VoIP Phone System or PBX: Which Suits Your UK Business?
Choosing between a VoIP phone system or PBX can feel like a big decision for UK businesses. Do you stick with the trusty old Private Branch Exchange (PBX) humming in the corner? Or do you leap to a modern Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) setup? At Blake Telecom, we’ve seen small firms wrestle with this choice plenty of times. Technology’s moved on, and so have business needs. Let’s break it down—plain and simple—so you can pick what works best for your team.
What’s a Traditional PBX?
Back in the day, on-site telephone systems—often called PBX (Private Branch Exchange)—ruled the roost. These setups lived in your office, with a box of tricks connecting all your phones through copper lines. Small businesses relied on them for basic calls, voicemail, and maybe call forwarding if you splashed out. They worked well enough for chatting with clients or suppliers, but they came with headaches. Installations could be costly with down times, they could cost a fortune, and they needed regular maintenance. If you wanted to add a new line, you’d wait for an engineer to rewire and program things.
The UK’s old copper network, known as the PSTN, underpinned these setups, but it’s on its way out by 2027. That alone makes on-site systems ready to change.
Enter the VoIP Phone System
This shift isn’t just about convenience—it’s packed with features that old systems could only dream of. Think call recording, video conferencing, and mobile apps that let you take your business number anywhere. A report from Business.com highlights how VoIP slashes costs and boosts flexibility compared to landlines. For small businesses, that’s really important.
Why Choose a VoIP Phone System?
Why pick VoIP over PBX? Flexibility tops the list. Staff can take calls anywhere—office, home, even the pub if Wi-Fi’s decent. Features blow PBX away too. Think auto-attendants, call analytics, and video chats. Plus, no hardware means no repairs. It’s all cloud-based and sorted remotely.
PBX vs VoIP: Cost Breakdown
Cost matters. A PBX setup hits hard—hardware, wiring, the lot. Expect £2,000 or more to start. VoIP? Maybe £10 per user monthly. No engineer fees either—your provider handles glitches. Scaling up is easier too. Add a user to VoIP with a click. PBX needs possible rewiring and programming from an engineer. For growing UK firms, VoIP wins on price every time.
Reliability: VoIP Phone System or PBX?
Some reckon PBX is more reliable. Not anymore. VoIP uses secure data centres—uptime’s near-perfect. Internet drops? Calls reroute to mobiles. PBX fails if the power’s out or cables flood. Ofcom says 40% of UK workers now blend home and office. VoIP keeps them connected anywhere. PBX ties you to one spot. As long as you have a decent broadband connection, you can work from almost anywhere in the world. Check our Business Broadband Solutions page if you’re wondering about the internet availablity in your area.
The PSTN Switch-Off Factor
Here’s a huge incentive to change to VoIP. The UK’s copper network shuts down by 2027. Older PBX systems will not work on the new technology (some newer ones might). VoIP phone systems run on broadband, so the technology is expected to be future-proof. Upgrade now, and you’re ahead. Holding on to an outdated PBX, and you’ll scramble later
Features Face-Off: VoIP vs PBX
Cloud telephony doesn’t just match on-site systems—it leaves them in the dust. Traditional PBX gave you basics: calls, hold, transfer. Hosted VoIP piles on extras without extra cost. Auto-attendants greet callers and route them to the right person. Call analytics show you who’s ringing and when, helping you spot busy times. Integration with tools like Microsoft Teams or your CRM? Sorted.
A piece on Technology Advice notes how VoIP’s app integration beats landlines hollow. Imagine your sales team pulling up customer details mid-call—that’s a game-changer. Plus, features like voicemail-to-email mean you never miss a message, even out of hours. For small businesses, these tools level the playing field with bigger rivals.
Who Needs a PBX These Days?
It’s a fair question. Big firms with old setups might stick to PBX for now. Sometimes it suits complex internal networks. Small businesses? They rarely need the old hardware. VoIP’s flexibility and cost beat PBX systems and some companies skip hardware entirely. They jump straight to cloud solutions, sometimes just working from our apps.
Cost worries? Hosted VoIP’s subscription model spreads payments, and you dodge repair bills. A small business with five staff could save hundreds yearly over an on-site rig. Our VoIP Services page breaks down how it fits your budget.
