Top VoIP phones for South African businesses
Many South African businesses are transitioning from traditional copper-based telecommunications to voice-over-Internet-protocol (VoIP) solutions, and several IP phone brands are available in the country.
Some of the most prominent include Yealink, Cisco, Polycom, Grandstream, and Avaya, and they offer products for a range of business sizes and needs.
Euphoria Telecoms chief technology officer Nic Laschinger recently told MyBroadband that copper-based networks are inferior to fibre networks, prone to theft, and costly to maintain.
As a result, fixed-line providers like Telkom are transitioning from copper-based to fibre-based products.
VoIP services offer several benefits over traditional fixed-line products, such as lower costs, increased flexibility, and real-time reporting.
Newer cloud-based VoIP products like PBX Switchboard technologies also let customers access helpful collaboration tools and integrate their systems with other software platforms.
However, for these solutions to be used by South African businesses, they need VoIP-capable devices.
These are available from various distributors and resellers, including CommsPartner, Miro, Nology, TFI, Voiptech, and United Telecoms.
We have listed five of the best VoIP phone brands available to South African businesses below.
Yealink
Yealink offers a wide range of enterprise-grade IP phones, which it says allow for easy deployment, support local server network settings, and provide stable performance.
Its product range includes products and services for smart office, reception, multi-cell DCET, and everyday office applications.
Depending on the model and business need, Yealink IP phones offer the following features:
- LCDs
- Optima HD voice and the G.722 codec for “life-like voice quality”
- Accurate calling with an XML phonebook and intelligent search
- Support for multiple VoIP network security protocols
- Plug-and-play functionality
For those with higher requirements from their daily office IP phone, Yealink said it also offers its new T53 Prime Business Phone, which features a bigger display, better visual experience, and more functions.
Cisco
Cisco says its range of IP phones is up-to-date with the latest security and compliance standards, and it has various options depending on individual business needs.
“The latest Cisco IP phones reduce regulatory compliance risks and provide the latest technology with the option to be on-premises or cloud,” its product page reads.
It also offers IP phones with multiplatform firmware, which allows them to work with approved third-party call control systems.
Cisco says its range of IP phones offers quick setup, robust security, and flexible deployment. It claims that more than 95% of Fortune 500 companies use its collaboration solutions.
Polycom
Polycom says its IP phones are simple to set up, easy to use, and compatible with almost any call control system.
Its range of IP phones includes products designed for general office use and hybrid working setups.
“Sleek design and Poly pro-grade audio. That’s what makes the Poly the genius choice for any growing business,” it states.
The company also offers wireless phone systems, IP conference phones, and IP desk phones that support video conferencing.
Grandstream
Granstream’s IP telephony products include carrier-grade IP phones, hotel telephony systems, DECT and Wi-Fi cordless phones, and a softphone app for Android devices.
“Grandstream makes state-of-the-art telephony devices more accessible and easier to deploy than ever before,” it says.
The company says its GRP series of IP phones are designed for mass deployment, and its Device Management System provides a centralised dashboard to configure, provision, manage and monitor deployments.
Its GXP series of phones are designed for users that require access to advanced features, line support, and additional usability options.
“Get more done, handle more calls, and keep in touch with more people,” it says.
Avaya
Avaya offers a range of IP phones for different business needs that are compatible with the company’s UCaaS communication and collaboration system.
It says the UCaaS system supports flexible hybrid working setups and faster, continuous collaboration.
Avaya says its solutions support an average of 15 million calls every minute and have more than 141 million lines deployed with customers worldwide.
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