Softphone vs. Desk Phone: 6 Reasons to Use a Softphone

For the past years, remote working has become a new normal. Especially during this time of the pandemic, most companies have embraced working from home as the best alternative to working at physical offices. Lots of companies and organizations are now viewing remote working as the future of work.

But remote work also has different challenges including the need for a reliable communication system that would not only allow internal engagement but will also enhance customer engagement. With the emergence of cloud-based technology, there is no wonder that our communication system has also upgraded to the latest innovations.

In this article, we will discuss the different advantages of a softphone and desk phone to give you detailed information about what's best for your business.

One of the emerging technologies is the softphone. It is a software-based VoIP phone that you can integrate into your mobile device or personal computer. The softphone software is provided by your chosen VoIP provider and functions almost the same way as your desk phone. Softphones imitate desk phones by presenting a phone interface on the computers complete with different call handling features such as a dial pad, transfer, hold, and mute functions. It also provides video conferencing and video calling, SMS and chat capabilities, and other important features that you can't get from a typical desk phone.

Softphone or Desk Phone?

You might have asked this question to yourself before, but are still confused about what you should pick. Businesses of all kinds and sizes have an option to choose between VoIP softphones and desk phones. Let's make a comparison:

Desk phone

Desk phones are conventional telephony systems that sit on your desk and allow you to receive and place a call. Nowadays, instead of using desk phones that are traditionally connected to telephone lines, businesses opt for IP desk phones. They are connected to an IP (Internet Protocol) network and convey calls via VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol. Usually, they come with Ethernet connections and adapters.

The following are a few of the reasons why desk phones are still being in use despite the emergence of the latest telephone technology:

• Easy to use - No doubt about it. Desk phones have push-button navigation keys that make it simple to make and receive calls. It is also easy for a large team to dial at the same time for a conference call.
• Independent - Desk phones are independent of other devices, which makes them a good communication system since no programs are running in the background.
• Less risk with desk phones - With laptops and mobile devices, there is a chance of running into different challenges such as battery and other performance issues.
• Familiarity - This is perhaps one of the more obvious benefits of integrating a desk phone into your communication. Most of us are familiar with and are more comfortable using desk phones than any other communication device. It also provides better call quality compared to others.

Advantages of using softphones:

1. Setting up is relatively easy - without the need for special equipment, you can easily set up your softphones. All that is needed is a link and login details that will be supplied to you by your trusted service provider. For more information on how to start with a softphone, visit Telnum and inquire for free.
2. Take your business phone wherever you are - softphones are very much in-demand nowadays particularly for remote workers. Wherever your location is, you can take your business with you. Using a softphone allows you to answer incoming calls from your clients, making it possible to provide quality customer service even if you're not in the physical office.
3. You can keep your personal mobile number's privacy - many employees and business owners prefer to remain discreet especially when it comes to contact numbers. The reason is that they want to avoid being at risk of scams and other online fraudulent activities. It is not uncommon to know that spam messages and calls are circulating in the world of communication. Another advantage is that you don't have to consume your mobile phone loads since softphone calls utilize the power of the Internet - using a data connection.
4. Less hardware and equipment - since softphones are software-based, you are not required to buy additional hardware and equipment in setting it up. This only means that your business can save a significant cost which is one of the many concerns of small businesses.
5. Flexibility - your business on the go and work wherever you go. Flexibility is what softphones bring the end-users. Every incoming call can be forwarded to your mobile device so you can be able to answer them wherever and whenever. Another thing is that for every call you make, your business number is the one that will be displayed instead of your personal number, making you anonymous at all times.
6. User-friendly enhancements - perhaps one of the great advantages of a softphone is its awesome interactive user interface. It has plenty of options or shortcuts such as the following:

• Visual voicemail - with a softphone, you can review your voicemail messages visually instead of navigating the menu options. You can play your voicemails, convert them into email messages, delete them, and other useful settings that you may find necessary or preferred.
• Drag-and-drop call transfer - this feature allows you to transfer a particular call to a fellow employee without the need of dialing an extension. All you need to do is click on the "call" button in the softphone then drag it over to the name of your colleague - easy, right?
• Call notifications - with a softphone, you will be notified every time there is an incoming call through a popup notification together with the information of the caller. This will allow you to immediately identify the caller before answering the call.
• Video calls and video conferences - a softphone will allow you and your team to make video calls right from the app. And since this feature is free or included on softphones, there is no need for you to purchase expensive equipment for the sake of video calls or video conferencing.

Now that we've featured some of the advantages of desk phones and softphones, it is up to you to decide which one is a better choice for your business. Either way, you can communicate with your team and customers seamlessly. Both are designed to provide the convenience of communicating to everyone in a very high-quality manner.

However, given the fact that softphones offer more value-added features compared to desk phones, it is worth considering the former. Furthermore, softphones are an economical and practical way of upgrading your communication process.

Final Words

Businesses nowadays are looking for inexpensive yet reliable telephone systems. And with the emergence of cloud-based telephony in the field of technology, business owners have different options to choose from.

For more information on how to integrate softphone technology into your organization, visit Telnum, your one-stop shop when it comes to cloud-based telephony systems. You can choose from a wide range of cloud-based services wherein our Tech Specialists will assist you in selecting the best communication system for your business.