VoIP vs traditional telephony: and what is 3CX?

Your phone system sits somewhere in a utility closet, no one dares to touch it, and for every new employee you call the supplier for an extra line. Sound familiar? Many SMEs still run a telephony setup that was installed years ago and has barely changed since. While calling over the internet can now be cheaper, more flexible and smarter.

In this article we explain what VoIP is, how it compares to traditional telephony, what the benefits are for SMEs, what 3CX actually is and how to connect your telephony to Microsoft 365 and Teams. Practical and without technical jargon.

What is traditional telephony?

Traditional telephony runs over the old telephone network, often via ISDN or analogue lines. You have a physical exchange on the premises, with fixed lines and handsets connected by cables. Want an extra workspace or a new number? Then someone has to come round to plug it in and configure it.

That worked fine for years, but it comes with significant limitations:

• You're tied to the premises: you can only make calls on location.
• Expanding is expensive and slow, because it often requires additional hardware.
• The old ISDN network is being phased out in the Netherlands, so its future is limited.
• Features such as menu options or voicemail-to-email are unavailable or only at an extra cost.

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over IP, in other words calling over the internet. Instead of the old telephone network, your call travels as data over your internet connection, just like an email or a video call. The physical exchange in the utility closet disappears and is replaced by software, usually in a secure data centre.

The great thing is that, as a user, you barely notice any of it. You simply call from your landline number, with a handset on your desk or with an app on your phone and laptop. Under the hood everything has changed; on your side it actually becomes simpler.

VoIP vs traditional telephony: the key differences

Put the two side by side and the difference quickly becomes clear. With VoIP vs traditional telephony, it mainly comes down to cost, flexibility and features.

Cost

With VoIP you no longer pay for expensive fixed lines or a physical exchange. You call over the internet, often for a fixed amount per user per month. Internal calls and calls to landlines are usually cheap or included. No surprises afterwards and no maintenance contract for outdated hardware.

Flexibility

This may well be the biggest advantage. With VoIP you make calls from the office, from home or on the road, all with your own landline number. Through an app on your smartphone or laptop you're reachable as if you were sitting at your desk. Customers always see the same business number, even when you're on the train. For hybrid working that's worth its weight in gold.

Scalability

Adding a new employee? You simply add a user, without anyone needing to come round. When things quiet down, you scale back just as easily. Your telephony grows with your business, instead of being stuck with a fixed number of lines.

Features

Modern VoIP is packed with features that are missing or expensive with traditional telephony:

• Smart menu options, so callers reach the right person or department straight away.
• Forwarding to colleagues, a mobile or a queue, exactly how you want it.
• Voicemail-to-email: your missed message arrives in your mailbox as an audio file.
• Insight into calls, waiting times and availability through clear reports.
• Call groups, so an incoming call rings several colleagues at the same time.

What is 3CX?

3CX is a modern phone system that runs entirely on VoIP. Where you used to have a physical exchange in the utility closet, 3CX handles everything via software. It's the beating heart of your telephony and determines how calls come in, get forwarded and reach the right person.

What makes 3CX so suitable for SMEs:

• You call with a handset, with an app on your phone or simply through your browser on your laptop.
• All features such as menu options, queues and voicemail-to-email are included as standard.
• It works at the office, at home and on the road, always with the same number.
• You don't pay for separate licences per feature, but have everything together.

Setting up a phone system like 3CX requires precision. Menu options, opening hours, call forwarding and queues all need to match exactly how your business works. IT-gemak configures 3CX completely for you and manages it, so you don't have to worry about the technology. Want to read more about our approach? Take a look at the page about VoIP with 3CX.

Connecting VoIP to Microsoft 365 and Teams

Already working with Microsoft 365? Then you can conveniently connect your telephony to it. More and more SMEs want to connect their VoIP to Microsoft 365 and Teams, so that calling becomes part of the work environment they already use all day anyway.

What that delivers:

• You call directly from Teams, without a separate phone program alongside it.
• Contacts and calendars align seamlessly.
• One environment for calling, chatting, meeting and collaborating.
• Less switching between programs, so less hassle during the workday.

The great thing is that your telephony and your daily workspace become one. An incoming call, a chat message and a video meeting all come together in the same place. For anyone who works a lot with Teams, that makes a noticeable difference in comfort and availability.

Whether a Teams integration is the best choice in your situation depends on how you work and which licences you have. We're happy to look into that together with you. Want to know more about the possibilities within Teams itself? Then read our page about Microsoft Teams.

What does this mean for your business?

When you switch from traditional telephony to VoIP, it's rarely just a technical change. It touches on how reachable you are, how you collaborate and how professional you come across to customers. A good switch therefore starts with a few clear questions:

• How do you want to be reachable: only at the office or also at home and on the road?
• Which menu options and call forwarding suit your way of working?
• Do you already work with Microsoft 365 and Teams, and do you want to connect that?
• How much room for growth do you want to build in?

Based on that, we set up your telephony so that it fits your business, both today and a few years from now. Not a standard package, but a setup that works.

In short

In the comparison VoIP vs traditional telephony, VoIP wins on almost every point that matters for SMEs:

• Lower and predictable costs, without an expensive exchange and fixed lines.
• Full flexibility: calling from the office, home and on the road with your landline number.
• Easy scaling up and down, without needing additional hardware.
• Smart features such as menu options, call forwarding and voicemail-to-email.
• A modern phone system with 3CX, optionally connected to Microsoft 365 and Teams.

On top of that, traditional ISDN telephony is being phased out, so sooner or later switching will be unavoidable anyway. In which case you might as well do it properly straight away.

Ready for modern telephony?

Want to know what VoIP and 3CX can mean for your business, or how best to connect your telephony to Microsoft 365 and Teams? We're happy to take a look with you, with no obligation.

Schedule a no-obligation consultation and discover how we set up and manage your telephony, so you're reachable everywhere with one business number.