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What is an IP Phone System?

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

IP phone systems are typically a full range of telephone systems that are used within business environments. Organizations may rely on their IP phone systems to simply handle live calls, or to incorporate a full range of Unified Communications (News - Alert) and their associated channels. IP phone systems generally covers systems as basic as small key systems to as large as private branch capabilities. They will differ from a telephone system with multiple lines as these lines are used from multiple locations in the system, which also provides additional features.

IP phone systems also depend upon the PBX (News - Alert), or a Private Branch Exchange. The PBX is a private telephone network used within a company and when Internet Protocol is used to transmit calls, the IP phone systems complete the work. The PBX phone network enables users to share a number of outside lines for making external phone calls. This network connects callers directly to the Internet to complete calls.

Within the IP PBX environment, the IP phone systems rely on the software-based PBX phone solution to help accomplish certain tasks and deliver services that could be difficult and costly to implement with the use of the standard PBX. IP phone systems are often preferable over other methods within the enterprise as it offers a less expensive process by which everyone within the organization can gain access to the outside line needed to complete a call.

IP phone systems are ideal for the larger company or the smaller company with significant growth plans. Solutions on the market easily allow for unlimited extensions, which makes it flexible enough to handle any kind of growth a company may experience. IP phone systems are truly designed to fulfill the complex requirements of the corporate business phone system by delivering the reliability, scalability and ease of use that employees have become accustomed to with the standard PBX connected to the PSTN.

Companies seeking all PBX features available in one solution are likely to turn to IP phone systems. They are suitable for business environments, whether it is a home office or large corporation. IP phone systems offer the ability to integrate with compatible IP-PBX that can support the Session Initiation Protocol (News - Alert) (SIP) to offer customers a great option for enterprise communication systems. When communication is essential for success and communication costs have to be kept under control, IP phone systems appeal to both sides.



Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca