When it comes to a business phone system, most business owners simply want a reliable solution with useful features. When the time comes for a new phone system, one should consider features like voicemail, caller ID, conferencing, automated attendant, and more.
Your choices cover everything from large closet PBX systems to cloud-based VoIP, with no equipment other than phones and routers. Depending on the type of your business, you may also want features like call forwarding (if you are in the field often).
If your sales team or office staff find themselves looking up multiple phone numbers every day, you’ll also need a phone system with speed dial and redial features. For hands-free talking, get a business phone that is headset-enabled.
The system you choose depends on your company size and how many employees will require this equipment. You may want to consider how your phone system requirements will change over time, as you may need to scale up if your company grows.
Our buyer’s guide will help take out some of the guesswork of which business phone system you should buy.
Contents
- 1 Best Business Phone Systems 2021
- 2 Best Overall Business Phone System – Ring Central
- 3 Best Multi-Location Business Phone System – Nextiva
- 3.1 Nextiva Business Phone System Features
- 3.2 Nextiva Pricing Plans
- 3.3 Nextiva Service Plan Features
- 3.4 Reliability
- 3.5 Top Benefits
- 3.6 Possible Drawbacks
- 3.7 Best for New Businesses Phone System – Vonage
- 3.8 Vonage Business Phone System Features
- 3.9 Vonage Business Phone Service Plans
- 3.10 Vonage Service Plan Features
- 3.11 Reliability
- 3.12 Top Benefits
- 3.13 Possible Drawbacks
- 3.14 Best Small Business Phone System – 8X8
- 3.15 8X8 Business Phone System Features
- 3.16 8X8 Small Business Phone Service Plans
- 3.17 8X8 Small Business Phone Service Plan Features
- 3.18 Reliability
- 3.19 Top Benefits
- 3.20 Possible Drawbacks
- 4 Most Simplified Business Phone System – Ooma Office
- 5 Best Features and Tools Business Phone System – Jive
- 6 Best Large Business Phone System – Cisco
- 7 Best On-Premises Business Phone System – Avaya
- 8 Best Virtual Business Phone System – Grasshopper
- 9 Best Feature Rich Cloud-Based Business Phone Service – Phone.Com
Best Business Phone Systems 2021
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 | ||
 |
Best Overall Business Phone System – Ring Central
When it comes to choosing a phone system for your business finding a reliable, easy to use system is key. You want a phone system that has all the tools and features needed to run your business communications effectively. After reviewing the top ten systems available, we chose RingCentral as the best overall business phone system for 2019.
RingCentral Office Phone System Overview
A cloud-based, robust VoIP, RingCentral Office combines the three most important office functions: voice calls, messages, and meetings online. With RingCentral, you get all the best business calling, mobile, and collaboration features with no equipment installation.
The most popular calling features include:
- Ring Groups
- Conference Calling for 100+ Participants
- Instant Messaging
- Voicemail-to-Email
- Automated Attendants
- Online Meetings with Screen Share
RingCentral Service Plans
A phone service offering multi-tier service plans gives a business the most flexibility. With multiple plans, you can choose the features and options at the price point your business needs.
With RingCentral, you have the option of four service plans to choose from. Each plan has varying features and ranges in price from $29.99 to $59.99 per month and ten to unlimited users.
- Essentials – $29.99 up to 10 users
- Standard – $34.99 unlimited users
- Premium – $44.99 unlimited users
- Ultimate – $59.99 unlimited users
RingCentral Service Plan Features
The right business phone service plan should offer solutions for the company’s needs today as well as future needs. Business expansion is the main goal. You need a phone service capable of growing with you with an easy process for adding new lines and features.
RingCentral makes adding new users quick and easy and offers added features like contact center and virtual system.
Features for each service plan:
Essentials Plan
- Toll-free or local number
- 100 toll-free minutes per month
- 4-person video conferencing
- Includes up to 10 users
Standard Plan
- Toll-free or local number
- 1,000 toll-free minutes per month
- 4-person video conferencing
- Unlimited internet fax
- Unlimited users
Premium Plan
- Toll-free or local number
- 2,500 toll-free minutes per month
- 100-person video conferencing
- Automatic call recording
- Voicemail-to-text
- Unlimited internet fax
- Unlimited users
Ultimate Plan
- Toll-free or local number
- 10,000 toll-free minutes per month
- 200-person video conferencing
- Automatic call recording
- Voicemail-to-text
- Unlimited internet fax
- Unlimited users
Security
A seven-layer security program monitors all system aspects including the host, data, physical, infrastructure, applications, client enterprise level, and processes.
RingCentral systemwide security covers the following security functions:
Communication Interception Prevention- Session Border Controls
- Firewalls
- Authentication
- Intrusion Detection
- Fraud Analytics
- Vulnerability Scans
- Usage Throttles
Reliability
Reliability is key to any business when looking for a phone system, especially cloud-based VoIP. Whichever system you consider, look for a phone service provider with high uptime rates. RingCentral offers a redundant network routing calls around any broken links with data centers safeguarding against outages.
With seventeen data centers worldwide, RingCentral guarantees optimal uptime. If one center shuts down for maintenance or other issues, you get seamless instant data transfers to another center.
Between security and reliability, RingCentral maintains an uptime of 99.999 percent or downtime of only two minutes per year. This uptime percentage makes RingCentral a leader in uptime for cloud-based business phones.
Top Benefits
- Easy setup
- Includes desktop, desk phone, and mobile app
- 15-day free trial
- Unlimited talk minutes
- Teleconference calls
- Excellent call quality
- Works through cellular data services via Wi-Fi
Possible Drawbacks
- Customer support needs improvement
- More expensive than competitor services
Best Multi-Location Business Phone System – Nextiva
When you operate a multi-location business, you need a phone system that supports all your needs. The best phone system connects all your branch phones with control through a centralized location instead of separate platforms.
Cloud-based VoIP systems bring multi-location businesses the ideal solution for managing all offices under one phone system. Since you don’t need to buy and install equipment in each location, active phone service is quick and easy. You can have phone service running by simply plugging each location phone into the network.
Once you plug in all your location phones, Nextiva phone system lets you manage each location from one administrator portal. With administrator access, you can set the phone system settings for all locations or a single location. The administrator control panel lets you assign telephone numbers and review or monitor call logs by location or companywide. Plus, without the need for on-premises equipment in each location, Nextiva saves you money.
Nextiva Business Phone System Features
When it comes to the features needed for a multi-location business phone system, scalability is the most important. You need a system with the ability to quickly add additional lines and forward calls to other devices. In addition, call routing, extension dialing, and company directories are also important features.
Nextiva standard features include:
- Shared call for assigning multiple phones to the same line
- Nextiva Anywhere for remote calls
- Call Me Now for immediate online call connection
- Analytics for measuring and observing call data
- Mobile app with instant messaging
- Customizable permissions
Nextiva also offers a Contact Center for connecting remote employees with the company call center.
Contact Center features for remote workers include:
- Call Queues
- Call Recording
- Interactive Voice Response
- Remote Agent Report
The call control features for office-oriented and standard use include:
- Unlimited local and long-distance calling
- Caller ID
- Call Recording
- Call Return
- Three-Way Calling
- Group Paging
- Intercom
- Do Not Disturb
- Music on Hold
- Unlimited Faxing
A nice feature for working from a laptop or desktop is the softphone. This feature removes the need for a phone by using a computer headphone and microphone.
Nextiva Pricing Plans
Nextiva offers businesses flexible pricing plans with tiered features. For companies wanting to test the services without committing to a long-term contract, Nextiva has a monthly service plan. For those confident Nextiva has what they need, you can save on the cost by signing a 36-month contract.
The three business phone service plans Nextiva offers are Basic, Pro, and Enterprise. Pricing ranges from $20 to $50 a month, depending on the plan, number of users, and commitment or monthly payments.
Nextiva Service Plan Features
Nextiva uses a single platform, called NextOS, for supporting external and internal communications and analytics service.
The included features are industry standard offering power and control with varied additional features included in each package.
Features for each service plan:
Basic Plan
- 24/7 Service and Tech Support
- No Contracts
- Free Local Number
- Free Toll-Free Number
- Unlimited Calling
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Voicemail with Email Delivery
- Keep Existing Number
- Contact Management
- Centralized Customer Data
Pro Plan
- 24/7 Service and Tech Support
- No Contracts
- Free Local Number
- Free Toll-Free Number
- Unlimited Calling
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Unlimited Conference Calls and Web Conferencing
- Voicemail with Email Delivery
- Instant and Team Messaging
- Keep Existing Number
- Contact Management
- Centralized Customer Data
- Professional Call Greeting
- Nextiva Phone and Desktop Apps
Enterprise Plan
- 24/7 Service and Tech Support
- No Contracts
- Free Local Number
- Free Toll-Free Number
- Unlimited Calling
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Voicemail with Email Delivery
- Instant and Team Messaging
- Keep Existing Number
- Contact Management
- Centralized Customer Data
- Professional Call Greeting
- Nextiva Phone and Desktop Apps
- Call Recording
- White Glove Setup
Reliability
Nextiva gets high marks for its 99.999% uptime and a network built on the main telecom infrastructure. The enterprise-grade platform and 7 points of presence (POP) maintains its near 100% reliability throughout its distribution across the US.
With transparent updates in real-time, Nextiva keeps customers informed and shows confidence in their network and platform reliability.
In addition to transparent platform insight, Nextiva offers essential service support. Each customer has a dedicated account manager for a direct point of contact. Each manager has knowledge of your account for helping solve your issues or direct you to the appropriate contact.
Other service contact platforms include phone, email, or chat. While Nextiva has exceptional reliability, you do have optimal customer support available if needed.
Top Benefits
- Comprehensive all-in-one package
- 30-day free trial
- Feature rich platform
- Perfect for high call volumes
- Nextiva Auto Attendant
- Excellent customer support
Possible Drawbacks
- Difficult setup
- Needs better training support
- Confusing hard to use website
Best for New Businesses Phone System – Vonage
A completely cloud-based platform Vonage business phone system includes comprehensive communications features and tools for small to medium-sized businesses. What makes Vonage the perfect system for small and new businesses is the plan flexibility.
Vonage Business supports Multiprotocol Label Switching or MPLS and SD-WAN, Software Defined-Wide Area Network. Also, Vonage continues the development of its Nexmo API platform and adding third-party integrations to its system.
The VoIP company maintains its reputation as a top cloud-based private branch exchange (PBX) provider. They offer and continue to grow a large variety of business-class call management services.
Vonage Business Phone System Features
Vonage Business delivers numerous features in various categories. Businesses can choose from privacy controls, personalization, customer service workflow, collaboration, mobility, and expense reduction.
The most popular features include:
Call Announce- Call Screen
- Caller ID Block
- Call Park
- Follow Me
- Never Miss a Call
- Visual Voicemail
- Call Monitoring
- Call Logs
- Admin Portal
Vonage Business Phone Service Plans
If you own a start-up or small business, chances are you need a low-cost business phone service. In addition, the service should provide a toll-free number, voicemail with a via email option, and other standard business features.
Vonage offers three different business phone service packages; Mobile. Premium, and Advanced. Each service has the option of syncing with popular applications for added flexibility.
Vonage Service Plan Features
Each Vonage business phone service plan comes with its own feature set. Not all industry-standard features come with each service plan choice.
You have the option of adding these standardized features, but they carry an extra cost. These extra features include toll-free numbers, call queue, virtual mailboxes, paperless faxing, and other features. However, for smaller businesses or startups, having these items as ala-cart is a great option.
Features for each Vonage service plan:
Mobile Plan
- Unlimited Calling
- Unlimited SMS Messaging
- iPhone, iPad, and Android Mobile App
- Desktop App
- VonageFlow Team Messaging
Premium Plan
- Unlimited Calling
- Unlimited SMS Messaging
- iPhone, iPad, and Android Mobile App
- Desktop App
- VonageFlow Team Messaging
- Multi-Level Auto Attendant
- CRM Integrations
Advanced Plan
- Unlimited Calling
- Unlimited SMS Messaging
- iPhone, iPad, and Android Mobile App
- Desktop App
- VonageFlow Team Messaging
- Multi-Level Auto Attendant
- CRM Integrations
- On-Demand Call Recording – 15 Hours per Month
- Call Group
- Visual Voicemail
- Orange-Glove Setup
Reliability
With an uptime of 99.999%, the Vonage network runs every day, 24/7 all year long. The cloud backup system and multi-level fail-safes ensure near-perfect uptime, limited static, and fewer dropped calls and data loss.
A cloud-based business phone platform allows business data center hosting in various areas across the country. Distributed networks via the cloud mean service enhancements and updates occur off-site, limiting the chance of service interruptions. Scheduled system maintenance comes automatic without additional charges.
Vonage’s bandwidth prioritization and maximization help with increasing your system’s reliability. The specialized bucket system optimizes the voice, video, and data performance. Larger businesses choosing the Enterprise service plan get the Smart QoS and SD-Wan for more advanced bandwidth optimization. These added controls deliver a more efficient business communication system operation.
Top Benefits
- Ease of use
- 999% uptime
- Great administrative features
- Good API integration
- 24/7 support
- Work from anywhere
- Flexible and scalable
- 14-day free trial
Possible Drawbacks
- Non-transparent pricing
- Extra charge for industry-standard features
- Expensive with added features
Best Small Business Phone System – 8X8
When picking a business phone system for small-sized businesses, we choose 8X8 as the best one for the job. The 8X8 system is reliable and easily handles all your calling and collaboration needs.
Small businesses have several factors they must consider when looking for a business phone system. The first is reliability. You need a system that’s dependable, giving you working service each time you make a call. If your system goes down for even a short time, it makes a detrimental impact on business functions.
8X8 business phone service has top-industry uptime percentages with exceptional architecture and redundant, worldwide data centers keeping service running.
The cloud-based phone system is easy to use with robust features perfect for the small business. Valuable calling features like voice-to-email, automated attendant, mobile apps, and other tools make this system a top choice.
When selecting a phone system for your small business, look for low rates with needed features and good customer support. 8X8 service offers everything a small business needs, plus excellent, support.
8X8 Business Phone System Features
If you’re looking for a well-rounded set of features, 8X8 business phone service has them. 8X8 offers service features like call waiting, call forwarding, call directs, ring groups, and automated attendants. For mobile employees, 8X8 offers a special set of features including conference calling and voicemail-to-email options.
In the office, you have other optional features including hold music, caller ID block and instant messaging. The presence feature shows online meeting hosting and available and busy employees. Program integrations include Salesforce and Zendesk.
If your business needs additional international calling, media storage, or audio/video conferencing, 8X8 has a package upgrade including high-grade analytics.
Many 8X8 features are plan specific but the common features include:
- Unlimited Calling Zones
- Mobile and Desktop Apps
- Faxing
- Text Messaging
- Voicemail
- Secure Voice
- Call Forwarding
- Call Screening
- Auto Attendant
- Ring Groups
- Music/Messaging On-Hold
- Call Logs
- Virtual Office
- Virtual Office Mobile
- User Profiles
8X8 Small Business Phone Service Plans
8X8 has four service plans for the small business—the X2, X3, X5, and X6. Each plan has different features and price points. If your business has over 100 users, the plan cost goes down and 8X8 offers a complete contact center service.
All plan prices are per month, per user.
8X8 Small Business Phone Service Plan Features
Each plan includes high-quality HD voice, call recording, mobile/desktop apps, text messaging, online fax, and call analytics.
Besides the standard features, 8X8 offers audio/video conference hosting for up to 100 attendees at once.
X2 Plan
- Unlimited Calling 14 Countries
- Phone Number and Extension Dialing
- HD Voice Quality
- Voicemail
- Auto Attendant
- Click-to-Dial
- Music on Hold
- Call Recording
- Media Storage 1 GB
- Call Queues
- Mobile/Desk App
- Business SMS and Texting2
- Team Messaging
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Video Conferencing Up To 100 Attendees
- Integrations
- Analytics
X3 Plan
- Unlimited Calling 32 Countries
- Phone Number and Extension Dialing
- HD Voice Quality
- Voicemail
- Auto Attendant
- Click-to-Dial
- Music on Hold
- Call Recording
- Media Storage 5 GB
- Call Queues
- Operator Switchboard
- Mobile/Desk App
- Business SMS and Texting2
- Team Messaging
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Video Conferencing Up To 100 Attendees
- Integrations
- Analytics
X5 Plan
- Unlimited Calling 47 Countries
- Phone Number and Extension Dialing
- HD Voice Quality
- Voicemail
- Auto Attendant
- Click-to-Dial
- Music on Hold
- Call Recording
- Media Storage 10 GB
- Call Queues
- Operator Switchboard
- Mobile/Desk App
- Business SMS and Texting2
- Team Messaging
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Video Conferencing Up To 100 Attendees
- Integrations
- Analytics
- Queued and Web Callback
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
X6 Plan
- Unlimited Calling 47 Countries
- Phone Number and Extension Dialing
- HD Voice Quality
- Voicemail
- Auto Attendant
- Click-to-Dial
- Music on Hold
- Call Recording
- Media Storage 10 GB
- Call Queues
- Operator Switchboard
- Mobile/Desk App
- Business SMS and Texting2
- Team Messaging
- Unlimited Internet Faxing
- Video Conferencing Up To 100 Attendees
- Integrations
- Analytics
- Queued and Web Callback
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Reliability
8X8 boasts a 99% uptime rate, thanks in part to using their own cloud service instead of a third-party provider. Their in-house platform has 88 patents and supports everything from the small business to government entities. With data centers in Virginia and California, 8X8 ensures optimal customer uptime.
Along with its reliable network, 8X8 small business phone service offers lots of additional support. They have a toll-free support number, available 24 hours a day. Their website has live chat and an extensive support document area. Besides setup and troubleshooting guides, you can download plug-ins, integration APIs and other firmware/software.
Top Benefits
- 9983% uptime
- Flexible and affordable pricing
- Cloud-based
- Mobile/Desktop App
- Pre-configured IP phones available
- Customized service plans
- 24/7 technical support
Possible Drawbacks
- Limited call queue options
- No calls to international mobile phones
- No open API
Most Simplified Business Phone System – Ooma Office
The cloud-hosted PBX Ooma Office is a perfectly simple business system for smaller organizations. For customers needing added functionality over low-end or home-based VoIP systems and no high-end features, Ooma comes in.
Even if you don’t need Ooma’s high-end collaboration and communication features, you can still find value in the simplified approach. You get a solid IP telephony platform with a simple setup and one price purchase without the contract commitment.
Ooma Office includes the Ooma Base Station, a small box connecting your analog devices to Ooma’s phone service. In addition to buying the Base Station, you also need to connect to a network router port. However, you can avoid buying a Base Station by connecting Ooma directly to an IP phone.
The company advertises Ooma Office as scalable to 100+ lines, it works best in offices of 20 or fewer employees.
Ooma Office Business Phone System Features
Ooma Office has simple to operate features that work well for the small business office. Route your incoming calls to other phone numbers, virtual assistant, or other assigned extensions. The phone system features are too limited for use in larger companies. But with a business of five employees or less or virtual businesses, Ooma adds value and saves money.
The Ooma Office suite of features include:
- Unlimited Domestic Calling
- Unlimited Lines
- Number Porting
- Toll-Free Number
- Virtual Receptionist
- Voicemail
- Call Waiting
- Call Hold
- Music on Hold
- Last Call Return
- Call Forwarding
- Call Transfer
- Transfer Music
- Caller ID Blocking
- Ring Groups
- Multi-User Support
- Number Mapping
- Additional Numbers
- Virtual Fax
- Conference Server
- Web Portal
- End User Portal
Oooma Office Business Phone Plan Cost
One of the things that makes Ooma a top pick, besides its simplified approach, for small businesses is the cost. With the Ooma Office, you pay only for the services, equipment, and calling capacity you need.
The Ooma Office starter pack includes the Base Station with two Linx modules, and one phone number or ported number. You also get physical extensions for the Base Station and the reach of the two Linx modules plus online faxing.
1,500 Minutes | |||
3,000 Minutes | |||
Reliability
While Ooma doesn’t list their protocols for fail-safes for their system, they do talk about their adapter. The adapter can accept expansion with its USB port and DECT radio for up to four Linx remote phone jacks. A built-in dual-core 1.2GHz processor ensures you get clear, reliable calls.
Top Benefits
Excellent voice quality- Low-cost business solution
- Free domestic calls
- Supports analog phones
- Multiple phone lines and extensions support
- Remote employee transfer
- Full mobile application
- Easy to set up and use
- 24/7 customer support
- 30-day money back guarantee
Possible Drawbacks
- Only business and after-hours greetings
- Pre-pay international calls
- Bad virtual receptionist voice quality
- Extra cost for conferencing and virtual fax
- Limited IP phone selection
- No PC or Mac softphone client
Best Features and Tools Business Phone System – Jive
Just a few years ago, high-end business phone features were only affordable to larger organizations. Today, cloud-based VoIP systems are changing how all size businesses communicate. Features like call recording, auto attendants, conference calling, and voicemail transcriptions are more common in small businesses. Perhaps best of all, none of these features require luxury-priced PBX equipment.
Jive comes in as our choice for best features and tools because of their impressive offerings in a cloud-based system. Suitable for all business sizes, Jive delivers a VoIP solution offering powerful features with easy setup at a great price.
The Jive business phone system is reliable and integrates with your current CRM system while supporting voice and video calls.
Jive Business Phone System Features
When it comes to offering features, Jive comes out on top with over 80 features for helping businesses operate smoothly.
Jive offers four categories of VoIP call features: Phone Service, Basic Voice, Call Management, and Call Center features.
Our favorite features include:
Hot Desking – Employees sharing workspace and phones.
Queue Call Spy – Allows supervisor call monitoring for quality control.
Auto-Divert – Blocks calls from specific numbers or immediately directs whitelisted numbers.
This is a listing of only the most popular Jive features:
- Local Number
- Hosted PBX
- Mobile App
- Unlimited Calls
- Free International Minutes
- Incoming Call Routing
- Call Queue
- Call Center
- Auto Attendant
- Hold Music
- Caller ID
- Visual Voicemail
- Private Voicemail
- Call Recording
- Call Return
- Call Forwarding
- Call Waiting
- Call Hold
- Do Not Disturb
- Spy Mode
- Call Logs
- Call Analytics
All eighty features are included in the service plan.
Jive Business Phone Service Plans
Jive VoIP business phone system offers a large variety of products and features with flexibility for future growth potential. With one of the industry’s most impressive features set, Jive delivers a high-quality cloud-based service at a great price point.
For smaller businesses without the resources for high-end phone systems, Jive offers service plans at $19.95 – $29.95 per month. If your business needs 100 lines or more, Jive has an Enterprise plan, with pricing available by quote.
Contact Jive for a quote. |
Ease of Use
Since the Jive platform runs off a cloud-based VoIP system, there’s no need for specialized PBX equipment or hardware. The business phone system works through your internet connection, so Jive recommends a business class router.
You’ll need a QOS (Quality of Service) Ethernet switch and firewall with UDP traffic, http, and https access. Also, make certain you have the bandwidth needed for handling the call volume. Each call through Jive needs an internet bandwidth of 100Kbps.
Once you have the hardware operating a Jive business phone system is simple, with no need for trained IT personnel. Being cloud-based, you get automatic upgrades and maintenance. Buying Jive phones, mean they come pre-configured, ready to plug in. You can use phones from other providers, but you’ll need help from the Jive support team for phone configuration.
Control the Jive business phone system through the online portal, accessible from any internet-connected device. Through the portal, administrators can configure phones, add/delete users, update call filters, manage extensions, set greetings and change on-hold music.
Employees have control over their own extensions by changing voicemail, forwarding calls, changing online fax settings. The softphone feature lets users receive and make calls from a computer or send instant messages to co-workers.
Reliability
Jive has top network reliability with redundancy across eleven worldwide data centers and over 5,000 nodes, boasting a 99.99% uptime. The cloud-based system has an innovative multi-tenant platform design. This design means a system copy runs large and small businesses making it an efficient and reliable phone system.
The Jive Business Continuity feature provides an internet outage backup system. This backup system ensures continued critical functions during internet outages, like 911 calls, extension dialing, and intercom access. When experiencing a blackout, calls get routed through the nearest data center with the quickest connection.
Top Benefits
Unlimited local and long-distance calling minutes- Free international minutes
- Easy to use
- Affordable pricing plan variety
- Variety of included features
- No contract
- No activation or cancellation fees
- Free internet fax
- 24/7 customer support
- All plans have customer analytics
- Fully redundant network
- Moneyback guarantee
Possible Drawbacks
- No longer offers video conferencing
- Time-consuming configuration for non-jive phones
- No free trial
- No toll-free minutes included
- Separate storage needed for call recording
Best Large Business Phone System – Cisco
When it comes to large organizations, choosing a phone system involves more than picking a few standardized features. Enterprises and larger businesses have many phone considerations that small businesses don’t.
While smaller businesses have a few employees in one location, larger businesses employee hundreds or thousands working across different locations. Having multiple locations means enterprise businesses need phone system flexibility. They also need a system useable in various locations with the ability to manage the system from one centralized portal.
Cisco offers large and enterprise companies a customized solution specific to their needs. Companies get a unified communication system combining voice, online calls, and video. In addition, Cisco delivers integrations with CRM and other programs, superior call quality, IVR, and call analytics.
Cisco offers the choice of cloud hosting or on-premises with easy multi-location business configuration supporting thousands of employees. All unified communications systems can have specifically configured mobility, calling and collaboration features for all large business requirements.
Cisco Business Phone Service Core Features
Cisco has a variety of service packages made for all size companies. Whether you have a small business with few needs, or a large enterprise needing diverse communications, Cisco has the product.
Specializing in Unified Communications, Cisco helps your company communicate externally and internally with highly scalable and easily managed packages.
Cisco offers full IT services as well as on-premise phone system hosting. If you prefer, you have the option of a company private or public held cloud platform.
Business Edition 4000
Business Edition 4000 is Cisco’s entry-level service for companies with up to 200 employees. The simple, cloud-based system combines telephone and voicemail.
Business Edition 5000
This IP phone system services business with up to 1,000 employees. The Business Edition 5000 combines telephony, voicemail, conferencing, third-party apps, and video. Hardware is an additional cost and hosted on the customer’s business site. The equipment is BE6000M and BE6000H. The BE6000M supports 2,500 device connections and the BE6000H supports 1,200 device connections.
Business Edition 6000
The top of the line, Business Edition 6000, covers the large enterprise businesses. The Business Edition 6000 offers telephony, conferencing, voicemail, third-party apps, and video. Like the 5000, hardware comes at an additional cost and is located on business premises. The BE7000M supports 3000 device connections and is stackable, allowing for hardware expansion.
Unified Communications Manager
The Unified Communications Manager, or CallManager, makes up the core of Cisco’s collaboration infrastructure. This core system includes most business communications, including phones, video, and session management control.
CallManager offers reliability with low ownership cost, and the ability to scale the system up to 40,000 users. The appealing benefits let businesses broaden collaborative communications, adding simplified IP-based voice options. The enhanced video capabilities have desktop operations with click-to-begin features for video, phones, and IM.
Contact Center Enterprise
With the Contact Center Enterprise, customers get versatile features like an IP infrastructure for intelligent call routing. The Contact Center lets you configure it for analyzing each call based on contact-specific data and customer profiles. The Center then delivers each call to the appropriate employee within the company.
You also have the ability for seamless integration with outbound and inbound voice calls and internet applications. This lets agents manage different conversations at once, using different channels.
Top Benefits
- Scalable to business needs and size
- Premise or cloud-based
- Unified communication system
- 24/7 customer support
Possible Drawbacks
- Not suitable for small businesses or startups
- Complaints about customer support
Best On-Premises Business Phone System – Avaya
We chose Avaya as our pick for best on-premises business phone system. While Avaya offers a cloud-based system for smaller businesses, their performance shines with their on-premises hosting.
Avaya’s unified communications can provide a large selection of call, mobile, and collaboration tools for thousands of employees. The company has multiple service plans which let managers determine which features get accessed by which employees. In addition, each platform supports various locations by adding contact center services to your phone plan.
Avaya Business Phone System Features
When you say Avaya, the first thing that comes to mind is versatility. Whether small, mid-sized or large, businesses have a variety of flexible, business communication choices. Choose your most needed features, then as your business grows and evolves, add additional phone service capabilities.
The availability of the specific features you need depends on which package you subscribe to. Regardless of the service plan, Avaya backs your purchase with their high-level support and customer service team.
Avaya most common features:
- Voicemail with Email Alerts
- Auto Attendant
- Ad Hoc Conferencing
- Scalable Mailbox Capacities
- Meet Me Functionality with Two 64-Party Conference Bridges
- Call Recording
- Analytics
- Centralized Administration
- Communicator Desktop Collaboration
- Video Conferencing
- Mobile Integration
- Remote Access Capabilities
- IP Office UCaaS Solution
Avaya Business Phone Service Plans
Avaya sells phone systems and installation through local resellers which means pricing can vary depending on the reseller.
For an Avaya IP Office system, with less than 100 users, you can expect to pay around $40,000. Some resellers offer a lease option instead of paying for the equipment upfront. Most resellers include voicemail in the system price. However, after that, the offerings are considerably different. A comprehensive reporting system, for example, might cost an additional $5,000 or call center services at $1,200 per agent.
Other costs associated with on-premises systems are internal wiring, PRI circuits, and data switches. These one-time costs add up quickly and sometimes, cost as much as the system itself.
It’s important to consider all associated costs before choosing an on-premises system. An Avaya cloud-hosted system, depending on your business size, costs between $19.95 and $34.95 per month per user. These plans include 1,200 calling minutes per line. Call center services carry an additional cost and there’s an extra charge for each station phone and installation.
Top Benefits
- Less expensive than competitors
- Feature-rich service plans
- Simple conference bridging
- Lots of IP handsets for remote locations
- Configured hardware options
Possible Drawbacks
- Capacity limits
- Difficult systemwide change adaptation
- Few networking equipment options
Best Virtual Business Phone System – Grasshopper
Businesses searching for virtual phone systems don’t require the same features as those looking for traditional phone systems. Virtual systems don’t have the issue of what phones to connect or how to host the service.
Companies looking at virtual systems want a service that helps them project a professional image while keeping costs low. They don’t need or want a high-cost system with features they’ll never use. These companies simply want a business phone system that keeps all their workers connected under one system.
The most important feature of a virtual system is online portals. This feature makes setup for your auto attendant and call forwarding tree an easy process. You also need a mobile app that lets you receive and make business calls through your mobile phone. These features show customers they’re dealing with a professional business.
The Grasshopper business phone service offers all these features, giving small businesses the professional image tools they need.
Grasshopper Business Phone Service Features
Grasshopper prides itself on service to help sole proprietors and small businesses look like nationwide companies. Establish your business presence with a toll-free or local number, recorded greeting, employee/department additions, call delivery, voicemail, and fax. In addition, Grasshopper gives each extension, customizable settings, messaging, voicemail, and call forwarding.
Some more popular Grasshopper features include:
- Toll-Free and Local Numbers
- Port Existing Number
- Customized Greeting
- Music on Hold
- Extensions
- Name Directory
- Unlimited Call Handling
- Call Forwarding
- Call Screening
- Conference Calling
- Voice to Email
- Fax to Email
- Business SMS
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Grasshopper Business Phone Service Plans
Grasshopper offers four business phone service plans which include all features and unlimited minutes. The plans differ by how many phone numbers and extensions you need. Grasshopper is contract-free, but you get a ten percent plan discount by paying annually. If you’re not satisfied with the service, the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Grasshopper Business Phone Service Plan Features
Grasshopper Connect – Individual Plan
Business Phone Number- Business Calling
- Business Texting
- Email Integration
- Unified Inbox
- Timeline View
- iOS Mobile App
- Hold Incoming Calls – Coming Soon to Android
- Business Contacts – Coming Soon to Android
- Call Blocking – Coming Soon to Android
Solo, Partner, and Small Business
- Business Phone Number
- VoIP + WiFi Calling
- Business Texting
- Incoming Call Control
- Simultaneous Call Handling
- Voicemail
- Read Your Voicemail
- Call Forwarding
- Call Transfers
- Extensions
- Custom Greetings
- Virtual Fax
- Reporting
- Mobile and Desktop Apps
Reliability
Since Grasshopper is not exactly a VoIP, but a Virtual system, it works on an existing landline or cell service. So, when it comes to reliability, you must distinguish between the cloud-based Grasshopper and your existing service.
The cloud-based Grasshopper service gets reliability backing from routing servers and redundant networks. Grasshopper reviews show a happy customer base reporting high-quality calls and above average uptimes. However, keep in mind that if your regular or cell phone service lacks in reliability, Grasshopper won’t change that.
For small businesses with fifteen employees or less, Grasshopper makes a great entry-level business phone choice.
Top Benefits
Unlimited minutes on all plans- Flat rate pricing
- Great flexibility and features
- Mobile App
- Clear calls
- Easy to use dashboard
- No contracts
- 30-day money back guarantee
Possible Drawbacks
- Must be used with an existing landline or cell phone
- Setup slightly difficult
- Some reports of problems with the iPhone App
Best Feature Rich Cloud-Based Business Phone Service – Phone.Com
The cloud-based Phone.com offers a business phone service with over forty tools and features. Without the need for hardware installation, special equipment or wiring, this simplified system has an almost instantaneous setup. Besides easy install, Phone.com offers free adaptors for using your existing phones or the option of leasing their IP phones.
The Phone.com system has seamless CRM integration options and comes with unlimited or pay-per-minute service plans.
Phone.Com Business Phone Service Features
Phone.com gives you the option to choose a new toll-free or virtual phone number or port in a current number. Once installed, the system allows you to handle calls from any phone, whether analog, IP, mobile or computer softphone.
Easily control your business phone system from the web-based portal including adding extensions, IVR and voicemail customization, and call scheduling.
With Phone.com you get over fifty calling features, mobile, and collaboration features with each service plan.
Here are some of the more popular Phone.com standard features:
- Toll-Free Numbers
- Local Numbers
- Bulk Number Porting
- Extensions
- Caller ID
- Call Forwarding
- Call Transfer
- Call Waiting
- Call Blocking
- Call Screening
- Do-Not-Disturb
- Call Notification
- Call Logs
- Call Queues
- Voicemail
- Text Messaging
- Hold Music
- Mobile Apps
Phone.Com Business Phone Service Plans and Features
Phone.com offers three business phone service plans; Base, Plus, and Pro. Each service plan includes unlimited or per-minute options and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
However, all plans include:
- Call Queuing
- Call Routing
- Call Screening
- Call Blocking
- Follow Me
- International Dialing
- HD Conferencing
- Schedules
- Account Management
- Auto Attendant
- Hold Music
- Address Book
- Dial-by-Name Directory
- Voicemail to Email
- SMS/Texting
- Fax to Email
Top Benefits
- Simple and Easy-to-Use
- Good Call Quality
- Includes Base Feature Set
- Includes Desktop and Mobile App
- Includes Softphone
Possible Drawbacks
- Video Conferencing for Added Monthly Cost
- Caller Analytics Cost Extra
- Minute and Extension Bundles Cost Prohibitive for Large Businesses
