Business Phone Systems

Business phone systems built around your business.

Independent advice, supplier comparison and implementation support for modern cloud phone systems.

Benefits

Everything a modern phone system should do.

01

Work From Anywhere

Take calls from the office, home or on the road with one business number.

02

Mobile & Desktop Apps

Softphone apps on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac, no desk handset required.

03

Call Recording

Compliance-ready recording, retention and search across every conversation.

04

Auto Attendants

Smart menus, queues and routing so callers reach the right person, fast.

05

CRM Integrations

Screen-pops, click-to-dial and call logging into your CRM and helpdesk.

06

Better Reporting

Real-time wallboards and historical analytics on calls, queues and agents.

07

Lower Running Costs

Cut line rental, free inter-site calls and pay only for what you use.

08

PSTN Switch-Off Ready

Move off ISDN and copper before the 2027 cut-off with zero disruption.

Market Shift

Why UK businesses are moving to VoIP.

PSTN Switch-Off

BT is retiring the traditional copper telephone network. By 2027 every business line in the UK must be on an IP-based service.

Flexible Working

Hybrid and remote teams need one number that follows the user across mobile, laptop and desk, without VPNs or workarounds.

Scalability

Cloud platforms add or remove users instantly. No PBX swap-outs, no extra hardware, no rip-and-replace as you grow.

Customer Experience

Smart routing, voicemail-to-email, queueing and AI receptionists mean fewer missed calls and a much better first impression.

Supplier Comparison

The platforms we shortlist.

There's no single "best" phone system, only the one that fits how your team works, sells and supports customers. These are the platforms we most often shortlist for UK SMBs.

bOnline
Best for small businesses

Simple, affordable cloud telephony with great onboarding for micro and small teams.

CloudTalk
Best for sales teams and contact centres

Powerful call analytics, dialler features and deep CRM integrations for outbound and inbound teams.

3CX
Best for flexibility and advanced functionality

Self-hosted or cloud, extensive customisation, call flows and licensing options for technical teams.

Horizon
Best for moving from traditional phone systems

Gamma's mature UK cloud platform, a natural step up from ISDN and on-premise PBX deployments.

FirstCom
Best for one provider across comms and connectivity

Bundle voice, broadband, mobile and SD-WAN into a single supplier and support relationship.

Disclaimer: Novello Consulting is supplier agnostic. We recommend solutions based on client requirements, not commercial relationships. Our shortlist changes with the market.

Why Novello

One independent partner from shortlist to support.

Independent Advice

We're not a reseller for one vendor, recommendations reflect what fits, not what pays.

Supplier Comparison

We benchmark pricing, features and SLAs across the market and present the trade-offs clearly.

Procurement Support

Contract negotiation, number porting and order management handled on your behalf.

Implementation Management

Rollout, hardware, configuration, testing and user training, all project-managed.

Ongoing Support

A real UK team to call when something needs changing, scaling or fixing.

FAQ

Common questions, answered.

What is VoIP and how is it different from a traditional phone system?+

VoIP (Voice over IP) carries calls over your internet connection rather than a copper telephone line. It removes the need for on-premise PBX hardware, lets staff work from anywhere and adds features like call recording, queues and CRM integration.

How much does a cloud phone system cost?+

Most UK SMBs pay between £8 and £20 per user per month depending on features, call bundles and contract length. We benchmark suppliers against your usage so you only pay for what you need.

How long does installation take?+

A typical SMB rollout takes two to four weeks end to end, covering discovery, number porting, configuration, hardware delivery and user training. Larger or multi-site projects are phased.

Can we keep our existing phone numbers?+

Yes. We manage the number porting process from your current provider to the new platform, including parallel running so there's no downtime on go-live day.

Will it work for staff who work from home?+

Yes, that's one of the biggest reasons clients move to cloud. Staff get the same business number on a desktop or mobile app, with the same features they have in the office.

What happens with the PSTN switch-off?+

BT is withdrawing the traditional analogue and ISDN network by January 2027. Any business still on copper lines or legacy PBXs needs to migrate to an IP-based service before then. We can plan and run that migration for you.

Talk to Novello

Not sure which phone system is right for your business?

Book a free technology review and we'll shortlist the right platform for how your team actually works.