Kelly Green

IP telephony is a hot topic right now because of the upcoming changes to the way telecommunications is delivered here in the UK. One of the biggest challenges that businesses face is understanding what IP Telephony is, the upcoming changes and all the associated terminology.

There are many different terms and phrases that relate to IP telephony which can have similar meanings and can be renamed depending on the supplier’s preference. This can make it very difficult to understand.

To make IP telephony easier to digest, we’ve created a glossary of terms for you that can help you make more informed decisions when migrating into the world of internet telephony.

• Cloud/Unified Communications

The combined use of multiple internet-based communication methods within a business. These methods are often integrated and include voice, email, chat, conferencing, video and more. Unified Communications can be referred to as UC.

• DECT – Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications

DECT is a worldwide standard that allows one or more portable, cordless phones to be connected to a base station. For example, Yealink offer DECT handsets which we can offer with our hosted solution.

• Hosted Solution/Hosted VoIP

A hosted solution means you purchase licenses for your users but the infrastructure to run the system is hosted by a third-party provider in the cloud., For example, a Horizon license would be owned by you but hosted by Gamma.

• IP – Internet Protocol

IP is a set of rules that allow for the sending and receiving of data via the internet.

• ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network

ISDN is a single telephone line that has a minimum of 2 simultaneous connections and a maximum of 30. It’s a medium between a PSTN line and VoIP system, however BT Openreach are phasing out all ISDN lines by 2025.

• On-Premises (On-Prem) Solution

An On-Premises solution is the opposite to a hosted solution. You own the license with an on-premises solution, but you also must host the infrastructure to run the system. An example of this is the LG iPECS solution.

• PBX – Private Branch Exchange

A PBX is a private telephony system that controls the routing and switching of calls within a business.

• PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network

PSTN is the traditional public telephone network and work on a basis of ‘a single line hosts a single connection’. They mainly work using analogue signals (rather than digital which is used in ISDN) and PSTN Lines can also host a broadband connection.

• SIP – Session Initiation Protocol

SIP is a method used in conjunction with a PBX to send and receive voice calls, video calls and other media.

• SIP Trunking

Internet-based telephony services on SIP is known as ‘SIP Trunking’. This allows for users to make calls over standard PSTN lines using IP Telephony and Soft Client technology.

• Soft Client

Otherwise known as a Softphone, a Soft Client license enables VoIP calls from devices such as your Desktop PC or your mobile, via an app. This is an essential product for mobile/flexible workers.

• VoIP – Voice-over Internet Protocol

VoIP is the technology that allows a telephone connection to occur over the internet instead on through physical telephone lines.

We hope that this list of terms has helped clarify what IP telephony is, what the advantages are and assisted you in making the right decision as to what solution is best for your business.

In the meantime, if you’re unsure about which solutions fits your business best and/or are worried about the ISDN/PSTN switch-off mentioned above, there’s no need to panic.

You can download our PDF “ISDN Switch-Off – What are the options?” below.

For businesses that haven't yet migrated to internet (IP) telephony but are interested in finding a cloud based ‘Hosted VoIP’ system, the vast number of solutions and service providers here in the UK, can make it hard to make the right choice for your business.

It’s important to consider not only the price, features and benefits of the cloud VoIP offerings available, but also the level of service you’ll expect from your chosen supplier, on a day-to-day basis.

That’s why we’re going to highlight some of the best UK Hosted VoIP providers, compare the benefits of choosing a local or national supplier, as well as share our favourite product choices with you...

5 Business VoIP Providers UK

National providers are telecoms suppliers who work with businesses of all sizes across the country; in some cases, internationally. Large national suppliers can offer some benefits such as slightly better rates, however they can also come with a number of downsides, including a less dedicated customer service experience.

1. BT


BT is the biggest name in the UK’s telecoms industry and the world’s oldest telecommunications company. dating back to 1846. BT operate internationally, meaning the scale of the business and their customer base is massive.

2. TalkTalk


Much like BT, TalkTalk is a well-known VoIP provider in the UK, however they were only founded in the early 2000s. Considering the size of their brand and customer base, their growth has been rapid.

TalkTalk’s main focus is broadband and other types of connectivity, but they do offer VoIP solutions.

3. Vonage


Founded in New Jersey in 2001, Vonage is an American-based business with a HQ in London. They have a large customer base both here in the UK and globally.

Vonage are a more business-focused VoIP provider who offer a range of different solutions. Alongside this, they also offer a number of collaborative tools to go alongside your VoIP system, including Salesforce.

4. Virgin Media


Originally called NTL:Telewest, Virgin Media was founded in 2006 and was the first ‘quadruple-play’ telecoms company, meaning they were the first to offer TV, Mobile, Internet and Fixed-line telephony.

Virgin Media are similar to BT in terms of how they operate and what they offer, but they differentiate themselves by offering a more premium service. However, this USP does come at a higher price.

5. RingCentral


Similar to Vonage, RingCentral is a US-based VoIP provider with a UK HQ in London. They were originally founded in 1999 and their main HQ is now in Belmont, California.

RingCentral focus on supplying mid-sized and enterprise businesses with their own Hosted VoIP and collaborative solution.

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Local Hosted VoIP Providers

Choosing the best UK VoIP provider for your business is just as important as choosing the right solution. Working with a telecommunications company that is local to you comes with a whole host of customer service benefits.

Often, local businesses have a smaller customer base than the larger national providers mentioned above, including here at Boxx. This means that we’re able to offer a more personalised, dedicated service, with the ability to visit customers on-site, even at short notice and give our customers their own account manager, who truly understands your business objectives can be reached each and every time you need to make contact...

5 Providers of Hosted VoIP in Milton Keynes:

1. Entropie


Entropie are located in Wolverton, just outside of Milton Keynes and they offer a broad range of telephony and connectivity solutions to small, medium and large businesses.


2. ACS 365

Based in Northampton, ACS 365 offer a range on office solutions, ranging from Hosted VoIP and Internet Connectivity to cyber security and interior design.

3. CMC Communications


Similarly to ACS, CMC offer a range of business solutions, such as PCs, graphic design support and IT Financing. Alongside this, they also offer Hosted VoIP solutions – specifically Horizon.

4. GenX Solutions


Located in Central Milton Keynes, close to us, GenX are a small telecoms provider who specialise in IT, VoIP, Internet Connectivity and Web Design.

5. Local IT Support Providers

With IT & telecommunications overlapping more than ever before, many of these are now offering Hosted VoIP as an additional service. Mirus IT, Aztech IT and TidyTech Solutions are all examples.

Our Favourite Solutions

As an independent telecommunications company, we have built relationships with many UK VoIP suppliers and will always chose the best VoIP solution for each customer and their business. For 2020, the following are proving to be our most popular Hosted VoIP solutions.

Gamma – Horizon

Gamma are a well-established telecoms company with their Hosted VoIP solution. Horizon is an easy-to-use, portal-based system that is scalable to fit any size of business.

Horizon is accessible via handsets, desktop client or mobile app and comes with a whole hosted of benefits, including voicemail setup, auto-attendant and on-hold messaging capabilities, call diverts, call forwarding and much more.

Collaborate is an add-on to Horizon that provides instant messaging, video conferencing and screen sharing for a complete unified communications experience.

Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS) – HV.Select

DWS, previously known as Daisy, have been a leading telecoms supplier since 2001 and have recently released their new Hosted VoIP platform – HV.Select.

HV.Select is a feature rich VoIP service which comes with a host of functionality options, similar to Horizon. Each individual user of HV.Select also gets access to a desktop and mobile app too.

At Boxx, we pride ourselves on being a top Hosted VoIP Milton Keynes provider. Some of the Milton Keynes based businesses we supply with these Hosted VoIP solutions include Mercer & Hole, Interact Medical and MK Gallery.

At the end of the day, choosing the right solution and the best provider will be the one that fits your overall business objectives the best.

Hopefully, this guide can give you some clarity on Hosted VoIP UK Suppliers, but if you’d like to talk through the options, we’re always happy to help.

Effective communications and having systems or solutions in place to enable this, are now critical to every business irrespective of size or industry. It enables organisations to respond more successfully to the demands of:

• An increasingly dispersed and mobile workforce
• Rising customer and employee expectations
• The need for increased collaboration with suppliers, partners and customers
• Rapid pace of change across markets and society
• Threats from competitors

An outdated phone system can therefore hinder efficient communications and in turn create problems within a business that affect profitability.

These impacts go far beyond the direct costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment. An outdated phone system can result in:

• Lower productivity - Time is easily wasted when equipment either doesn't work as it should, requires large amounts of manual investment or ties individuals to work in fixed loactions.
• Missed business opportunities - Not being able to take a call whilst out-of-the-office could mean a lost sale. This just doesn't need to happen.
• Lost customers - Poor service is considered the number one reason for customers looking elsewhere and lost/missed calls often attribute to customer experience.
• Lost employee talent - It's reported that 75% of emplyees rank workplace flexibility as their most important benefit.
• Increased risk - Downtime can mave major implications for businesses and out-dated systems are much more succeptable to this happening.
• Increased admin overheads - The average IT manager earns £44k here in the UK. Just 2.5 hours per week, equates to almost £3000 lost each year.

The good news is that modernising your telephony solution can significantly boost your bottom line…

Whilst a legacy PBX is no longer a match for modern businesses, transitioning to cloud-based communications can help you unleash the potential of your business. There are many benefits of switching to a cloud-based offering, including::

• Work smarter – Enabling access to all the information and tools your employees need, anywhere and anytime.
• Expand your opportunities – Freeing you from the constraints of a physical location and a fixed workforce.
• Ensure seamless experiences - Both employees and customers benefit from integrating multiple communications and collaboration services into a single solution.
• Stay competitive – Ensuring you’re always upgraded to the latest technology.
• Reduce your risks – Delivering built-in resilience and security.
• Free up time – Unleash from routine admin and maintenance tasks.

Moving to a cloud-based telephony solution is easier than you think but we understand that it can seem daunting.

Why not download our ‘True Cost of an Outdated Phone System’ PDF for an easy-to-digest overview.