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The Top Phone Systems for Small Businesses

Choosing the right phone solution for your business is crucial. It will affect your team’s ability to answer and make calls efficiently. It will also affect the customer experience. There are three main types of small business phone systems. We will explore the pros and cons of each in this best small business phone system review to help you decide on the best system for you.
<h2>Key System Unit (KSU)</h2>
A KSU business phone system is the most basic of business phone systems. Think of it as a step up from a standard home phone. Phones operating with a KSU system will typically have buttons and displays to choose lines, use intercoms, call extensions, put people on hold, and more. Lights illuminate when a line is in use. These business phone systems usually have a central switching device that needs to be professionally installed and maintained.
<h3>The Benefits of KSUs</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They are very easy to use, reducing the learning curve and necessary training for its users.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They usually work with your current phone wiring, reducing the cost of installing the business phone system. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Repairs are usually affordable.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They offer all the basic features you need, including memory dialing, timers, speakerphones, paging, hold buttons, intercoms, and more.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Some modern KSUs use VoIP.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Cons of KSUs</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The business phone system is not portable, and neither are the phones.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">These systems are not very scalable.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There have limited customization options.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You must pay for installation and maintenance, both of which should be done by a professional.</li>
</ul>
<h3>What About KSU-Less Systems?</h3>
There are also phone systems called <a href="https://sidebysidereviews.com/business-phone-systems-the-pros-and-cons/">KSU-less systems</a>. These are similar but wireless, and you don’t need a central switch or cabinet. Each phone has all the circuitry it needs to deliver all of the features.
Pros
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They require less wiring, making them affordable, portable, and easier to install and maintain.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can easily move or sell a KSU-less phone system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">A single point of failure is less likely to cause company-wide communication issues, contrary to the possibilities with a KSU system. With KSU-less systems, the damage only affects a single unit.</li>
</ul>
Cons
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They are not scalable at all. You can typically include only four to eight lines in a KSU-less system, making them a good choice only for very small businesses.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You will not get all the features you need from your business phone system. For example, you can only make one call at a time. You also don’t get call tracking and voicemail.</li>
</ul>
<h2><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-24425 size-large" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-1024x896.png" alt="employee on a small business phone" width="640" height="560" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-1024x896.png 1024w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-300x263.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-768x672.png 768w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-571x500.png 571w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-360x315.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-160x140.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-350x306.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-100x88.png 100w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone-392x343.png 392w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/employee-on-a-small-business-phone.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" /></h2>
<h2>Private Branch Exchange </h2>
Another common type of small business phone system is a private branch exchange (PBX). This type of system lets you share phone lines between internally installed phones. There are several outside lines (called trunk lines) that all employees share. In other words, you don’t need external lines for various internal phones to reach each other. Simply put, it lets multiple people connect to each other without having to use the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
<h3>The Benefits of PBX</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Monthly costs tend to be low.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You have more control than you do with a KSU system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The business phone system can integrate with CRM software and other programs.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can also connect modems and fax machines to the system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You get even more features than KSUs, including automated features.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can assign functions to individual lines.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">PBX systems are more scalable than KSU systems.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">They are available as cloud-based systems, which are sometimes closer to VoIP systems. VoIP PBX phone systems are even available.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Cons of PBX</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Initial installation, hardware, and software costs are high.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You need to manage the system internally, which requires expertise and adds to the cost.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There will be maintenance costs.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Power outages can lead to downtime.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Scalability is still not great, especially across multiple sites.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Power outages can lead to downtime.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You are responsible for the network security with these phone systems.</li>
</ul>

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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-24426 size-large" src="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-1024x896.png" alt=" someone picking up small business phone" width="640" height="560" srcset="https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-1024x896.png 1024w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-300x263.png 300w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-768x672.png 768w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-571x500.png 571w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-360x315.png 360w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-160x140.png 160w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-350x306.png 350w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-100x88.png 100w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone-392x343.png 392w, https://cms.podium.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/someone-picking-up-small-business-phone.png 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
<h2>Voice Over Internet Protocol </h2>
Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) systems are easily among the most popular business phone systems. Among the list of the best small business phone systems, VoIP lets you include a long list of features you can’t get with the others because it relies on the internet. As of 2021, the industry was worth <a href="https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5457497/global-voip-services-market-2021-2026#:~:text=The%20global%20market%20for%20VoIP,the%20period%20of%202021%2D2026.">$85 billion</a> and is expected to reach $102.5 billion by 2026.
<h3>The Benefits of VoIP</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">It makes useful features accessible to companies of all sizes. Some of these features include music on hold, voicemail-to-email, conference calls, call recording, and auto attendants.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Features like auto attendants let your team work more efficiently, potentially reducing the number of team members you need.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">This is the most affordable type of phone system in terms of initial installation and continued use, especially when it is completely independent of a KSU or PBX system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Your VoIP provider can install this cloud-based phone system incredibly quickly, especially if you have a strong internet connection.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The system is portable, only requiring a stable internet connection. This allows for remote work or access to the system when visiting clients or going off-site.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can access the phone system on any internet-connected device, including tablets, computers, smartphones, and nearly any other internet-enabled mobile device.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">The systems are very easy to <a href="https://www.podium.com/article/voip-retail/">scale</a> because the lines are digital, not physical. This is good for permanent and temporary increases in your needs, such as adding a new location or preparing for a spike in call volume during the holidays.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can also add features without having to buy new hardware, reducing the costs when you scale up.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">VoIP systems let you send documents, videos, and images while talking. Some even support video conferencing or work with programs that do.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Better, clearer quality of calls, improving the customer experience and reducing your team&#8217;s frustration.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Large enterprises can feel more approachable with a VoIP system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Small companies, including those with limited manpower, can get the features of a large enterprise. And the auto attendant feature can make your company appear larger and more professional.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">VoIP tends to be more secure than other business phone systems, thanks to encryption and other features.</li>
</ul>
<h3>The Cons of VoIP</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You need a strong internet connection. <a href="https://www.podium.com/article/voip-call-quality/">Latency and jitter</a> can be concerns if your connection isn’t fast enough.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">If the power or internet goes out, so does your business phone system.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">There is no location tracking if you make an outgoing call. So if someone calls 911, you need to provide the address; they can’t track it.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Choose the Right Fit for Your Business</h2>
For most companies, the best small business phone system will be a VoIP phone system. These systems are the most scalable and affordable, letting you increase your volume of phone calls as your company grows. They also incorporate the most features into your business phone system. Your ability to customize your phone system according to your business’ needs will enable you to experience improved efficiency. Using a virtual phone system also gives you the flexibility to answer phone calls from your mobile device, which proves useful to those always on the go.
Get started with <a href="https://www.podium.com/phones/">Podium Phones</a> today if you&#8217;re ready to take your phone strategy to the next level.

The Top Phone Systems for Small Businesses

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