5 Different Types of Business Phone Systems

Every single business has a phone to make and receive calls to run day-to-day. Making a phone call is a simple task, but when your company communicates with foreign countries or conducts business over the phone, searching for a telephone that will not cause your cost to sky rocket can be hard.

In recent years, countless telephone systems have been produced to cater to business specific needs when communicating with clients/customers. High- quality systems allow your business to stay connects and secure private data while portraying a professional image.

Choosing the right system for your business can save you money and your employees time.



A Key System Unit (KSU) is a multi line phone which is used to route calls on a phone system. The KSU includes more advanced features than a traditional phone system and is ideal for small businesses because of the limited number of phone lines incorporated into it, making it unsuitable for larger companies with more employees needing to use the system. It is easy to use, and is fairly similar to a home phone system, with all the basic requirements for a small business.

The disadvantage of this system is that it’s not portable or flexible as it uses a central switching device, preventing it from being transported. To transport the system, it would need to be disconnected from the central switch, which would disable its ability to determine the phone-line selection.



Another phone system on the market is a variation of the KSU, called the KSU-Less. This has the same capabilities in regards to its phone system, however, this model is both portable and flexible as it does not use a central switching system, like the KSU.

This model does have some limitation. The KSU-Less only allows 10 phone operators making the system problematic for small businesses that plan to expand.



A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a state-of-the-art communication system using the internet as opposed to a switching devise or phone line. Using the internet allows potential clients and employees to communicate from two different countries, however, it does come with a larger price tag than other available systems. But the VoIP is beneficial to larger businesses due to the number of employees that would be using the system would be accommodated without delay or error. The system also allows all functions to be available on a computer, as well as less installation and maintenance being taken care of due to the service provider hosting the main telephone system on their premises.



A Private Branch Exchange System (PBX) is a more advanced system in comparison to the KSU and KSU-Less because of its additional features.

This system uses a programmable switching device meaning calls are automatically routed to increase efficiency, especially beneficial for larger companies. As well as this, the PBX system has an uninterruptable power supply, allowing a business to continue function even without electricity.   

This system also has a variation. The difference between the two is that the modification of the PBX has its programmable switching devices installed elsewhere, as opposed to on the business’ premises like the PBX. This difference prevents both maintenance and installation costs without losing any original advantages. 


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