Business

The landline isn’t dead: Five reasons why you still need a business phone line

Zen Jun 22 2023 4 minutes

In a couple of years from now, the phone network as we know it will be no more. The copper wires that have provided us with our phone and internet connections will have been switched off, replaced by a fully digital network that provides all-IP, fibre-based services.

And when we’re all using modern connections that don’t make use of the old copper network, you’ll no longer be forced to sign up for a landline just to get your business broadband.

But if you think the landline is dead, you’re wrong.

Here are five reasons why your business will still need a phone line.

Reason 1: Customer Experience

If you’re thinking of scrapping your business line, think about the impact that might have on your existing – and future – customers.

Retaining your phone presence means preserving your existing phone number and brand identity. Your phone number is recognisable to your customers. It’s programmed in their mobiles, printed on your business cards, displayed on your website, and listed in web searches. Are you ready to lose that just because you can think of ‘better’ ways to communicate?

Also, when traditional landlines go away, their replacements will offer many advanced features that can help to elevate your customer (and your own) experience. Take CloudComms for example. This modern, cloud-based alternative to traditional voice communications can seamlessly integrate with CRM systems, enhance customer interactions, and provide a wealth of information to help you enhance your business.

Providing a faster, smoother, more personalised experience to your customers and users can enhance your communications beyond anything you’ve experienced with a traditional landline.

And if you don’t need all the features of CloudComms, our Digital Voice service is the modern equivalent of the landline that your customers have come to trust and cherish.

Moving to a modern voice solution doesn’t mean losing your number and starting again. It’s easy to keep your existing number when you make the switch. Just let us know and we’ll take care of it.

Reason 2: Reliability

When the PSTN (Packet Switched Telephone Network) is switched off, it will no longer be possible to make and receive calls over the old copper landline network.

If you want to stay in touch, you’ll need to switch to a Digital Voice or CloudComms service. But you’ll be pleased to know that both services offer users a boost when it comes to reliability.

That’s because they make use of modern fibre-based broadband services instead of copper wires, which are prone to damage, interference and degradation (not to mention that many of them are decades old at this point).

With an all-IP-based service (your calls are routed over the internet), you can enjoy high quality calls, without the risk of manual failures on the line cutting out your phone service. Paired with Zen’s award-winning broadband, whether you choose Digital Voice or CloudComms, you’ll enjoy the same great reliability for your calls as you do for your broadband connection.

Reason 3: Flexibility

This is another way that modern communications provide an advantage over traditional landlines – and why you’ll want to consider keeping your business line.

A service like Zen CloudComms can enable you to make and receive calls on any device, wherever you are, from the same number. It truly does allow you to take your business with you wherever you go.

Now, you may say ‘I have my mobile for that’, but does your mobile tie seamlessly into your business communications, with all the options for user management, call logging, conferencing, auto-attendant features and more?

Reason 4: Cost-effectiveness

When it comes to your landline, you might be looking forward to the day when you have one less service to pay for.

But IP- and cloud-based telephony tends to be significantly more cost effective than traditional PSTN and ISDN phone systems.

With reasonably priced packages available for calls to landlines and mobiles and low call rates – as well as free internal calls with CloudComms – it might cost you less than you think to keep those important lines of communication with your customers open.

And, if you want to retain your phone number (and why wouldn't you?), with Digital Voice we can port your existing number free of charge. Just let us know that's what you want to do.

Reason 5: Scalability

Modern cloud-based communications like CloudComms can scale according to your business needs.

Just need a single phone line? CloudComms Solo is the perfect replacement for your traditional line rental. But any time you want to increase your number of lines or add extra features, it’s easy to scale up to a full CloudComms service. CloudComms provides the perfect multi-line business phone system whenever you require it.

You can add or remove users and features as you need, without having to install new hardware or wiring, and everything is easily managed through a user-friendly portal.

As you can see, there are plenty of benefits of switching to a Digital Voice or CloudComms service before the 2025 switch off. Modern IP- and cloud-based solutions are reliable, scalable, flexible, cost-effective, and they provide a host of benefits for customers and your own users.

They can help you improve your business communication and collaboration, help your people do their jobs better, and foster increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

There’s plenty of life in business phone lines yet.