If your office still pays for a stack of traditional phone lines, or runs an old phone system nobody knows how to change, a VoIP phone system for business is usually the upgrade that makes the most sense. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) carries your calls over your internet connection instead of copper phone lines. You keep your numbers, gain features like auto-attendants and voicemail-to-email, and your staff can answer the office line from a laptop or mobile app.
TechBoss designs, installs and supports business phone and VoIP systems for offices across Toronto and the GTA. This guide covers how business VoIP works, which features matter, what your network needs, what it costs in Canada and how the switch happens without missing calls.
How Business VoIP Works
A VoIP call is turned into small packets of data and sent over the internet, just like email or a web page. On the other end, the packets are put back together as sound. Calls to regular landlines and mobile phones still work normally, because your VoIP provider connects your system to the public phone network.
Your staff can make and take calls on:
- Desk phones: IP phones that plug into a network jack. Most are powered over the same cable using Power over Ethernet (PoE).
- Softphones: an app on a Windows or Mac computer, used with a headset.
- Mobile apps: an app on a smartphone that rings with the office number and shows the office number when calling out.
- Conference phones: speaker units for boardrooms and meeting rooms.
Choosing a VoIP Phone System for Business: Hosted or On-Premise
Hosted (cloud) VoIP
The phone system lives in a provider's data centre. You pay a monthly fee per user, and your office only needs phones and a good network. There is no phone server to buy, patch or replace. Adding a user is a settings change, not a wiring job, and staff working from home get the same system as the office. This is the right choice for most small and mid-sized businesses.
On-premise VoIP
The phone system (often called an IP PBX) runs on hardware in your office. You own it, which can suit businesses that want full control or have many extensions in one building. You also take on the cost of the hardware, its maintenance and eventually its replacement. If your building loses internet, internal calls can keep working, but outside calls still depend on your phone lines or internet trunks.
Business Phone Features Worth Having
- Auto-attendant: "Press 1 for sales, 2 for service." Callers reach the right person without a receptionist.
- Ring groups and call queues: one number rings a whole team, or holds callers in line until someone is free.
- Business hours routing: calls go to a different message, an answering service or an on-call mobile after hours and on holidays.
- Voicemail-to-email: messages arrive in your inbox as audio files so nothing is missed.
- Call recording: useful for training and disputes. Tell callers when calls are recorded.
- Mobile and desktop apps: staff on the road or at home answer the office line and call out with the office number.
- Multi-location: offices in Toronto, Mississauga and Vaughan can share one system and transfer calls between sites with an extension number.
- Number porting: keep the business numbers your customers already know.
What Your Network Needs for Clear Calls
Most VoIP call quality problems are network problems, not phone problems. Choppy audio, one-way sound and dropped calls usually trace back to the office network. Before any phones go in, check these:
- A reliable business internet connection. Voice uses little bandwidth per call, but it needs a steady connection. A fibre connection is the best base. Our post on why fibre internet is the future for Canadian businesses explains why.
- Quality of Service (QoS). Your firewall and switches should give voice traffic priority so a large download does not break up a call.
- A voice VLAN. Keeping phones on their own network segment makes priority and troubleshooting easier and adds a layer of security.
- PoE switches. They power desk phones through the network cable, so you do not need a power adapter at every desk.
- Network cabling at each desk. Wired phones need a working jack. New drops are priced at $150 to $300 each through our structured cabling service.
- Backup power and internet. A UPS keeps the network and phones running through short power cuts, and a backup internet connection or failover to mobile apps keeps calls coming in during an outage.
Planning for outages is part of a wider plan. See our guide to business continuity planning.
911 and VoIP in Canada
VoIP 911 calls work differently from traditional landlines. A landline is tied to a fixed address, but a VoIP phone or app can be used anywhere. In Canada, VoIP service providers must tell customers about the limits of 911 on their service. Make sure every phone has the correct civic address registered with your provider, update it when phones move to a new office, and tell staff that a 911 call from a softphone or mobile app may not send their current location. Keep a way to call 911 during a power or internet outage. This is general information, not legal advice.
Business VoIP Costs in Canada
At TechBoss, a hosted VoIP business phone service costs $25 to $45 per user per month. Where you land in that range depends on the features each user needs, such as call queues, recording and mobile apps. Other costs to plan for:
- Phones and headsets: desk phones, conference phones and headsets are a one-time purchase. Staff who only use softphones or mobile apps need no handset.
- Network upgrades: PoE switches, a business firewall that supports QoS and any new cabling at $150 to $300 per drop.
- Installation and setup: configuring your call flows, porting numbers and setting up phones and apps, included in your fixed written quote.
If you also want us to run the network and computers the phones depend on, our managed IT plans start at $49 per user per month. Network monitoring and firewall management are included from the Professional plan at $89 per user per month. See everything on our pricing page.
How the Switch to VoIP Works
- Review your current setup: list your numbers, lines, extensions, call flows and the bill you pay today.
- Design the call flow: who answers which calls, what callers hear and what happens after hours.
- Prepare the network: confirm internet quality, set up QoS and a voice VLAN and add cabling or PoE switches where needed.
- Start the number port: your numbers move from your old carrier to the new service. Your old lines keep working until the port completes.
- Install phones and apps: desk phones are plugged in and tested, and staff get softphone and mobile apps.
- Go live and train: once the port completes, calls ring on the new system. Staff learn how to transfer, park and check voicemail.
- Cancel the old lines only after every number has moved and been tested.
How It Works with TechBoss
- Free consultation: we review your current phones, your bill and how calls move through your business.
- Site check and fixed written quote: we check your network and cabling and give you one written price for the phones, setup and monthly service.
- Installation: our technicians prepare the network, install the phones, set up apps and port your numbers.
- Training and handover: we show your team the features they will use and leave you with your call flow documented.
- Support: we look after the phone system and, if you choose, the network it runs on. Installations carry a 1-year warranty.
Our technicians hold manufacturer certifications including Cisco and Aruba. We install across Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Durham Region, and support cloud phone users across Canada remotely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a VoIP phone system for business cost in Toronto?
Hosted VoIP from TechBoss costs $25 to $45 per user per month, depending on the features each user needs. Desk phones, any network upgrades and setup are quoted separately in a fixed written price after a free consultation.
Can I keep my business phone numbers when I switch to VoIP?
Yes. In Canada, business numbers can be ported from your old carrier to a VoIP service. We handle the port request, and your old lines stay active until the numbers have moved.
Will VoIP work if our internet goes down?
Not over that connection. We plan for outages with a backup internet connection, failover to staff mobile apps or forwarding to a mobile number, so calls still reach someone.
Do we need new phones to switch to VoIP?
Some existing IP phones can be reused if they are supported by the new system. Old analogue or proprietary phones usually need replacing, and many staff choose a softphone or mobile app instead of a handset.
Can remote staff use the office phone system?
Yes. With a softphone or mobile app, remote and travelling staff answer the office line and call out with the office number, as if they were at their desk.
Upgrade Your Business Phone System with TechBoss
TechBoss installs and supports VoIP phone systems for Toronto businesses, with the network set up properly so calls stay clear. We work with offices across Toronto and the GTA, from single sites to multi-location teams. Request your free business phone consultation and get a fixed written quote.
