Save money with internet based phone systems
Last updated on March 11th, 2025 at 05:00 pm
The US Federal Communications Commision is phasing out the requirements for phone companies to prvide the old phone standard know as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service).
This is due to the expense related to the upkeep of these older systems and technology. Over the years these have been replaced by digital lines, or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) lines. These rose in popularity due to the savings they promised with fixed fees and unlimited calling plans, different from the per minute plans of the past.
Business phone systems
These new phone systems offered great savings for companies that made a lot of phone calls. Generally this is still the case. And the best part is that many VoIP providers included all the business tools you need with your plan at no additional charge, something POTS phone system charged extra for. Switching was a no brainer for many businesses, however this is where VoIP started to get a bad reputation. Many business owners found the phone system to be unreliable and generally cost them more in the loss of business it produced. This was due to overeager sales agents pushing a sale regardless of whether it made sense for that particular business, and a lack of knowledge on the buyer’s side of the requirements of this type of phone system.
Planning your transition to VoIP
First thing you need to remember is that the service runs over your internet line so you need not just fast but reliable internet service. It’s incredible for me to think that at this point in time in 2025 we still have areas where good reliable and fast internet is unavailable, yet I see it all the time.
The second thing you’ll want for a successful deployment is the ability to segregate your network. While this isn’t a requirement of VoIP, for the best results in call quality and in the security of your network, you’ll want your phone data lines to be on a separate network than your computers. Further you’ll want to prioritize voice data, while you may not notice a one second glitch on your computer internet connection, having 1 second interruptions in your phone call can be very frustrating.
If you don’t know how to do this yourself, you can contact a local IT provider to help out. Green Shield Technology offers such services to businesses in and around Rancho Cucamonga here in California.
Finding the best VoIP solution for your business
Not all VoIP solutions are the same, and the right solution will depend on your situation. We helped a customer save over $800 per month by implementing the correct solution based on their requirements. Let me use them as an example.
This client had 30 phones, one for each employee and paid a fixed fee of $35 per line for unlimited calls with all the business features they needed for a total of $1050 a month. Each employee working from home needed the ability to make and receive calls from their clients, but they didn’t really make that many calls.
The solution
After a review of their needs and phone system we realized they were better off moving to a self hosted solution, where they setup and hosted their phones in the cloud, and got a provider who billed on a per minute basis. They got their 30 phone numbers at a whopping $1.00 each, paid their $20 hosting fee, and a $30 license for their phone server. This was $80 per month plus they average about $100 a month on their per minute phone bill for less than $200 per month.
This client chose to use web app phones, an application installed on the user’s computer and headsets to make calls, but if they had chosen to purchase phones they were looking at an upfront cost of $2000-$3000 depending on what hardware they chose but even then the ROI would be just a few months for years worth of savings.
This is why I think it’s important to check with an IT service provider before deciding on a phone system or changing any other type of technology. Every phone company, or printer company, etc. will tell you their solution is the best, but having someone on your side when picking out and deploying new technology is always going to be your best bet.
If you need an IT consultant in Ontario California and surrounding areas, give us a call at 909-256-6202 or fill out this form for a FREE consultation and assessment of your business IT needs.
Get more
Get more information to help you make informed decisions. Get your business prepared for a disaster before it happens. Learn about the minimum requirements of setting up data backups. Learn about conducting risk assessments, and more by signing up to receive our tech tips.
