Talkswitch Small Business Phone Systems News

Another way of asking this question is, are IP phones taking over?

Certainly, IP phones are hot news, new models coming out almost every day. So, why should you even consider an analog phone to go with a new phone system? Ok, so, how many times has the hottest thing really been the RIGHT thing?

In reality, both types of phones can be useful in the right conditions. There are a lot of reasons though why analog phones are still quite useful, or even a better choice in some cases.

Analog phones come in a variety of prices, from a few bucks, up to a few hundred bucks. So, they can easily be cheaper than IP phones, there one reason why they may be a good choice. But what else?

Simplicity! Analog phones are simply easy. You hook them up to phone wire, which almost every office anywhere has, and, they work. Nothing could be easier! This is *far* from the case for IP phones. Sure, there are auto discovery capabilities now, DHCP to assign an address, etc. Still, they are never as easy as plugging them in and they work. Analog phones often have data ports, you can hook a cordless phone (and therefore have both a desk and cordless phone), you can hook a fax machine at your desk, you can hook a credit card machine, and more. PC based call recording software is more available in the analog world. And, one of the biggest advantages, you may already own analog phones, you can save money by using them.

IP phones, by contrast, could be quite complex. With enough phones, it could be wise to divide up your data and voice network. Well, this is not easy as now you need 2 network cables to each working area. IP phones have a lot of very complex software in them. There are new releases of firmware all the time, often to fix annoying bugs. Analog phones, again, just work. IP phones can be fussy with some buggy network equipment. It can sometimes be a challenge to isolate the true problem, is it the phone system? Network equipment? Firewall? Security Appliance? Phone Hardware defect? Analog phones, well, work (or they break, but still, very easy). Does your small company really have a network person on staff?

On the other hand, IP phones can be quite useful as well. Many phone systems, such as the Talkswitch small business phone systems, can do some things with IP phones that cannot be done with analog phones. For example, a worker who works from home. With an IP phone, they can be connected to the office as a office extension, just like they were at the office. In todays world with millions of small businesses, 2 incomes per family, virtual companies, and so on, this can be a critical requirement.

IP phones also typically have better speaker phone performance, much more full duplex.

So, consider carefully the functions you want out of a phone, and pick the phone that meets your requirements. Not necessarily the latest hot technology. VOIP and IP phones can be a challenge for many small businesses. Installers can provide the missing knowledge for those smaller businesses who do not have the skills to research or implement hybrid or IP systems.