VoIP has done very well since its inception in the mid-‘90s—so much so that companies are increasingly utilizing this technology for all of their communications needs. VoIP has seen quite a few transformations since its early days, and now businesses can choose to use VoIP on-site or as its hosted version. Which method is best? It all depends on your needs.

VoIP services already include mechanisms for forwarding voicemail to e-mail and other features used in a unified system. With VoIP, there is more scalability and better integration than with other products that rely on traditional phone services. VoIP makes it easier for companies to employ more features in their phone systems.

Most businesses want a VoIP-based solution, but they may not understand the benefits and challenges of different types of VoIP. For instance, should they go with a premises-based managed VoIP solution, or is hosted VoIP a better fit for their business?

A premises-based system is located at the customer site, meaning that the customer has acquired the equipment and decided to make an investment in its workforce to manage and operate it. There’s a bigger capital expenditure to have the equipment on the premises, and because there is a recurring fee, to manage the system, total cost of ownership (TCO) will be higher. This is a good choice for businesses with a larger budget that also wish to have everything in-house.

With a hosted system, the only thing delivered to the customer premise is the phones. All of the inner-workings of the system are at the hosted provider’s facilities. This is typically an appealing option for customers because it provides them with high quality, flexible and scalable communications services without the major upfront financial hit. Additionally, it costs less over time and is future-proof. This is because software and equipment gets updated by the provider as it becomes available, rather than them being stuck with outdated equipment.

Regardless of which system is chosen, using the right IP phones for VoIP services is imperative to its success.

Adding advanced IP phones and communications systems to your IP network gives you the tools necessary to conduct phone, video, and Web conferencing through a single, easy-to-use interface. IP Phones can also be accessed from a remote network, so making configuration changes and maintaining the system is easier.

VoIP and the equipment used to utilize it are continually advancing and changing. With the right IP phones, you can stay up to date on the latest systems and keep communications always in the now.