It was easy in the old days, you had 1 or 2 phones (or more if you were doing well). You waited (and waited) patiently for BT to get around to installing phone lines for you and then you plugged in your phone and you were good to go – as long as any long calls were made after 1pm and as for calling international numbers…

Times have changed and with BT announcing the end of ISDN in 2025, businesses are now beginning to sift through what seems like a minefield of information to understand the alternative phone system solutions and find ways to make their phone systems work harder and smarter for them.

VOIP, SIP, Cloud, Hosted – I’m confused! What’s the difference?

In a nutshell; nothing! VOIP (which stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol) is the name given to data (voice calls) which is transferred over the internet network. SIP is simply a variation of VOIP, which has been specifically designed for delivering a telephone service, you may also have heard the phrase “SIP Trunk”; this uses internet technology to deliver the same service you would get from a traditional phone system, but you have a virtual rather than a physical phone line. And when you hear people talk about Cloud and Hosted phones systems, they are both also variations on VOIP.

At HBT, we talk our customers through the jargon and help them understand all the options, and make an informed choice about what is best for their business

Should my business upgrade to an internet phone system?

When VOIP was first launched in the 1990’s suffered bad press with users experiencing unreliable service and low-quality calls. This was mainly due to inadequate internet provision.

Fast forward to today and with internet connectivity unrecognisable from the old dial up days internet-based phone solutions have come into their own.

2025 is years away but are there benefits of moving away from ISDN now?

If you are looking to save money, add flexibility and improving efficiency then the answer is yes.

There are many benefits to making the move now, which include:

Cost Saving – An internet phone system is far more cost effective than a traditional ISDN line and most of our customers who have made the switch have seen their phone bills reduce by 50% or more each month. Is your phone bill escalating out of control?

Zero Call Billing – There are no charges for calls to UK landlines and mobiles.

Flexibility – It’s easy to add or remove lines to suit your business needs – you only pay for what you need. How many lines are you paying for now and how many are you using?

Eliminates the Need for Hardware – You no longer need to invest in expensive call handling equipment or worry about phone system maintenance issues or software upgrades.

Business Continuity – An internet phone system is resilient against a major on-site disaster such as a fire or a flood. Your customers can contact you even if your office is out of action.

Choose Any UK Phone Number – You can have area codes to create a local presence in your customer locations

Still confused or have more questions?
Contact one of our friendly sales team who
can provide expert advice on the options available to your business.
Call 02476 867 422