Business Phones 101 – Your Essential Guide

The ultimate guide to Business Phone tech

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Business-Phones-101
Meeting Rooms and DevicesInsights

Published: May 21, 2020

Rob Scott

Rob Scott

Publisher

The business phone continues to be one of the most essential pieces of tech in any office.

Whether it’s a softphone solution that works with your VoIP platform, or an essential endpoint sitting on your desk, your phone helps you to stay connected in the professional world.

Unfortunately, identifying the right phone technology in the current landscape is becoming increasingly complicated. Not only are there dozens of options to choose from, but new technology means that the modern phone is more advanced than ever.

Business leaders aren’t just shopping for music on hold technology and automated directories. Instead, we have access to phones that can deliver local numbers anywhere in the world, intelligent call routing technology embedded with AI, and even video for multi-media calling.

Here’s your guide to the modern business phone era.

What is the Business Phone?

Defining the business phone used to be simple.

A business phone was a plastic device that sat on your desk and helped you to reach members of your team, customers, and anyone else connected to your business. It offered a few dedicated features for business leaders, like call routing and forwarding technology. However, for the most-part, it was an upgraded version of the standard house phone.

Now, we’re in a completely different landscape, where business phones are more advanced, more intuitive, and more powerful than ever. There are business phones that connect with your collaboration tools, allowing you to link things like Microsoft Teams or Google Meet with your VoIP strategy.

Business phones can also feature a range of hardware and software. For instance, you could have a screen on your desk phone that helps you to send messages and share files in your collaboration app. Alternatively, you could embed business phone technology into your existing devices and applications using APIs and open standards.

Business phones still prioritise voice as the primary method of communication in the workplace, but they’re also there to help with a range of other things too, like video interactions, call recording and compliance, and even intelligent queuing in a contact centre.

With so much technology to explore, it’s no wonder that identifying the business phone isn’t as easy as it once was.

Video introduction

Business Phone Trends

Though voice is still one of the most powerful ways to connect with consumers and colleagues in this modern landscape, there are other opportunities available too. That’s one of the reasons why many businesses are beginning to look for more flexible phone solutions that allow them to scale their functionality as their company grows.

Today’s business phones aren’t just lumps of plastic on a desk, they’re enhanced pieces of technology that experts can provision and upgrade remotely using cloud-based software. Increasingly, business phones are becoming one essential part of a full communication stack, which includes everything from call recording and analytics technology, to collaboration tools.

Here are some of the biggest business phone trends leading the way in the market.

  • Collaboration tools: Collaboration tools and business phones are becoming increasingly intertwined as companies search for a way to maintain a single pane of glass environment for comms. We’re seeing the arrival of dedicated desk phones that can automatically integrate with things like Zoom and Microsoft Teams. What’s more, Microsoft, Zoom, Google, and many other collaboration vendors are also providing as-a-service software for business phone functionality that connects with the collaboration environment
  • Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is also having a massive impact on the business phone market. Leading vendors are now using smart technology to deliver things like predictive and intelligent routing to contact centres. Elsewhere, virtual assistants are responding to voice commands to help make calls and interactions more immersive. All the while, the presence of AI in business phones also means it’s easier to collect data about the quality of calls
  • Multimedia phones: Multimedia phones have been around in the communications landscape for a while now. However, in recent years, they’ve become increasingly compelling, offering things like Microsoft Teams video meetings at the touch of a button. As employees continue to expect the same simplicity and user-friendliness that they get at home in the office, the accessible multimedia phone is evolving
  • Integrations: Business phone vendors are learning that they need to play nicely with others if they want to maintain a share of the market. Just as collaboration companies offering business phone software allow teams to use a range of hardware endpoints, today’s endpoint manufacturers are ensuring that their tools can integrate with a variety of software. Companies are beginning to unlock more of the freedom they need to mix and match

Business Phone Vendors

As the nature of the business phone continues to evolve, the companies that offer these solutions are changing too. We’re seeing more organisations around the world add business phone capabilities into their software and cloud-based offerings so that companies can create a complete stack on the cloud.

Elsewhere, hardware vendors are experimenting with the functionality of the traditional business phone, and what the technology on the desk could do. For instance, a modern desk phone might not just offer a way to call your colleagues in the years to come. Your office phone may become an advanced interface that offers everything from collaboration tools, video conferencing, and even real-time insights or analytics.

Upgrading the business phone experience in this new landscape means not just adding things like better recording technology and call routing into the mix. Many companies are experimenting with everything from voice assistants, to a real-time translation, to ensure that the phone remains one of the most valuable pieces of technology in the office.

Here at UC Today, we like to stay ahead of the curve with the companies that are changing the business phone market. Check out our market guide for a complete run down of some of the leaders in this space. Alternatively, find out who we picked as the best business phone vendor in our UC Awards.

Business Phone Events

Events are still the best way to get a behind-the-scenes of view of what’s possible with the latest endpoints and business phone technology. As the experience continues to stand out as one of the main differentiators in the business phone market, business buyers often want to discover first-hand what makes a phone system valuable for their team.

During today’s Business Phone events and conferences, market leaders can share insights into how the latest technology, both hardware, and software, can transform the way we communicate. Events offer demonstrations of some of the leading technology, like smart assistants embedded into business directories, and AI that can route calls to the right person based on skill-set.

Here at UC Today, we frequently visit the events in the phone and communication landscape, to bring you an overview of some of the latest technology. That includes evaluating everything from desktop sets embedded with collaboration and video technology, to cloud-enhanced business phones that can reduce security risks with biometric analysis.

Check out some of the upcoming business phone events here.

Business Phone Reviews

With so many diverse business phone systems to choose from these days, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for leaders to figure out what they actually need from their calling systems.

It used to be that we only needed to search for a phone solution that could offer the right combination of voice quality and uptime. Now, companies have more to consider, like global calling, data centres, and advanced disruptive features.

Our business phone reviews at UC Today will give you an insider’s look at some of the features and benefits of the latest options on the market. While you’re checking them out, here are a few things you might want to keep in mind.

  • Software solutions: When you’re buying your business phone system, don’t forget to think about the software that will help you to keep your communication stack running. A cloud-based phone system provides exceptional versatility, scalability, and mobility. However, it needs to integrate with a wide range of hardware solutions if you want to maintain the freedom to choose the tools that are best for you
  • Hardware considerations: The business desk phone still has a part to play in the modern landscape. However, it’s important to think about what your users really need. Will a phone with a multi-media system built-in help to support your in-office and out-of-office teams in staying connected? Is the hardware easy enough to use, and can you provision, update, and enhance it from a distance?
  • The Future: As the communication landscape continues to evolve, it’s essential to consider not just what you need now, but what you may need in the years to come. Purchasing a business phone solution that can evolve with your business means that you’ll have the freedom to grow at your own pace. This could also mean having the option to add software extras into the mix, like enhanced recording options and AI
  • Ease of Use: Remember that no matter how advanced your business phone system becomes; it should always be easy to use. If your people don’t feel comfortable using the devices and technology that you provide, then they’re more likely to look for solutions elsewhere. This could mean that they end up using un-approved devices and software

Business Phone Comparisons

It’s difficult to overestimate the importance of having the right business phone system in your company. This is the technology that’s responsible for connecting your colleagues and opening the door to interactions with customers.

If you’ve narrowed your options down to two leading choices, then you can check out our business phone comparisons for an insight into how some of the best tools go head to head. While you’re conducting your own research, remember to consider:

  • Features: Features in a business phone used to be simple things like directories and music on hold. Now, you need to consider the table stakes capabilities like call forwarding and queuing, but you also need to consider things like the ability to access local numbers around the world or communicate through different media. Ask yourself what kind of features will make your team the most productive. Alternatively, talk to your team about what they need
  • Flexibility: How easy is it for you and your team to embrace your new phone system? Will it integrate with some of the tools that you already have in your communication stack? Can you provision new numbers and phone technology from a distance? Perhaps your vendor can deliver updates and patches over the cloud, so you know that you’re always getting the best version of your technology
  • Reliability: How much reassurance can your Business Phone vendor give you when it comes to uptime? Are there strategies in place to ensure that you don’t lose the quality of your call when data centres begin to falter? What will your vendor do to ensure that you maintain the same quality of service for your employees and customers at all times? Most vendors offer service level agreements to help with this
  • Security: How is your business phone system provider going to protect the data that you collect and transmit in today’s communication landscape? Are encryption methods in place? Is it possible to unlock new forms of security, like consistent monitoring to help prevent toll fraud? There are countless options out there if you know where to look
  • Scalability: Remember, your business phone system needs to be able to scale at the same pace as your business. This means that adding new numbers and users should be as simple as possible. Look for a phone system that will allow you to maintain complete control from a distance, with remote provisioning and easy ways to update

UC Today Business Phone Smart Guide

The business phone landscape has evolved drastically over the last few years. Although many of the features that we used to prioritise in the past, like recording and call queuing are still important, there are countless other capabilities to consider now too.

Preparing for the future with your communication stack means understanding what the business phone of tomorrow may look like for your brand. If you need extra help choosing the perfect business phone, check out our IP Endpoints Smart Guide. Our downloadable guide covers everything you need to know about the world of business phone technology, from start to finish.

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