- Save companies from paying a lot of money to purchase VoIP equipment and manage the system, which allow them to invest in the company’s development instead.
- Companies can use existing phones or upgrade to newer models.
- There’s no need to employ IT staff in your businesses as all the management and maintenance work will be done by your VoIP provider.
- The cloud nature of the hosted VoIP allows you to manage your business’s communications from anywhere and at any time though an online management portal.
- Troubleshooting can be done remotely and quickly by your VoIP provider.
Cons:
Considering the reduced risks, low costs, stable service and quick remote technical support … We can’t think of any cons really!
Learn more about VoIP in our article “VoIP for Dummies – Part 1” and “VoIP for Dummies – Part 2”
Want to discuss hosted VoIP with our team? Please call us on: 03300881182
Or send us an email to: sales@vipvoip.co.uk