An Office Phone System is like oxygen to any business. This is the only tool that allows you to build constant communication within and outside the business ecosystem. As time passed, it has taken the form of the most imperative business solution without which survival is not possible. The introduction of VoIP in telecommunication brought revolutionary changes, and now businesses are gathering customer reviews, arranging remote location staff meetings, transcribing voicemails directly into the email, and doing call analysis without any errors.
Such is the power of the office phone system in today’s epoch. Needless to say, it is what a business requires to integrate into its system for success. However, all of these benefits can be availed only if you choose a phone system wisely. If you are a small start-up and buying an enterprise-level business phone number, then you may end up being bankrupt soon. Likewise, getting a few phone lines for the big gun will lead to poor productivity. That is why paying attention to ‘how many phone lines my business requires’ is more than imperative.
Before we proceed any further, let’s understand what exactly a phone line is.
A phone line is a well-defined term. However, it operates differently in VoIP and traditional PSTN systems. In the latter scenario, it refers to the physical wall attached to your landline phone system that enables your phone to make inbound and outbound calls. Each landline phone will have its phone line. Well, if you don’t have the opportunity to use someone else’s phone, use the free callmyphone.org service.
On the contrary, there is no such physical wiring system in VoIP. As VoIP works on the internet and can be operated from any of the data-driven devices, you can own as many as phone lines you want.
Here is how you should determine the number of phone lines required for your business.
The number of lines that you require for a business depends on certain scenarios.
Do you need separate lines for separate employees?
Do you need different phone numbers for different departments?
Are you looking for a phone line system that can handle your incoming call traffic system?
Do you need different phone lines for different locations?
Now, let’s understand the need for a phone line based on each scenario.
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Scenarios 1 – Number of lines = number of employees.
You need a number of phone lines equal to the number of employees present in your organization if you want that each employee can pick the calls coming on the same phone numbers. In that case, you can buy a VoIP hosted phone system. To meet your phone line requirements, it comes with multiple extension generation facilities. So, you can allot different Extension Numbers to different users of the same phone number. Each extension will also have facilities such as a voicemail box, on-hold music, and call-forwarding,
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Scenario 2 – Number of lines = number of phones.
If you run a business that needs different physical phone numbers for different departments, then your number of the line depends on the number of phone numbers you are using. This is true in the case of businesses such as schools, hospitals, and governmental organizations where each department requires a different phone number. In that case, you can ask for multiple user registration from your VoIP provider or ask for a second phone number.
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Scenario 3 – Number of lines = number of inbound/outbound calls handled.
If you are looking for a phone line system that can handle inbound/outbound calls your business can make, then a hosted phone system is the best bet. Apart from creating multiple extensions, it enables different users to make calls using softphones. Its ‘limit the number of concurrent calls’ feature enables a business to keep track of several calls made. This type of phone line system exists in an organization that runs a call center for its business.
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Scenario 4 – Number of lines = number of locations that need to be handled.
The number of lines required can also be referred to as a number of locations to be handled.
Let’s say; you run your business in New Jersey and New York. In this case, you’ll need two phone lines. You can either buy different phone numbers for a different location or can set up different extensions of the same number using VoIP.
You can set auto call attendant feature of VoIP for different locations.
For example, if your caller is calling from New Jersey, then your auto call attendant will tell them to press 1 for New Jersey and the call will get auto-transferred to your New Jersey office. This way, it is easy to run multiple location offices with the same number.
‘Phone Line’ has a different meaning in different scenarios. So, you need to find out what exactly you want and buy a VoIP Online phone number accordingly. Always consider your future growth and choose the one which offers global business phone lines.
