Technology

35 Essential Office Phone System Features (Buyer`s Guide)

technology

December 30, 2024

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Every business will eventually need to get a phone system to support the needs of their employees and customers. Why?

According to a report published by Gallup, productivity losses due to poor communication cost U.S. employers $550 billion every year. Ineffective business communication isn’t just an inconvenience; it could harm your entire company. However, finding the best business phone system for your office is tough. Not all phone systems are created equal. Some might include hidden fees and questionable reliability and can be quite intimidating to manage.

How do you find the best telephone system for your office?

This guide covers everything a small business needs to know when it’s time to upgrade your communications system.

Office Phone System Features

1) Announcements (Greetings)

2) Auto Attendant

3) Busy Lamp Status

4) Call Forwarding

5) Call Parking

6) Call Queues

7) Call Recording

8) Conference Calls

9) Desk Phones

10) Direct Inward Dialing (DID)

11) Find Me/Follow Me

12) HD Video

13) Instant/Internal Call Transfer

14) International Calling

15) Internet Messaging

16) PBX

17) Managed Caller ID

18) Multi-Device Support

19) Multiple Lines

20) Paging/Group Announcements

21) Real-Time Analytics

22) Softphone Support

23) SMS/Text Messaging

24) Toll-Free Phone Numbers

25) Unified Communications

26) Virtual Office Phone

27) Virtual Service Permissions

28) Voicemail Setup & Provisioning

29) Voicemail

30) Voicemail-To-Email

31) Web-Based Administration

32) Wireless Headsets

33) YAP Phones

34) Video Bridges

35) Soft Key Customization

36) Hosted PBX

37) Call Analytics

38) Call Blocking

39) Mobile App Integration

Office Phone System Pricing

The cost of a new phone system is likely your biggest concern. Business communication is important, but it can be expensive. And with so many options, it’s tough to know what price range you should expect from a commercial phone service.

Office Phone System Hardware

Hardware, such as desk phones, is optional when picking your business phone system. VoIP phones are recommended in an office environment because they have productivity advantages. For example, you might have a busy open-plan office. Your customer service team are chatting all day long, and they’re not using headsets. It’s distracting—which is why open offices can reduce productivity by 70%. Equipment such as:

This can solve the problem because the in-office staff has their own phone system. They can keep calls private and stop their conversations from disrupting co-workers.

Office Phone Service Costs

It’s tough to predict the costs of a remote office phone system. As a general guideline, small business VoIP system prices range from $30 to $45 per user per month. The price depends on:

Number of Lines You’re Using
Type of Business
Volume of Incoming Calls
Commitment Your Business Has to the Office Phone System
Features You Need from the List Above

The good news? Regardless of how many lines you have, VoIP calls are still much cheaper. Traditional phone services take lots of equipment to set up and maintain. Technology providers need to account for that in their pricing, but VoIP calls connect to an established internet connection. There’s no extra equipment needed—and therefore, no extra charges to show up on your business phone bill.

Office Phone System Taxes

The aim? To keep your staff as productive as possible. Look for an office phone system that offers 99.999% uptime with supporting documentation.

Office Phone System Taxes

Know the applicable taxes for your phone system based on federal and state laws. Understand how they impact your overall costs.

Implementation & Next Steps

Are you ready to find a new phone system for your office? The next step is to find providers that offer the equipment you're looking for. Contact them to get a custom quote depending on the size of your office. You can ask the following questions once you've narrowed down your vendor list:

The answers can shed some light on which company can best suit your needs. But if you're still unsure of which features you need, check out the full list of VOIP features Nextiva offers.

CONCLUSION

As businesses continue to evolve in the digital age, robust IT change management becomes increasingly vital. By implementing structured processes and leveraging appropriate tools, organizations can navigate technological shifts more effectively, ensuring operational stability and fostering innovation. In 2025 and beyond, mastering IT change management will be a key differentiator for successful businesses in an ever-changing technological landscape. This version maintains a more professional tone while still being accessible to a general business audience.