Sales Director
Finding the best business VoIP provider in the UK is no mean feat, given that there are some 50+ and that number grows by the day. In this article, updated for 2024, our experts have reviewed the top 8 UK VoIP providers to help you quickly find the right solution for your business.
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Based on our in-depth, expert analysis, independent reviews, awards and service levels, we found that the following companies are currently the best UK VoIP providers for businesses:
9.7 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
3CX is a leading UK provider of cloud-based VoIP. Their open standard model makes their systems highly customisable - a key factor in ranking them best business VoIP provider. A free version of their software lets you try before you buy, while ‘no per-user fee’ pricing keeps prices down. For small to mid-sized businesses, 3CX’s adaptable VoIP solution is worth investigating.
Thanks to its unified communications and impressive no-per-user charge, 3CX offers competitive prices compared to other UK providers. Their prices factor in the type of plan you choose, alongside the number of concurrent calls you’ll need to make at any one time. In this review, we’ve focused on 3CX’s Enterprise tier; however, you can also choose from their Small Business and Pro tiers if you feel they suit your business (we’ve included a breakdown of prices for all tiers below.)
Annual licenses on the Enterprise tier - based on 50 users - are around £770 for self-hosted and £1195 for hosted. While this price doesn’t include call costs, even with these included, you’ll still save significantly by choosing 3CX over any other leading provider.
However, while it’s a great deal for many businesses, it’s not necessarily suited to all. As we mentioned, if you have high staffing levels and low to moderate call volumes, this is a steal. But say you run an extremely busy, highly staffed call centre, with agents taking multiple calls at once; your concurrent calls are likely very high, and annual fees will likely cost far more than with another more suited provider.
Here’s 3CX’s 2024 price list for its Small Business, Pro and Enterprise tiers.
Self-hosted
Free (for up to 10 users)
Self-hosted
£195 annually (for up to 20 users)
Self-hosted
£615 annually (based on 48 users)
Hosted
£1040 annually (based on 48 users)
Self-hosted
£770 annually (based on 48 users)
Hosted
£1195 annually (based on 48 users)
3CX’s Enterprise tier comes packed with features, including an intuitive user interface that’s easy to navigate, and call management functions to ensure your customers get the support they need. Here, we’ve highlighted the features that really set 3CX’s VoIP solutions apart.
For the right business, 3CX has plenty to offer. However, if you like what you’ve read so far, but you’re still weighing up your options, here are some alternatives:
Cloudtalk offers the functionality of 3CX but is targeted to call centre environments. It has dedicated call-handling features and AI analytics to increase the accuracy of your data.
RingCentral ranks highly among business VoIP users. It is an excellent choice if you’re impressed with 3CX but need more integration options.
3CX earned a generous 3.9/5 on Trustpilot, with 71% of its customers giving 5-star ratings. Two frequently highlighted areas of praise are efficient customer support and swift technical problem resolution.
While 3CX doesn’t have the highest Trustpilot score among leading VoIP providers (RingCentral sits at 4.4), it’s also nowhere close to the lowest (8x8 is at 2.0), reflecting that while 3CX may not be for everyone, many of its customers are extremely happy with the service they receive.
As a cost-effective, highly customisable VoIP solution, 3CX’s Enterprise would be an easy recommendation for everyone. However, 3CX defines its audience through its pricing method.
This means SMEs and mid-sized organisations can enjoy a host of advanced features, while saving up to 80% in costs compared to leading providers. Businesses operating remotely will benefit further, with 3CX’s broadband capability and easy-to-use mobile apps cutting travel and overhead costs.
It doesn’t necessarily price out larger operations, though. Hotels, restaurants, and healthcare facilities are often highly staffed with low concurrent call volume. Even call centres with variable traffic can save by using their call data to gauge the number of simultaneous calls required.
Overall - unless you require an excessive amount of concurrent calls - 3CX is a robust and affordable option that’s hard to beat for flexibility, system autonomy and pricing.
9.5 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
Horizon is a cloud phone solution from UK VoIP provider Gamma. It’s our pick for the best unified communications business VoIP, delivering multiple communication features across an easy-to-use interface. Horizon complements its powerful yet simple setup with flexible packages, letting you tailor your VoIP solution around budget and business needs.
Gamma Horizon’s pricing structure is based on a ‘per user per month’ model, charging a monthly subscription based on the number of users. Their services are available across four competitively priced tiers, catering to a range of budgets and technical requirements.
The most enticing part of their pricing is - alongside these fixed tiers - you can also mix and match features across all packages. For businesses with specific needs, you’ll only ever pay for what you need and nothing else.
The fluid nature of its pricing makes it trickier to compare prices against other providers. However, based on the example tiers provided by Gamma, even Horizon’s higher tiers offer competitive prices against international providers like 8x8. This makes Horizon a good fit for UK-based businesses serving both local and national audiences.
Here’s a 2024 listing of Gamma Horizon package prices.
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Gamma’s flagship VoIP solution centres around its impressive unified communications - allowing you to access voice, video, and IM tools alongside a generous suite of extras. Let's take a look at the features that make Horizon a close runner-up for best VoIP
Want to explore similar options before committing to one VoIP system? Here are some alternatives to help you on your way:
8x8’s unified communication VoIP is a solid choice for businesses with a global reach. Where Horizon delivers tons of value for UK customers, 8x8’s internationally distributed data centres provide high-quality connections regardless of where you are.
Think of Vonage as Horizon’s flexible sibling. Vonage’s VoIP solutions take a CPaaS (Communications Platform as a Service) approach; instead of offering a fixed suite of features, they allow integration with many popular business platforms. Vonage’s integrations also allow developer access, making it a great choice for start-ups who need to customise their business tools.
Gamma delivers its Horizon services through a network of UK-based partners, making it hard to track down reviews. It’s worth looking at reviews for each Gamma partner to get an idea of the support you’ll receive.
Gamma’s hosted platform is an easy win if you want a flexible VoIP solution but prefer a hands-off approach to system maintenance and security.
You’ll also have a choice of four monthly subscription packages that stack up well against leading competitor prices. Here, the option to mix and match features across all four tiers means you won’t be stuck paying for tools you don’t use. This is great for small businesses with limited finances, but who may want to upgrade later.
While not as feature-rich as other VoIP models, Gamma Horizon’s strengths are its tailored packages. Horizon can also be purchased via smaller sellers like T2K, giving you more dedicated customer support than international providers. And who better to support you than people who understand what you need on a personal level?
9.2 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
BOnline is a UK-based provider that aims to make VoIP more accessible and affordable for smaller businesses. Their approach is far more ‘no-frills’ than other providers, which allows BOnline to keep prices low while only offering the VoIP options their customers need.
BOnline’s prices—even at the higher end—are remarkable for what’s available. They offer monthly subscription packages starting as low as £7 while also price-matching against similar VoIP services.
They also claim no hidden fees - which is accurate from looking through their site. This is likely a big deal for operations with limited funds - protecting them from expensive one-off charges.
Like many budget providers, BOnline’s Starter package is a taster of their popular features. However, it limits time-saving extras like onboarding and call minutes. It’s an ideal package for freelancers or solo business owners looking to dip their toes into VoIP; it may even be suitable for long-term use if you don’t make many outbound calls.
BOnline’s prices set them apart with their Unlimited Calling and Plus packages—both come with unlimited minutes, integration with popular business platforms, and a greater focus on collaborative tools. Though BOnline leans into VoIP features rather than hardware, their Unlimited Calling Plus package comes with your choice of IP desk phone for just a couple of pounds more per month.
Here’s a 2024 price listing for BOnline’s VoIP services:
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The keyword with BOnline is ‘simple’. While not really suited to larger, complex operations, it’s perfect for newer businesses or first-time VoIP users. What it lacks in complexity, it makes up for in accessibility and simplicity, checking all the basic VoIP boxes while delivering optimal call quality.
BOnline’s standout features are its simplicity and low cost. If you need more from your VoIP set up, we’ve picked some popular alternatives.
Gamma Phoneline+ is a virtual landline service. While not technically a full VoIP solution, it’s an affordable landline upgrade that lets you make and receive calls on any device, regardless of location. Phoneline+ also lets you keep your landline number, giving you added credibility when calling customers.
Dialpad’s Standard and Pro packages might interest you if your budget is flexible. They offer unlimited minutes and focus more on AI across an impressive suite of extras.
BOnline’s VoIP services rank highly on Trustpilot, enjoying a 4.3/5 score and earning ‘Excellent’ status. Based on 12,646 reviews submitted, 84% of customers gave BOnline a 5-star review; an impressive figure that few other providers match.
Of these reviews, customers praised BOnline for price reductions, straightforward customer service, and ease of setup. While BOnline’s positive reviews far outweigh its negatives, some customers stated they ran into issues when exiting their contracts.
BOnline knows its audience and caters to them, unlike any other provider. If you need extensive CRM integrations or a robust suite of VoIP tools, it might be worth exploring other providers.
However, for small businesses looking for an affordable, small-yet-mighty VoIP solution straight out of the box, BOnlines packages are hard to beat.
9 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
8x8 is an international VoIP provider, known for its scalability and versatile additions. It takes the prize for best advanced features, offering the flexibility and security to handle any communication challenges you throw at it.
8x8’s VoIP is available across five tiers. Its lower ‘unified communication’ tiers (X2 and X4) offer basic VoIP features for a relatively competitive price; however, solo or small business owners may find better deals for their needs elsewhere. That said, the X4 package does come with ‘monitor, whisper, and barge functions’ - a useful training feature allowing managers to listen in or assist staff on difficult calls.
Though 8x8’s upper ‘Contact Centre’ tiers are pricey, they pile on intuitive features like intelligent call routing, omnichannel support, and advanced analytics. For businesses with a budget, these features pay for themselves, offering valuable data insights and removing excess from customer service processes.
Although 8x8’s prices aren’t available on its site, we’ve done some research to give you an idea of their 2024 VoIP prices.
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8x8’s Communication Platform is one of the most comprehensive in its market, offering a broader range of advanced features than any other provider. Add in their video calls, messaging, and expansive analytics tools, and you've got everything large global teams need to stay connected.
8x8’s global reach and extensive features are sure to impress; however, if you need to see a few more options, here are some alternatives:
As two of the biggest names in international VoIP, RingCentral and 8x8 offer comprehensive, integration-friendly VoIP with plenty of additions. However, RingCentral creeps ahead for remote workforces, offering near-perfect mobile apps for optimum agent performance.
Like RingCentral, Vonage uses APIs to integrate many popular business tools alongside its VoIP solutions. Vonage’s AI-powered automation is a good choice for those looking to ditch the monotony of their manual processes.
While highly rated across many VoIP publications, 8x8’s UK Trustpilot ranking is less positive, currently at two stars. This rating places them in the ‘poor’ category, with only 50% of the 428 reviews offering 5-star ratings.
It’s worth noting that compared to other providers, 428 reviews is a low number—possibly due to 8x8 being a non-native provider. However, 34% of 1-star reviews don’t put 8x8’s services in the best light, with customers reporting issues around unresponsive customer service.
On a positive note, customers praised 8x8 for their support during initial setup, while others found their systems flexible and easy to use.
8x8’s VoIP delivers in spades for mid-sized to large businesses, especially those with an eye on global expansion. It offers local numbers in a massive 120 countries, alongside global data centres that guarantee high-quality calls from anywhere.
Businesses shopping for a lasting investment won’t be disappointed either, with 8x8’s APIs offering plenty of integration options. This means instead of wasting money on new systems to accommodate business growth, your VoIP system can adapt and grow with you.
For smaller businesses seeking basic VoIP on a budget, 8x8 might not be your best choice. But for larger operations willing to take the financial leap, you’ll find everything you need to run, scale and optimise your phone-based business.
8.7 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
Dialpad is an international VoIP provider and market leader for AI-driven communications. Their cloud-hosted packages offer hassle-free VoIP and include voice and video features to connect you with colleagues and customers.
Compared to other AI-focused providers like Cloudtalk and Aircall, Dialpad’s prices are competitive, while (in most cases) offering superior features.
Starter packages cater to varying budgets but have limited access to AI meetings, voice, and analytics. For a justifiable price increase though, Dialpad’s Pro tier removes these limitations while including cross-location support and better integration capabilities.
If you’re looking for consistent quality, Dialpad’s Enterprise tier promises 100% uptime. While this is hard for any provider to guarantee, this means Dialpad will prioritise your network connection against lower-paying customers. You’ll also get unlimited office locations and ring groups—ideal for global organisations with multiple teams per office.
You'll need to talk to Dialpad directly for a custom quote. But given the competitive rates of their other plans, we’d assume they’re reasonable.Here’s a 2024 price listing for Dialpad’s VoIP services:
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With Dialpad, you get all the goodies VoIP is known for and more. This includes a suite of intelligent AI tools built to save you time and resources.
Interested in Dialpad’s AI-focused tools, but need backup options? Here are some alternatives.
Dialpad’s Enterprise plan has plenty to offer larger businesses, offering unrivalled AI functionality. However, if you need VoIP with a global presence, RingCentral offers more than capable AI features, while providing its services in over 100 countries.
Nextiva’s built-in CRM system may appeal to businesses looking for a truly unified platform. They also score highly on Trustpilot for dedicated customer support, with an impressive 4.7/5 rating.
Dialpad currently has a 4.4/5 rating on Trustpilot, earning them ‘Excellent’ status. Of the 2,196 reviews, 78% of customers gave Dialpad a 5-star rating, with only 6% opting for 1-star.
Digging through these reviews, Dialpad received positive comments for their supportive customer service, with one user claiming that a Dialpad agent “Stayed with me for 2 hours until my issue was resolved.”
With AI dominating global markets to mixed reactions, it's refreshing to see a VoIP provider using it as a handy co-pilot rather than a replacement. Whatever side you’re on, it’s hard to deny the time-saving power of Dialpad’s AI tools - eliminating monotonous tasks like meeting notes and data analysis, while giving you real-time insight into customer behaviour.
Dialpad’s basic package may be a little restrictive for tighter budgets, with advanced AI features reserved for its upper tiers. However, for larger businesses, Dialpad’s Pro and Enterprise tiers offer unrestricted access to its signature tools, alongside a wealth of integrations that allow your VoIP setup to grow and adapt with your business.
8.5 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
Phoneline+ is a virtual landline service from UK VoIP provider Gamma. Unlike its VoIP sibling Horizon, Phoneline+ plays it simple - allowing small businesses to keep the credibility of their local phone number, while taking calls from anywhere.
With Phoneline+, Gamma keeps pricing simple, offering one monthly package. It’s hard to find fault with its pricing either, with one of the lowest rates among competitor services. It’s particularly suited to businesses wary of the digital leap, costing them very little to port their business landline number to a new service safely.
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Let's take a look at what makes Gamma’s Phoneline+ one of the most straightforward choices for businesses switching to digital communications.
Not sure if Phoneline+ is the one for you? Here are a few similar options for you to explore.
If virtual landlines miss the mark for functionality, BT’s Cloud Voice VoIP is worth a look. Its three reasonably priced tiers are packed with advanced call features - tempting for businesses who may need to scale in the future.
Like Phoneline+, Air Landline offers virtual landline numbers to keep your business image credible. While a little pricier than Phoneline+, their unconventional marketing certainly makes them stand out.
While customer reviews on Trustpilot are limited, Gamma’s 4.9-star Google rating backs up its reputation as a reliable UK VoIP provider. Customers praised them for helpful customer service, cost-saving VoIP solutions, and quick technical issue resolution.
While some users noted a lack of advanced features, it’s worth noting that Phoneline+ doesn’t market itself this way; instead, it's presented as a simple, easy-to-use virtual landline service.
Each VoIP solution covered so far has its strong suit—so what’s missing from our list? How about a hassle-free way for small businesses to go digital without pricey, unnecessary features?
Here, Phoneline+ fits the bill perfectly—allowing solo and small businesses to retain their well-known landline number, while keeping you up to date on calls and messages. Throw in mobile apps that let you take calls from anywhere, and you’ve got an excellent virtual phone package at an affordable price.
Its lack of scalability or advanced features won’t appeal to larger businesses, but with 2027’s landline switch-off getting closer, switching to Gamma’s Phoneline+ gives you one less thing to worry about.
8.2 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
RingCentral is an international leader in cloud-based VoIP and unified communications. It’s highly regarded for its deep, unified communication tools and impressive security protocols.
RingCentral’s services are well-priced compared to competitors, offering AI-powered tools across all packages. Their business packages come with lots of goodies, even in lower tiers. In contrast, upper tiers (still reasonably priced) offer increased call minutes and handy features like call barging and call whisper.
With prices ranging from £ 13 to £30 per user per month, it’s not a bad deal for established companies looking to level up their VoIP.
RingCX and Contact Centre tiers ramp up RingCentral’s AI features. Here, you’ll find advanced interaction analytics and quality management tools, ideal for analysing business performance.
While Contact Centre pricing is only available by consultation, RingCX prices start at £52 per user per month. It’s fairly steep compared to competitors - but considering the features, security, and global scalability - it’s not a bad deal for the right business.
Here’s a 2024 listing of RingCentral’s package prices.
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As part of its RingEX and RingCX models, RingCentral offers fully integrated unified communications designed to tackle the needs of larger operations.
Impressed with RingCentral but want to shop around first? Here are some alternatives to help you make the right choice for your business.
Fellow international provider 8x8 may be a more stable choice for large businesses. They offer similar features to RingCentral, but score slightly higher for international customer support.
To complement its popular online meeting platform, Zoom’s Cloud Phone is an affordable, scalable alternative to RingCentral’s VoIP. Its native integrations allow smoother transitions between calls and videos without needing separate applications.
As an international VoIP provider, RingCentral’s Trustpilot is a story of two halves. Their UK rating is a healthy 4.3/5, giving them ‘excellent’ status. Though the number of reviews available is fairly low at 633, 69% of reviewers gave RingCentral a 5-star rating. These reviewers praised RingCentral for its customer service and simple setup.
The second part of the tale comes from their global Trustpilot page. Here, RingCentral has a much lower rating of 2.6/5, with 23% of reviewers offering 5-star reviews and 60% opting for 1-star. Despite some positive reviews, customers reported poor customer service and overpriced products, which is surprising considering RingCentral’s status as an innovative, international provider.
On the surface, RingCentral makes a strong case for the best overall VoIP. It’s scaleable, takes security seriously, and can tailor its unified communications to varying business sizes.
Its AI-powered analytics are some of the best out there, letting you hand over boring tasks, while offering insight into customer and employer behaviours.
The only negative we found was a mixed response to RingCentral’s customer support, with Trustpilot scores highlighting several concerning issues. This is an unfortunate low point for larger businesses that may require frequent assistance. So, while RingCentral’s impressive enterprise-level platform is clearly aimed at mid-to-large operations, it’s worth considering the level of support you need first.
8 out of 10 | T2k's Rating
As part of the Ericsson family, Vonage is a global provider of business communications. It’s known for feature-rich VoIP cloud solutions, designed to integrate with many popular business tools and platforms.
Vonage’s prices are at the higher end of the market. While their packages are impressive across the board, smaller businesses are likely to find similar solutions at lower cost elsewhere. Its Max tier adds further value with Vonage’s signature integrations. Here, the price is justified based on integration with Salesforce and its many useful additions.
Vonage’s Contact Centre Priority and Premium tiers may appeal to larger operations, offering efficiency-boosting omnichannel features and AI-driven analytics. Packages are tailored to business needs for these tiers, but based on lower tiers, they’re unlikely to suit smaller budgets.
Here’s a 2024 listing of Vonage’s package prices:
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Vonage’s unique selling point is its flexibility. Businesses can choose to use its robust APIs to build custom applications or stick with ready-made native features.
If you’re a fan of Vonage’s VoIP but need a few more options, here are some alternatives.
With many providers embracing AI, nobody is doing it quite like Dialpad. They offer a robust, uncomplicated VoIP system, anchored by intelligent analytics and mobile apps designed to make life easier for remote workforces.
For a slightly more affordable but equally powerful VoIP solution, 8x8 has plenty to offer. It suits businesses looking for a single unified platform without the complexity of additional features.
Vonage currently has a 4.5/5 rating on Trustpilot, earning them ‘excellent’ status. Of 2,852 customer reviews, 81% gave Vonage a 5-star review, with only 9% rating them 1-star. Many positive reviews praised Vonage’s customer service, highlighting its quick resolution of technical problems and dedication to understanding customer concerns.
As one of the more expensive VoIP options on the market, Vonage is suited to businesses with flexible budgets, plenty of IT resources, and regular use of CRMs.
It integrates with over 100 major business platforms, such as Salesforce and Microsoft Teams, offering a range of useful productivity, analytic, and collaborative tools for larger businesses.
A standout feature is the built-in gamification of their Call Centre solutions. By using leaderboards and virtual achievements, it encourages friendly competition between call agents, boosting productivity and overall workplace culture.
While small businesses are unlikely to benefit, Vonage’s innovation and reputation justify their prices for larger companies.
Short for Voice Over Internet Protocol, VoIP means that telephone calls are made through the internet, rather than a landline, ISDN, or mobile network. A VoIP phone system gives businesses lots of additional functionality to make phone calls. Examples include call recording, call transfer, hunt groups, and even the ability to make calls from mobile phones.
There are two ways you can get a business VoIP system; buy the equipment and run it from your office, or subscribe to a hosted VoIP provider, like the UK VoIP providers mentioned in this guide. In 99% of cases today, the latter is the best solution for businesses for various reasons such as reliability and cost. For that reason, in this article, we will focus on hosted VoIP phone systems.
A VoIP phone system works by taking your analogue voice signal and converting it into a digital signal that can be transferred over a broadband line to your UK VoIP Provider.
Unlike traditional phone systems where you need a physical phone, you could use any of the following to make VoIP calls:
Regardless of the business VoIP provider you choose; there are some universal benefits you can expect to enjoy:
Controlling costs in business is vital, which is why the first benefit of VoIP phone systems we want to bring to your attention is that, in most cases, it lowers costs. Of course, how much it reduces costs depends on your current systems, but we would usually expect savings of anywhere up to 50%. Yes, that's right, VoIP services can save you up to 50% compared to a traditional phone system with an ISDN line.
When it comes to a traditional phone system, businesses must invest in handsets and PBX hardware. A PBX on its own can cost thousands of pounds, and while that can often be leased over several years, getting set up still represents a massive cost.
In contrast, by using a cloud-VoIP provider, you do away with the capital outlay and simply charge you per user per month for everything.
To run a traditional phone system before VoIP, you needed telephone lines such as ISDN and internal cabling to every desk. Every time you want to add another person to the system, you'd need to get them connected via a cable running back to the PBX; this is, of course, in addition to any networking you need for computers. The great thing with business VoIP systems and handsets is that they run over the same network as your computers, completely removing the need to have a second connection going back to your comms room. Not only that, but they can also even run over wireless, which, while not quite as reliable as a physical network cable, can give you more flexibility over where the handset is located in the office. Finally, as we know, ISDN line rental is costly and is being phased out in favour of SIP lines - by moving to VoIP, all of your calls go over your internet connection so you can rid yourself of one more ongoing cost.
Direct savings also come in the form of reduced call costs, with many VoIP service providers even offering substantial free call packages; our favoured options, for instance, give you 2000 minutes to UK landlines and 2000 minutes to UK mobiles per user per month! VoIP calls can be up to 60% cheaper domestically and sometimes up to 90% cheaper internationally than calls via PSTN or ISDN.
Another significant cost related to traditional phone systems and handsets is the maintenance costs. When you purchase a PBX, you'll invariably take out a support service alongside it with a local provider so that as or when you have issues or want to make changes, you have someone to call. Those maintenance costs add up, and as your system gets older, you'll likely find that the support fees only increase.
By getting a hosted VoIP system, you remove the need for a maintenance contract to support your PBX. You pay your monthly fee per phone, and the rest is taken care of. You don't own the hardware and therefore don't need to look after it.
Arguably one of the most significant benefits given that we are increasingly working from both the office and home is the ability to take business calls anywhere you have an internet connection. With VoIP, you aren't tied to a physical phone line, so you can be anywhere in the world and pick up your business phone. This flexibility is a massive benefit for businesses that embrace home working and hybrid working following the pandemic.
A VoIP number is completely portable, so you can use the same number wherever you go. For people who travel often, this is welcome news as they can appear to be in the office from anywhere. Better yet, if your business changes its address or your employees need to work from home for an extended period, you can all keep your phone numbers; it makes things seamless.
Scalability is a benefit often associated with VoIP as it provides business owners with a system that can grow as their company grows. A cloud VoIP solution does away with the need to purchase expensive hardware or a dedicated telephone line as a business grows. Got a new office opening? Simply order a few more handsets and ship them to the site.
VoIP provides you with many advanced features such as auto-attendant and call forwarding that help businesses of all sizes operate efficiently and help small companies project a larger image. Equally, VoIP can help large enterprise-scale organisations present a more approachable image. It all comes down to how the VoIP system is set up.
Let's say you have a Birmingham-based business, which serves clients across the UK, but especially in London. By signing up with a business VoIP provider in the UK, you can get a VoIP phone number with a London area code, even though you're not based there. This gives your customers the impression that you're a local business even though you might not be.
Similarly, the auto-attendant and call routing features can make you look larger than you are. For example, you could be a sole trader, but you've set up your VoIP system to seem like you're a company with several departments.
Today, as long as you have a fast and stable internet connection, voice quality shouldn't be an issue. VoIP calls tend to be clear and crisp, with no latency, lag or call dropout issues.
The key to VoIP call quality is having broadband or a reliable leased line with plenty of bandwidth. If your connection is slow and often drops, it's a warning sign that VoIP might not be the right fit for your business.
At T2k, we typically recommend you should have one internet connection for your VoIP phone service and another for your computers. This separation ensures that employee internet usage doesn't impact your phone calls. If you choose a VoIP service provider who does both phone services and broadband, the other plus is that your calls have less "digital distance" to travel, improving reliability and giving you the best call quality.
Unified Communications refers to a VoIP phone system that integrates multiple communication methods. A business usually communicates in many ways, such as phone calls, video conferencing, instant messaging, email, SMS, fax, etc. A Unified Communications service connects many of the ways your business communicates, letting them talk to each other in one system and making your business more efficient. The best UK VoIP providers and their systems will typically enable companies to utilise the power of Unified Communications.
Whom you choose to provide your VoIP is incredibly important, given that, in all likelihood, you'll be with them for several years. Ofcom offers several tips on things to ask when choosing a VoIP provider, but our thoughts are that you need to make sure they offer all of the following:
Cloud-based VoIP platforms today provide a complete business communications service with extensive fixed and mobile telephony capabilities.
When you're changing your phone system, you want to ensure that whatever you move to won't just save you money but give you a reliable platform for growth. You want to maximise productivity and give your team the tools they need to provide brilliant customer service. Business-focused features that emphasise control and administration take the burden of management away from you and improve profitability.
In our opinion, you should always look for a UK VoIP provider with exemplary support, as your phones are central to the performance of your business.
Most, but not all of the top providers, will give you a web portal where you can log in and manage your phone system. Here are some of the options you'll have:
Cloud VoIP improves team working through a variety of features; many of which should be included as standard with your VoIP system's subscription:
Start a conference at any time, without scheduling a meeting, simply drag and drop users from your contacts to an open within, and you can enjoy all of the features of a planned conference.
Distribute calls across your team using Hunt Groups; it doesn't matter where the team is based, or even if they're in the same office; if they're in a group and available, they can be included in your call routing. Choose from the following five ways to call the group:
Transfer calls to any internal or external number quickly and easily, and not only that, easily receive the call back if no one answers. Simply enable the settings, and you'll have the option of how many times a transferred call should ring before it's transferred back to you. You don't need to answer either; using Blind Transfer, you can transfer a call without speaking to the person.
Reduce admin and maintain consistency across the organisation by grouping sites, teams and departments together. Changes in settings can then be rolled out on a per-site, team or department basis.
Put a call on hold and pick up another phone, giving you the flexibility to move around the office and even switch to a mobile device or computer.
Is someone in the team away from their desk? With Call Pick-Up, you can take the call and tell the person when your colleague will be back. This feature allows you to answer colleagues' phones and pick up call-waiting calls.
Call waiting for queued callers and ensure you're ready to take the next call. With music on hold, you can choose to play waiting music or even promotional messages while your customers wait.
Auto-attendant provides menu options to callers so that their call can be routed to the correct person or team. You can create a bespoke schedule that enables the auto-attendant only during working hours and disables it when the office is closed for a holiday.
VoIP phone systems provide a range of features specifically designed to help your team maximise their efficiency.
Quickly redial the last number that was called, received or missed and use your computer to Click to Dial anyone in your contacts list.
Manage incoming calls with Presence and Pre-set Availability; if you know you're not going to be available, your business phone needn't ring. Call routing can take the caller to someone available. Choose from four different availability profiles:
These profiles include the ability to manage incoming call functions, for example, Call Forwarding, Busy, Voice Messaging and Call Notify.
Anonymous Call Reject allows a user to reject calls from people that have restricted their caller ID. By activating the service via your provider's web portal, callers without identification will be informed that the user isn't accepting calls. The user's phone won't ring, and the user won't see or hear any indication that a call was attempted. This service, of course, doesn't apply to calls from within the business or group.
If you call another person in your company and are busy, you can use Automatic Call Back to be notified when they're off the phone. Equally, you can have Busy Lamp Keys on your phone handset, which show you whether another user is on a call or not.
Do Not Disturb will show you're unavailable and automatically reject attempted calls or transfers.
With Company Directory, you can assign up to 100-speed dials for your favourite numbers. Save time and avoid having to search for a popular number.
Use call recording to create audit trails and ensure compliance. Equally, you can use call recording for training purposes and quickly and easily listen back to calls that have taken place.
VoIP services give you and your team so much flexibility to work from anywhere. Enjoy features such as Call Forwarding to manage calls effectively, Home Worker to take profiles and settings home, Voicemail to email to never miss an important call, and Hot desking to move around and work from anywhere.
The phones you get for your new VoIP phone system play a big part in your team's experience. VoIP phones come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing to bear in mind is that not all phones will work with all UK VoIP Providers' systems. While we can show you some of the best handsets on the market, it's always wise to speak to your VoIP provider to find out what they offer.
The Poly VVX 150 handset is an entry-level phone suitable for handling low to moderate call volumes. With an intuitive user interface, usability and navigation are simple, requiring minimal training. The VVX 150 provides a high-quality but cost-effective solution with advanced unified communications (UC) features.
The Poly VVX 250 iis a basic VoIP phone with a colour display. It's a high-quality IP phone with four lines and excellent sound quality. It's ideal for office workers who need the quality features that a modern business environment demands.
With Polycom HD Voice delivering superior high definition sound quality, the VVX 250 has advanced voice processing capabilities.
The Poly VVX 450 is a step up from the previous models featuring 12 lines and is a high-performance desk phone with a colour display. It's a high-quality IP phone stacked with features for today's busy business executives and upper management. It's a perfect fit for all environments, with the HD Voice delivering superior sound quality. The Polycom Acoustic Fence technology minimises background noises, echoes and distractions.
The Yealink W25P Cordless IP Phone is the perfect fit for busy small businesses that need a flexible device that can roam around an office. In our experience, the Yealink W25P is the best wireless business VoIP phone currently available, feature-rich and cost-effective, the perfect companion to cloud-based VoIP services.
The Poly Trio 8500 takes business conference calling to the next level. It's a sleek and sophisticated model with a full-colour screen for ease of navigation and use. With Polycom's market-leading voice quality, you can be sure that your meetings will be seamless.
The PolyTrio 8800 is a modern business conference phone with video and content performance that marries excellent voice quality. The Polycom Trio can turn meeting rooms into a collaborative, hassle-free team working environment.
It can be challenging to know their differences with hundreds of UK VoIP providers to choose from. This section gives you our top tips to consider when you're choosing your VoIP provider. Click here if you'd like a more detailed guide to choosing a business VoIP system.
Prices between business VoIP providers can vary quite significantly, so it's essential to get several quotes to understand what they will charge you per month.
Work out how many minutes you use approximately per month and then see if it's worth paying a set fee for a certain number of minutes, or would it be less expensive with a pay-as-you-go VoIP provider?
Spending an hour researching the options will ultimately save you a lot of money on calls.
We always recommend researching the business VoIP providers you're speaking to understand their customers' thoughts.
Business VoIP services require a significant amount of investment to keep them operational, so you need to know that you're in safe hands as a customer.
Some VoIP providers will provide you with complicated instructions that are difficult to follow and make using the system a real struggle. Others will install for you and be on hand to give you training on how to use the system. Look for a provider that offers you that level of customer service as you must have got a good grasp of the system.
If you're pretty technical already, this may not be too important to you, but the simpler, the better for everyone else.
The functionality that business VoIP systems provide is far greater than you'd expect from a traditional phone or even a PBX system; because of that, you'll want to make sure you familiarise yourself with all of the things the cloud-based platforms you're looking at can do.
While many of these features will be included in your monthly service fee, some will attract an additional charge, so speaking to each provider to establish what it'll cost for you to use such features is essential.
VoIP allows your business to connect your staff quicker and easier than ever before, but what happens if your business grows or shrinks?
In most cases scaling a VoIP service up won't be an issue, and the provider you're working with will be more than happy to sell you another license for the platform. But what happens if you need to reduce the number of subscriptions you have? Make sure you speak to the VoIP provider about this; the last thing you want is to be tied into a contract for a person no longer in the business.
Technology can be prone to security threats, so understand what security measures are in place to protect your VoIP calls. Can you imagine what might happen if you were, for instance, using call recording and someone got their hands on all of your recorded calls? It doesn't bear thinking about, so make sure you check with your VoIP service provider whether they support secure communications and what measures they have.
As you use the hosted VoIP service, there will likely be certain things you need assistance with, so check with your provider what level of customer support they provide. The best VoIP providers will offer telephone-based support, and we suggest avoiding those that only offer live chat.
The great thing with business VoIP phones is that you can have a phone number anywhere in the UK. This is great if you're running a market campaign in one city but located somewhere else; all of the calls will still come through to your business phone, but you appear to be local from the customer's perspective.
Phone number porting is the process of moving your existing phone number over to the new service. Check with your account manager or customer service that this is available before taking the service out to ensure you can keep your number.
Based close to Bournemouth, T2K was founded over 28 years ago as a specialist business telephony provider. Today, we support hundreds of businesses and thousands of users across the UK with both hosted and onsite phone systems. Our customers range from small businesses to large multi-site organisations with complex networking requirements. Being at the forefront of the development of VoIP systems, we're perfectly placed to provide you with expert advice based on years of experience. We regularly review all of the UK VoIP providers so that we can make up to the minute recommendations to our customers.
The strength of our business comes from our customer service; we provide stability, reliability and continuity via our 100% UK based support. Most of our staff have been with us for ten years or more, which means our customers get the same excellent service from our dedicated team, time after time.
We ensure that your business receives the very best customer service available with dedicated account management.
When comparing business VoIP providers, it's essential to find one that's got a track record of reliability. Ultimately the provider you choose will be your telephony partner for the foreseeable future, so you must take your time when you're speaking to the various VoIP providers.
Having worked for T2k for nearly 25 years, it's fair to say that Lee is an expert when it comes to all things telephony and business communications. Overseeing the commercial side of the business, he has helped the company evolve and grow through the decades. In recent years, and with the advent of VoIP and hosted telephony, Lee has made sure that T2k is at the forefront of technological developments. With a firm interest in helping businesses navigate the world of telecoms, Lee is responsible for the majority of the content on this website.
