Just a few decades ago, there was no other choice on how you can improve communications for your business. The best that was offered by technology at the time was landline phones, so it was the main thing used at the time.

But with the evolution of various technologies, more advanced alternatives have been developed. One of which is VoIP. Although VoIP had a rough start in terms of gaining traction, the entire industry is now worth billions of dollars.

This is thanks to its increased availability supplied by telecom providers like Telnum which has also been crucial in educating the public of its benefits. Since VoIP was invented two decades ago, it has become so commercially popular that even individuals are using some features of it for themselves. But is newer always better?

For this article, we’re going to compare the two based on various criteria we believe to be important in determining your decision.

VoIP vs Landlines: How Are They Different?

The most obvious difference between the two is technology. VoIP is considered more advanced because it works through the internet without the need for any specialized equipment.

As far as how they work is concerned, they are structurally alike. But instead of having copper wires enable communication, VoIP uses the internet as the main infrastructure for making calls. Plus, it can also be accessed through laptops and tablets, devices that aren’t originally meant for calling.

What Factors Should You Look at in Deciding Which One to Go With?

Now that you have an understanding of the technological differences between VoIP and landline, let’s go into choosing which one would work better for your company. Consider these factors in your decision:

1. Price difference

One of the most popular advantages of VoIP local phone numbers over its more antiquated counterpart is the price. Because you can get a virtual number from practically any location, you can avoid international call costs which can greatly dent a company’s budget.

Unfortunately, traditional phone companies can’t compete with VoIP at this. Because of the necessary investment they need to maintain physical infrastructure, dropping their prices can mean incurring a loss.

2. Office location

If all of your staff are just in the office, landlines may be enough to ensure sufficient communication outside the organization. But this doesn’t automatically mean that VoIP couldn’t work.

It’s rare that an office wouldn’t have WiFi nowadays. Given that the strength of the connection is enough for VoIP, that solution can work as well. If the office is located virtually, maintaining the level of connectivity afforded through face-to-face working.

Between the two, only VoIP is able to supply to improve the level of interaction that can be done within and outside the organization.

3. Internet connection speed

No matter how top-notch the calling equipment you’re using may be, they would still be insufficient if your internet connection is poor or unreliable. You must remember that VoIP is powered by the internet.

Therefore, there should always be enough “juice” to provide what’s needed. But if that’s not possible, analog phones may be the better option for now. If you’re going to switch to VoIP, make sure to have your office space assessed to ensure there are no dead spots or weak signals.

4. Features available

If you’re still using landlines, you probably know that every feature upgrade that you want means buying new equipment. There are extremely rare instances where such purchases would make sense, especially knowing that VoIP can have those same features available for much cheaper.

Even today, it’s already common practice among VoIP providers to offer some features for free as part of the VoIP system. These features, you may have had to pay for with traditional phone companies.

5. Scalability

We’ve all seen how with businesses, nothing’s really set in stone. The pandemic decimated even the biggest companies in the world. Just imagine what an unfortunate and unexpected event can do for a smaller company with a smaller budget.

You’ll probably end up still paying for more than you actually need because you’re locked in a contract. VoIP services don’t have contracts at all. It follows something closer to a subscription-based model where you renew your subscription every month.

So should you suddenly need more, you can just purchase more numbers or add more features. You can just as easily get rid of them if they’re not needed anymore.

6. Quality consistency

Both VoIP and landlines are theoretically able to provide consistency of call quality. So if you’re going to choose VoIP, make sure that you can guarantee a strong internet connection. Otherwise, you’ll be better off sticking with landlines.

Final Words

Apart from the very specific circumstances mentioned in this post, VoIP will always be the better option for business communications. Make the switch and experience the best that the technology has to offer today!