Is VoIP As Good as a Landline?
VoIP phone systems aren’t just “as good” as landlines — for many businesses, VoIP is the better option. VoIP offers cost savings, more efficient customer service, higher security, and more flexibility for your employees. And, with a strong internet connection, you don’t have to sacrifice quality or up-time.
What Can VoIP Do for Your Business?
Have you considered upgrading to a VoIP business phone system for your company? While change — especially with technology — can be daunting, switching to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phones can save your business time, money, and frustration. Most importantly, VoIP can make phone calls a pleasant experience for both your customers and employees, instead of a transfer and hold purgatory.
Before making the switch, you’ll likely have some important questions when comparing VoIP vs. landline for business. We have the answers in this article, from how exactly VoIP works to what benefits it offers over a landline system.
Is VoIP Considered a Landline?
No, VoIP isn’t a landline. They are two very different technologies, although they share the same goal: connecting people. The key difference between the two phone system options is how they transmit sound. When you speak through a landline, the sound of your voice is converted into an electrical signal that travels along copper wires until being turned back into sound on the other end. On the other hand, VoIP phones turn sound into digital signals that travel through the internet to reach the receiver.
To function, landlines need to be hardwired. This can work for residential purposes, where you would only need one or two phones. However, a business can require a lot more phones. With landlines, that means a lot more wires that add to installation costs and can cause tripping and fire hazards.
VoIP phones can offer your business more flexibility. Instead of needing to install a tangle of wires, you connect VoIP phones to your wireless broadband internet. VoIP phone systems can also include more than just desk phones. Other devices that can connect to the internet — like computers, tablets, and smartphones — are capable of making and receiving calls, SMS text messages, and even video calls.
VoIP and landline phones can both seamlessly connect with one another, so VoIP users can call landlines with no noticeable change in service and vice versa.
Can a VoIP Phone Be Used With a Landline?
VoIP can be used with most landline phones, which is good news for businesses that want to upgrade their phone system without starting from scratch. The process of transforming a landline phone into a VoIP phone is fairly straightforward, thanks to VoIP adapters. Here’s how to do it:
Cancel your landline phone service so you can reinvest those savings into your business.
Disconnect your phone set from the landline cable, and free your office floor of the extra clutter.
Plug a VoIP adapter into your phone set to make calls through your internet connection.
Connect multiple phones to your VoIP service to enable all of your employees to make and receive calls without adding more hardware to your office space.
By upgrading your landline phones to VoIP phones, your employees can gain access to game-changing features, such as:
Desktop App: By controlling your phone system through a desktop app, your employees can manage communications with a few clicks. They can send and receive calls, SMS messages, and video or conference calls from one central, integrated communications platform.
Virtual Receptionist: This feature connects callers with the employee who can help the most. By setting preconfigured call routing pathways, you can cut down on wait and hold times — and your customers will thank you.
Business Inbox: This allows you to record phone messages, as well as SMS texts and emails. You can keep track of all of your business communications in a single location, so nothing gets forgotten.
What do all of these features have in common? They make handling incoming calls quicker and easier, which is great for customer and employee satisfaction. So, can VoIP replace a landline? For many businesses, replacing a landline service with a VoIP phone system just makes sense — but is it right for your company? Take a look at the following list of pros and cons to see for yourself.
VoIP vs. Landline Pros and Cons
When deciding between VoIP and landline phone systems, consider the pros and cons of each system’s quality, cost, flexibility, up-time, security, and efficiency.
What Are the Advantages of VoIP?
VoIP’s key advantages over landlines are:
Cost: VoIP phones are easier and cheaper to install because you don’t need to invest in as much hardware.
Flexibility: Because they require cables to function, landlines tie your employees to their desks. Your office layout also has to accommodate those cables. VoIP is cordless. This removes clutter from your office and enables employees to handle calls from where they work best (which can also help attract top talent.)
Security: Businesses already have the incentive to keep their internet secure to protect valuable and sensitive data. But what about landlines? Hackers can tap into landline phone conversations, which can compromise sensitive information.
Efficiency: As we mentioned above, VoIP phone systems come with advanced features that improve efficiency when receiving and making calls, which offers a better experience for your customers.
Compared to landlines, VoIP phone systems can save your business money, enable your employees to be more productive, help protect your data, and provide a more satisfying customer experience.
What Are the Disadvantages of VoIP Technology?
In certain situations, landlines perform better than VoIP for the following:
Quality: In most cases, you and your customers won’t notice a difference when comparing VoIP vs. landline sound quality. However, if your internet connection isn’t strong enough, then your calls may experience latency issues. You can prevent this issue by working with your internet service provider to ensure you have enough bandwidth for VoIP.
Up-time: Landlines and VoIP are both reliable methods of communication. However, landlines will still work during a power outage, while VoIP phones will not because your internet needs power to function. One way to work around this potential downside is by using mobile devices, like smartphones, that can work with a hotspot to keep connection. It’s also worth noting that when landlines go down, it often takes longer to repair than your internet connection.
Fortunately, these disadvantages are easily overcome with a strong, reliable broadband internet connection. It’s also important to have a backup source of power for your internet, so you don’t have to worry about losing connection.
Is VoIP Better Than a Landline? It Is With Vonage
For many businesses, VoIP is worth upgrading to from a landline phone system. One benefit that we haven’t covered yet is that once you have VoIP, you can seamlessly upgrade to a unified communications system, giving you access to 50+ features when partnering with Vonage, such as:
Call Announce: Know who is calling and why before picking up the phone.
Never Miss a Call: Choose how to route calls, even if you’re not at your desk.
Receptionist Console: Manage up to 50 calls at the same time.
Don’t wait to turn phone calls from a customer service nightmare into a benefit for your business.
