If any of the above sounds like your business, you are not alone. The majority of businesses we speak to have some version of the same problem — a phone setup that grew over time, with different suppliers layered on top of each other, and nobody with a clear picture of the whole thing.
This guide explains what a cloud phone system is, how it works, what it costs, and why businesses are switching in significant numbers — including one compelling reason that is forcing every business's hand.
The Problem With Traditional Business Phone Systems
Traditional phone systems were not designed to be simple. They were built in an era when telephony, internet and IT were entirely separate industries, supplied by separate companies under separate contracts. What that leaves most businesses with today looks something like this:
Multiple bills, multiple suppliers. Line rental from BT or a reseller. Hardware maintenance from whoever installed the PBX. Calls from a different provider. IT support from someone else entirely. All arriving separately, all needing chasing when something goes wrong.
Paying for things you don't use. Traditional phone contracts often include features, lines or call bundles that were relevant years ago but nobody is using now. They renew automatically and are rarely reviewed.
Tied to the office. Traditional phone systems route calls to desk handsets. If your team is working from home, travelling or at another site, they miss calls — or give out personal mobile numbers, which is neither professional nor sustainable.
Expensive and slow to change. Adding a user, changing a call route or setting up voicemail on a traditional system often requires a call to the phone company and a wait. Simple changes should not require an engineer visit or a support ticket.
Nobody takes ownership when things go wrong. "That's not our part of the system" is a sentence too many businesses have heard. When IT, phone and internet are separate, support gaps are inevitable.
What Is a Cloud Phone System?
A cloud phone system replaces all of that with a single, internet-delivered service. There is no on-site PBX hardware, no line rental and no maintenance contract for physical equipment. The phone system runs on servers in the cloud, managed by the provider, and your team accesses it through desk handsets, a desktop app or a mobile app — from anywhere with an internet connection.
Blackwood IT supplies and fully manages cloud phone systems through Gamma, one of the UK's leading business telecommunications providers. As a Gamma accredited partner, the systems we provide are business-grade — not consumer VoIP — backed by Gamma's UK network infrastructure.
"A cloud phone system is not just a cheaper version of what you already have. It is a fundamentally different — and simpler — way of running your business communications."
What Is Included
A cloud phone system from Blackwood IT is not just dial tone over the internet. It includes the full range of professional telephony features your business needs — properly configured, trained and supported from day one.
Crucially, all of this is managed by Blackwood IT on an ongoing basis. If you need to add a user, change a call route, update the auto-attendant or set up a new department group, you call us — not a separate phone company.
Before and After
Here is what most businesses experience when they move from a traditional setup to a cloud phone system managed by Blackwood IT:
- Multiple bills from multiple suppliers
- Separate IT and phone support contacts
- Tied to desk handsets in the office
- Difficult and slow to make changes
- Paying for lines and features you don't use
- No clear picture of what you're actually spending
- Support gaps when suppliers point at each other
- Hardware that will eventually fail and need replacing
- One monthly cost per user — nothing hidden
- One team for IT, phones and connectivity
- Take calls from desk, mobile or laptop anywhere
- Changes made quickly by your IT team
- Only pay for what you actually use
- Clear, predictable monthly cost
- Full accountability from one provider
- No hardware to maintain, upgrade or replace
The Reason Every Business Has to Act
For many businesses, the PSTN switch-off is the trigger to finally review a phone setup that has needed attention for years. Rather than a forced, last-minute migration, it is an opportunity to move to something genuinely better — and simpler — at the same time.
Remote and Hybrid Working
A cloud phone system is designed for the way modern businesses actually work. Your team does not need to be in the office to take business calls. Staff can make and receive calls on their business number from a desk handset, a desktop app on their laptop or a mobile app on their phone — from the office, from home or from the road.
This matters for several reasons:
- Staff no longer need to give out personal mobile numbers to customers or suppliers
- Calls can be picked up from anywhere — no missed calls because someone is not at their desk
- Your business number stays consistent regardless of where your team is working
- Call groups and hunt groups mean multiple people can be tried in sequence before a call goes to voicemail
- Multi-site businesses can have one joined-up phone system across all locations
One Provider for IT and Phones
The single biggest frustration with traditional phone setups is that nobody takes responsibility when things go wrong. IT points at the phone company. The phone company points at the line provider. The line provider says it's working fine on their end. Meanwhile your business cannot make or receive calls.
When your phone system is managed by the same team that manages your IT — Blackwood IT — there is no gap. We manage the phone system, the internet connection it runs over and your wider IT environment. If something goes wrong, there is one number to call and one team that owns the problem from start to finish.
For businesses already on our managed IT service, adding a cloud phone system means their entire technology stack — IT, security, connectivity and communications — is managed by a single team, under a single contract, with a single monthly cost.
Cloud Phone System or Microsoft Teams Phone?
If your business uses Microsoft 365 heavily, you may have heard about Microsoft Teams Phone — which allows you to make and receive external calls directly within Microsoft Teams. Both are excellent options, and the right choice depends on how your team works.
- Cloud phone system — the better choice for businesses that want a traditional phone system experience with handsets, call queues, auto-attendant and call management features, independent of Microsoft
- Microsoft Teams Phone — the better choice for businesses already heavily using Teams who want to bring calling into the same platform as meetings, chat and collaboration
Blackwood IT can help you compare both options and recommend the right solution based on how your business actually communicates. There is no one-size-fits-all answer — and we will not push you towards one option if the other is a better fit.
What the Switch Looks Like in Practice
Switching to a cloud phone system is simpler than most businesses expect. Blackwood IT manages the entire process — there is no disruptive installation, no gap in phone service and no scramble to inform customers of a number change.
- Review your current setup. We look at your existing phone system, lines, contracts and requirements before recommending the right solution.
- Plan the new system. We design the call flows, call groups, auto-attendant and user configuration for how your business actually works.
- Port your existing numbers. Your business numbers transfer to the new system — number porting typically takes 7 to 14 working days, during which the existing system stays live.
- Configure and test. We set up all users, handsets, apps and call flows and test everything before go-live.
- Train your team. We walk your team through using the new system so everyone is confident from day one.
- Ongoing support and changes. After go-live, we manage the system on an ongoing basis — adding users, changing routes, updating messages — as part of your service.
Ready to simplify your business phone system?
Book a free, no-pressure conversation with Blackwood IT. We'll review your current setup, explain your options clearly and give you an honest recommendation.
About Blackwood IT
Blackwood IT Limited is a managed IT and communications provider based in Wolverhampton, West Midlands. As a Gamma accredited partner, Blackwood IT supplies, installs and fully manages cloud phone systems for businesses across the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire and Derbyshire. Cloud phone systems are managed alongside IT, connectivity and cyber security — one team, one contract, one point of contact for everything technology-related.
To discuss your current phone setup and whether a cloud phone system is the right move for your business, call 01902 711 777, email hello@blackwoodit.co.uk, or book a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are businesses switching to cloud phone systems?
Businesses are switching primarily because traditional phone setups are expensive, fragmented and poorly supported. The most common drivers are multiple confusing bills from different suppliers, paying for services that are not understood or used, no single point of support, teams tied to office desk phones, and the PSTN switch-off that is forcing all businesses to migrate from traditional landlines. A cloud phone system replaces all of this with one hosted service, one monthly cost per user and one team managing everything.
What is a cloud phone system?
A cloud phone system replaces traditional on-site phone hardware and line rental with a service delivered over the internet. Calls are made and received via desk handsets, desktop apps or mobile phones. All the call routing, voicemail, hunt groups, auto-attendant and management features run in the cloud — no on-site PBX, no maintenance contract for hardware. Blackwood IT supplies and manages cloud phone systems as a Gamma accredited partner.
What is the PSTN switch-off and how does it affect my business?
BT Openreach is retiring the UK's traditional copper phone line network. All businesses currently using traditional landlines — including ISDN lines — must migrate to a VoIP-based phone system before the switch-off reaches their area. This affects almost every business in the UK. Blackwood IT manages the full transition including number porting, with no disruption to phone service during the process.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers?
Yes. Number porting transfers your existing business phone numbers to the new cloud system. Blackwood IT handles the entire porting process. Customers continue to reach you on the same numbers throughout and after the switch. Number porting typically takes 7 to 14 working days, during which your existing system stays live.
How much does a cloud phone system cost?
A cloud phone system is priced per user per month — one clear monthly figure covering the hosted telephony service. Most businesses find this costs less than their existing arrangement once all current line rental, maintenance and call bills are consolidated. There are no hidden charges and no mid-contract price rises.
What is the difference between a cloud phone system and Microsoft Teams Phone?
A cloud phone system provides a traditional telephony experience — handsets, call queues, hunt groups, auto-attendant — independent of Microsoft. Teams Phone integrates calling directly into Microsoft Teams and suits businesses already heavily using Teams. Blackwood IT can assess both options and recommend the right solution based on how your business works.
How long does switching to a cloud phone system take?
In most cases, Blackwood IT can plan, configure and deploy a new cloud phone system within a few weeks. Number porting typically takes 7 to 14 working days. Throughout the process, the existing system remains live so the business has no disruption to calls.
What is a Gamma accredited partner?
Gamma is one of the UK's leading business telecoms providers. A Gamma accredited partner — such as Blackwood IT — is an approved partner who supplies and supports Gamma's hosted telephony platform. Accreditation means the systems supplied are business-grade, backed by Gamma's UK network infrastructure, and supported by a qualified provider.