What does a virtual phone system actually do for a small business?
Summary
Every virtual phone system does one thing in common: it detaches your business number from a physical line and lets it ring on whatever you use, such as a phone app or a laptop. Beyond that, products labeled "virtual phone system" range from a single number that forwards to your devices to a shared number that rings a whole team and sorts callers with a menu. The label is marketing, not a legal category, so the useful question is how many people answer that number.
One number, any device
A landline number belongs to a wire in a building. With a virtual system, the provider holds the number and your settings decide which devices ring. Google's own description of Google Voice is typical: the number works on smartphones and the web, you can place and receive calls from anywhere, and you can forward calls to any device.
The one-person version
Google Voice Starter, bought on its own, is for one user and is available only in the US. What you get is a single phone number for all your devices, with call forwarding. That is enough for a freelancer who wants a number for business cards that is separate from a personal cell. Auto attendants and ring groups start one tier up, on Standard, which also removes the cap on users.
The team version
Products aimed at small teams add ways for one number to reach several people:
- Quo gives every user one local or toll-free number, new or ported, and extra numbers are $5 a month each. Teammates on a shared number see the same call and text history, and incoming calls can ring several of them. Starter covers up to 10 paid users; on Business and Scale you can ring people in batches instead of all at once.
- Ooma Office Essentials has Multi Ring, which rings an office phone, the mobile app, and an outside device on the same business number, plus ring groups for teams like sales or support and a virtual receptionist menu. Texting from the Ooma number needs the Pro plan.
- Google Voice Standard adds ring groups, multi-level auto attendants, and call queuing for ring groups.
Where the line falls
In Google's lineup, Starter versus Standard is exactly the split between owning a number and sharing one. Quo draws it differently, letting up to 10 people share a number on its entry plan, so a small team can stay on the cheapest tier until it needs more elaborate routing.
Sources
- workspace.google.com/products/voice
- voice.google.com/about
- quo.com/pricing
- ooma.com/small-business-phone-systems/features
- ooma.com/small-business-phone-systems/mobile-app
Related on this site
- Is a VoIP number or a virtual number any different from a regular phone number?
- Is a cloud PBX any different from hosted VoIP or a cloud phone system?
- When does a business outgrow using a regular cell phone for calls?
- Which phone service should a small business actually pick?
- How does a business phone system decide who answers a call?
- Can employees use the company phone number while they're abroad?
Written by Kaz (pen name). Figures are copied from providers' published pricing pages on the dates shown. We have not used these products. Corrections: contact form.