Standard Features (Very Common, But Also Very Useful)

Keep Your Phone Numbers

Use your existing phone
numbers with the new system.

Direct Numbers

Each employee can have their
own phone number, so callers
can contact them directly.

0800, 0845, 020 etc

Options to add freephone,
local-rate and local numbers.

Voicemail

Not around? Callers can leave
you a recorded message.

Inbound Caller ID

Displays the phone number of
the person calling you.

Call Forwarding (Always)

All calls to a given user can be
diverted to another number.

Call Transfer

Calls can be transferred to
another person's line.

Call Hold & Resume

Put a caller on hold
temporarily, while you discuss
things with colleagues.

“Press 1 For Sales”
 

Callers can transfer their
call to the right department.

Speed Dial
 

Rapidly call a pre-defined
phone number by pressing a
button or dialling a short code.

Free Internal Calls
(Same Site)

Calling colleagues is free, if
they're on the same site and
using the same phone system.

Easy To Add New Phones
 

Phones are pre-configured.
You just have to plug them in.

Lots of Phone Models

A wide range of handsets.
Phones to suit every budget.

UK Support

Guidance and support, from
experts based in the UK.

Itemised Phone Bills

See where your money's
going. Check employees aren't
misusing your phone system.

Common Features (Typically Provided, But Not Always)

Fax Machine Friendly

Option to connect your fax
machine to the phone system.

Redial

Quickly call the last number
you dialled.

Call Forward (Busy)

If you're on the phone,
inbound calls divert to
another number.

Call Forward (No Answer)

If you don't answer a call, it's
diverted to another number.

Call History

Lists recent calls you've made,
received or missed.

Call Return

Calls back the person who called you last.

Do Not Disturb

Stops your phone from ringing, so you can work in peace.

Music On Hold

Plays music to callers on hold, so they know you haven't hung up on them.

Free Calls Between Sites

Call colleagues on other sites for free, if they use the same phone system.

Multiple Numbers

Users can have multiple phone lines, with separate ring tones.

Web-based Admin Portal

Control your phone system using an online control panel.

Call Pickup

Answer an absent colleague's phone, from your own desk.

Helpful Features That Many Phone Systems Lack

Call Waiting

If you're on the phone and someone else calls you, you hear a warning tone and can switch between calls.

Hunt Groups

Inbound calls can be routed to a succession of employees' phones, and/or to multiple phones in parallel.

Call Queuing

When there aren't enough people to answer the phone, calls can be put in a queue.
 

Call Recording

Option to record calls and retrieve those recordings.
 
 

End-User Portals

Users can adjust their call forwarding rules and view their call history, via the web.

Site-Administrator Portals

Multi-site firms can delegate some phone system related tasks to local administrators.

Business Continuity

If a site loses all connectivity, inbound calls can be rerouted e.g. to employees' mobiles.

24x7 Support

So any problems can be fixed faster.

Call Forwarding
(Caller Specific)

Option to apply different rules to calls from your boss, key customers etc

Receptionist Client
 

Software that makes life easier for your receptionist or office manager.

Call Forwarding
(Time of Day)

Option to route calls differently depending on when the caller rings.

Caller Policies
(User Specific)

Limit the types of phone number a user may call.

HD Voice

Better call quality, thanks to wideband audio codecs & background noise suppression

Anonymous Call Rejection

Option to block calls where the caller has withheld their number.

Group Paging

Turns your phone system into an intercom. Authorised users can broadcast to groups of phones.

Hot Desking / Hoteling

Staff can log on to a phone so it temporarily becomes 'their' phone, with their number, their shortcut keys etc.

Features That Support Remote Working, Mobility or Collaboration

Desktop VoIP App

Software that turns your staff's PCs and Macs into virtual phones.

Mobile App

Turns Android phones and iPhones into office phones.

Ring All My Phones

Inbound calls call ALL the user's phones to ring simultaneously.

3-Way Calls

Lets you conduct conference calls with three participants. Option for 4-6 way calls.

Email Notifications

Informs users they've missed a call, or have a new voicemail message.

Instant Messaging

Text-based chat (optional, with mobile/desktop client).

Fax To Email

Inbound faxes are converted to a PDF and emailed.

Meet Me Audio Conferencing

Would-be participants join by dialling a given number.

Presence

Staff set statuses, so colleagues can tell whether they're available currently.

Coworker's On The Phone

Phone can show whether a given colleague is on the phone.

Video Conferencing

This option adds video streaming to some calls. Requires compatible phones.