A VoIP phone doesn’t look all that different from traditional landlines. It probably has similar functions too. So what makes it so special that businesses choose to uproot their entire traditional systems for a VoIP one? Let’s take a look.

It uses a different network

Rather than using phone lines, VoIP phones use the Internet. This means that you don’t need to install lines all over the office to be able to set up a phone network. Instead, you just plug into your office’s existing Ethernet system.

To make calls, you’ll need to register your VoIP phone to your account. To put it simply, this allows you to link your phone to your service provider. This process doesn’t take long - probably not even half an hour. You don’t need to get in touch with a phone company or have someone come install your line. It’s possible to do it all yourself! You may even be able to shorten the phone registration process with a boot server. As soon as you’re done, it’s ready to use!

It doesn’t look all that different, but it does work differently

For the most part, VoIP phones look just the same as traditional landline phones. You’ve got your handset and your receiver. The placement of the speakers and the buttons may look just like the average business phone. There is a keypad with letters on each number that allow you to input both letters and numbers as need be. Buttons for redialling, transferring calls, entering a conference call, muting, and other functions are on the phone as well. How are they different?

To start with, VoIP phones have a much higher voice quality compared with traditional landlines. They are HD voice-capable, a feature that other business phones do not have. Additionally, most modern VoIP phones allow you to power it through your Ethernet connection, meaning that you won’t need a power adapter. This decreases the unattractive cords on your desk and means you have less components to buy.

It isn’t limited by phone lines

Landline phones are limited by phone lines. If, say, you have ten different lines for your business, your phone system will only be able to handle ten different calls at once. With a VoIP phone, on the other hand, you can potentially handle many more calls at once, depending on your phone model. Your phone is communicating on the internet with a SIP address, not on a line. 

So if you see toggle buttons on your VoIP phone, don’t be surprised - those are for you to shuffle between calls with ease.

So how are they different?

We’ve gone through three differences with VoIP systems and traditional systems. They connect to the telephone network differently, operate differently, and handle calls differently. More specifically: