The phone system is part of your network
With the copper network retired, business phone services now run over the internet. That is a genuine improvement, provided the connection underneath is right. Voice traffic is unforgiving of congestion, and most call quality complaints are network problems rather than phone problems.
This is where Sterling IT differs from a telco reseller. We design the internet service, the switching and the firewall alongside the phone system, so the whole path is accounted for. If a call drops, we are not asking you to log a ticket with someone else.
We deliver hosted voice through Australian carriers, and can integrate with Microsoft Teams where a business is already committed to it.
Telephony services in detail
Hosted PBX
The phone system runs in an Australian data centre rather than in a cabinet in your comms room. There is no hardware to maintain, no capacity limit to hit when you hire, and changes are made in a portal instead of by a technician on site.
Auto attendants, ring groups, hunt groups, business-hours routing, voicemail to email, call recording and hold music are all standard.
SIP trunking
If you have an existing on-premises PBX that still has life in it, SIP trunks replace the old ISDN or PSTN lines without replacing the system itself.
Usually a substantial reduction in line rental, and a sensible step for businesses not ready for a full cut-over.
Microsoft Teams calling
For businesses already standardised on Teams, direct routing connects real phone numbers to it, so staff make and receive external calls in the application they already have open.
We will be candid about the trade-offs: Teams handles person-to-person calling well, but a busy reception or contact centre is often better served by a dedicated hosted PBX.
Handsets and headsets
Desk phones, cordless DECT handsets for warehouses and workshops, conference units for meeting rooms, and wired or wireless headsets for people on the phone all day.
Supplied pre-provisioned, so a handset plugs in and registers itself without configuration on site.
Softphones and mobile apps
Staff take their extension with them on a laptop or mobile. Calls out show the business number rather than a personal mobile, and transfers to colleagues work the same as at the desk.
Useful for hybrid teams, on-call rosters and anyone regularly away from a desk.
Call flows and routing
Most of the value in a phone system is in how calls are routed. We map out where calls should land during business hours, after hours, at lunch and on public holidays, and what happens when nobody answers.
Overflow to mobile, time-of-day rules, holiday schedules and emergency diversions are configured properly rather than left to default.
Number porting
Your existing numbers move across, including 1300 and 1800 services and whole number ranges. Nothing changes for the people calling you.
Porting takes time and depends on the losing carrier, so we run the new service in parallel and schedule the port once it is proven.
Network readiness
Before quoting a phone system we assess the internet service, the switching and the firewall. Quality of service is configured to prioritise voice, and PoE switching is sized for the handset count.
Where uptime matters we add a second internet service so calls fail over automatically.
Send us your current phone bill
We will tell you what you are paying for, what you are not using, and what the equivalent would cost on a hosted service.
How a phone cut-over runs
Phones are the one system a business notices immediately. The sequence matters more than the technology.
Site and network assessment
We check the internet service, cabling, switching and power, and count what handsets are actually needed and where.
Call flow design
We document how calls should be answered and escalated, including after hours and public holidays, and confirm it with you before building it.
Build and parallel testing
The new system is built and tested on temporary numbers while your existing service keeps running, so nothing is proven in production.
Port and cut-over
Numbers are ported on a scheduled date, handsets are deployed, and we are on site or on call for the first morning of live traffic.
Training
Short sessions for reception and general staff, plus written instructions for transfers, parking, conferencing and voicemail.
Ongoing support
Changes, new starters, leavers and call flow adjustments handled as part of your service agreement, not billed as a project each time.
Signs your phone system needs attention
Any of these is worth a conversation. Several of them together usually means the system is costing you business.
One provider for the phones and the network.
Send us your current phone bill and we will tell you what a hosted service would look like for your business, including what to fix on the network first.
