Landlines have been around for decades. Suddenly, VoIP emerges from nowhere and landlines become the condemned phone system. While landlines have their shortcomings, they surely must also have some positives.
Landlines and VoIPs are the commonly used phone systems for business. They offer different features since they belong to different generations. Nonetheless, there are still many companies that rely on landlines for various reasons. Each of these two options has its positives and negatives that must be used to inform the best choice.
In this post, we will focus on facts as landlines go head to head with VoIP for business. Keep reading to find out which option is the best.
What is VoIP & What is Landline?
Landline phones are the traditional analog phones that were used at home and offices. With analog phones, the sound is transmitted through an electric pulse on a wire. Landlines have remained vital to communication at the organizational level despite the coming of cell phones.
On the other hand, VoIP simply means Voice over Internet Protocol. Communication is done over the internet where packets of data are transmitted from one point to another.
Is VoIP Better Than Landline?
There are many advantages of VoIP over analog that have made many companies shift to VoIP. Even so, there is still a huge number of companies that use landlines for certain purposes. For instance, the fact that 95% of Americans readily have access to landlines might influence the reason why some people may still want to use landlines.
Types of Phone Systems
To fully understand the benefits of VoIP and analog phone systems, it’s important to look at phone system types holistically. In essence, there are 3 main types of phone systems used in offices.
Below are three Analog (landline phones), VoIP phones, and SIP Trunking phones:
1. Analog System
The Analog phone systems are the traditional landline phones provided by a local phone company. These types of phones have been used for decades and are sometimes referred to as Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). They offer advanced features for business functions but often require additional hardware.
2. VoIP System
VoIP, short for Voice over Internet Protocol, is one of the latest communication solutions for companies. This type of phone system allows the transfer of voice over the internet but also comes with additional features such as video calling.
VoIP service providers are responsible for directing calls between the Public Switched Telephone Networks, allowing VoIP users to send and receive calls. Thanks to the lightning speed of fiber optic connection, VoIP calls are seamless and very clear. Further, they come at a fraction of the cost of analog calls.
3. SIP Trunking
SIP trunking is a type of system that provides PBX voice connectivity from a VoIP service provider. This type of system provides highly customized communication solutions for companies that deal with specific types of clientele. Although it offers the best solution for business, SIP trunking requires a high level of skills.
Benefits of an Analog Phone System
Analog phone systems may be running out of time but they have some benefits. For a system that has been used in business communications for over two decades, there are many positives to be noted.
The main benefits of analogue systems are:
Availability: The landline systems are available almost everywhere. Years of reliance on the system have seen the system spread across the US and other parts of the world. The availability of the system makes it an easy option to use for many homes and even small businesses.
Does Not Require Bandwidth: The use of traditional landline phones does not bring in the need for an internet connection. With the traditional lines. Although only a few people in the US lack access to a broadband connection, VoIP requires a stable connection and may not work well with a poor connection.
Advantages to Using VoIP
VoIP definitely has plenty of advantages and hence the need for migration from cable. VoIP does not only streamline communication but further integrates with office tools for proper service delivery.
Reliable for Voice
VoIP is super reliable as compared to voice calls as compared to other options. The reliability of VoIP stems from the fact that nearly all Americans have access to the internet. This ensures that data packets are delivered over the internet effectively.
Highly Flexible
The flexibility offered by VoIP cannot be compared in any way to the traditional landlines. VoIP allows call center attendants to work with flexibility since phone calls can be received remotely. When working with VoIP, productivity will be automatically increased since workers can be accessed over the phone at any time of the day.
Thanks to VoIP, business owners and managers can use virtual lines to distinguish personal calls from business calls. The lines also make the organization and scheduling of calls possible.
Very Affordable
The introduction of VoIP has been widely accepted partly due to the cis implications. Traditionally, businesses had to spend heavily on communication solutions. Thanks to the introduction of VoIP calls, businesses can now offer more to clients at a fraction of the cost.
The beauty of VoIP is that, unlike traditional landlines, there is no need to invest in expensive infrastructure. The reduction in the budget due to minimal infrastructure requirements makes it possible to cut the cost.
Advanced Business Features
Today, business communication goes far beyond just making voice calls. The business space now uses unified solutions that allow proper communication both internally and externally. Internal communication tools are supposed to facilitate coordination, work planning, allocation, and submission among other factors.
With VoIP, many businesses find it easier to coordinate business processes due to the advancement of features. Features such as video calling and video conferencing are increasingly being incorporated into VoIP.
VoIP Comes Out on Top
Head to head comparison of VoIP versus landline clearly puts VoIP on top. Besides the fact that landline phone systems have some benefits, their technology is outdated and cannot match up with VoIP.