Moving your business phones to VoIP raises practical questions about connectivity, equipment and keeping your existing numbers. Packnet's guide answers them for UK small and medium sized businesses using a worked 10-user model. It compares connectivity options from FTTC and cable broadband to fibre and wireless leased lines. It then sets out the network kit a typical office needs: one router, a switch with at least 24 ports and preferably Power over Ethernet, and 22 Cat5/6 points. You will find a side-by-side look at hard phones versus softphones, a plain explanation of how number porting works for geographic and non-geographic numbers, and the benefits businesses cite for switching, including set-up in as little as 24 to 48 hours. Read it before your first conversation with an internet telephony provider.
VoIP essentials for UK SMEs
A Guide to VoIP for Small to Medium Sized Business
Content provided by Packnet
Can you keep your current numbers when you move to VoIP, and what network kit will a 10-person office actually need? Packnet's guide answers both, alongside a clear hard phone versus softphone comparison and the reasons businesses give for switching. It is a practical primer to read before you speak to providers.
- 10-user network model
- Hard vs softphone comparison
- UK number porting explained
What you'll get
A concise, practical walkthrough of what moving to VoIP involves for a small or medium sized business, from internet connectivity and office hardware to porting numbers.
Connectivity options compared
Cable broadband, FTTC, FTTP, wireless and fibre leased lines listed with their typical maximum speeds.
Network equipment checklist
The router, POE switch, ethernet points and power needs for a typical 10-user office.
Hard phones or softphones
Pros and cons of physical IP phones versus software phones, covering cost, training and deployment.
Number porting essentials
How UK porting works, which number ranges can move and what to know before you start.