The Lifespan of a Phone System

The Blue Fox Blog
The Blue Fox Blog
The Lifespan of a Phone System

Apple launches a new version of the iPhone every year, on average. And while a new iPhone model does not automatically turn older models obsolete, many people feel that way and rush out to buy the slickest, sleekest, fastest version they can get.

Of course, this isn’t the case with a business phone solution. In fact, depending on how long you’ve been with your company, it’s pretty likely you have never even experienced a new phone system. There just isn’t the same kind of glitzy glamor for the latest VoIP technology that there is for smartphones, tablets, and other types of consumer electronics.

So, how often should you be replacing your phone system? And how do you know when the time has come? Keep reading our blog to find out.

Old Phones are a Risk

For many businesses, a phone call is the first point of contact for new customers and that means when your phones aren’t working, your business isn’t working. Keeping an old phone system that is unreliable in place can present a huge risk with real revenue implications. Customers frustrated by dropped calls, bad call quality, and even obnoxious hold signals can easily find themselves drawn to your competitors, no matter what industry you’re in.

Beyond customer perception, old phone solutions present a clear risk to your internal communications as well. When your team is unable to effectively communicate with one another, they can lose hours of productivity, which equates directly to lost revenue.

How Long Does a Phone System Last?

How long should your phone system actually last?

There is no easy answer to this question, but in order to give an overview of a phone system’s lifespan, we need to consider both phone hardware and software.

A simple desk phone will have a lifespan that varies depending on how often it is used and whether any unfortunate accidents befall it. Your phone system is often a reflection of the growth and expansion of your team. Is your team external more than 25% of the time. Does your team need to be available to customers at non-office hours or outside of the office? Could your team better service your clients if integrated into your CRM? (The answer to that is an automatic yes!) Your phones can last for decades without losing any functionality, but the functionality you need may simply not be built into the system you have today. This is why a cloud-based voice system is continually evolving.

Cloud-based phone services are updated by the manufacturer and the need to innovate it constant. With headsets and phone/computer integration that comes standard with VoIP systems (with features such as click to dial and voicemail to email), the phones themselves will also experience a much lower instance of physical wear and tear, which can help them last longer, but the need for advanced functionality is evolving.

Of course, the software that connects those phones to the outside world and to each other is a different story. When investing in a new VoIP system, new hardware is not necessarily a requirement. The beauty of cloud-based VoIP options is that the software itself is regularly updated.

For on-premise phone system, wherein your company physically hosts the software, the expense, and resources it takes to upgrade the software will fall on you. In this case, the life of the system before it needs to be upgraded will still vary, but can generally be around eight years. The science of when to replace your phone is, in short, no longer dependent on how well the phones stand up against wear and tear and time, and more dependent upon how you use your voice system.

New phone solutions do not come without a price tag, but the truth is that an upgraded phone system is a worthwhile investment for many companies. Reliability, ease of use, mobility features and an improved customer service experience can have a measurable impact on strategic business goals. Like any piece of business equipment, a new phone, and its software components will not last forever but the right phone solutions can be hugely beneficial to your company for many years.

So, don't you think it's time to get in touch with someone who can offer you the best cloud phone service in Phoenix?

If you're still not sure, contact the experts at Blue Fox Group who can suggest the best solution that suits your business needs.

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