VoIP Phone Systems Brisbane: Your Options Explained

If your business phones run over the NBN, you're already using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) in some form. The real question is which type of VoIP setup suits the way your business works. Cloud, Microsoft Teams, an on-site system, or a mix of old and new: each has different upfront costs, ongoing costs and strengths.

This page explains each option in plain English, so you can make a sensible choice before you ask for a quote. If you'd rather just talk it through, call our Brisbane team on (07) 3137 9510.

Option 1: Cloud phone system (hosted VoIP)

Your phone system lives in the cloud rather than in a box on your wall. Desk phones, mobiles and laptops all connect over the internet, and you pay a monthly fee per user or per line.

• Best for: most small and medium businesses, multiple sites, remote and hybrid staff.
• Why people choose it: no PABX hardware to buy or maintain, keep your existing numbers, add or remove users as you grow, and take calls from anywhere using a desk phone or app. Telrex supplies cloud VoIP systems directly, so you deal with one local team for the system, the phones and the support.
• Typical features: auto-attendant ("press 1 for sales"), with AI auto attendant options available, hunt groups, call recording, voicemail-to-email, business hours routing and Teams integration.
• Things to consider: it depends on a good internet connection, and the ongoing monthly cost carries on for as long as you use it.

Option 2: Microsoft Teams calling

If your staff already live in Microsoft Teams, you can make and receive normal phone calls directly in Teams, using a laptop, a Teams-certified desk phone or a headset.

• Best for: businesses already on Microsoft 365 who want one app for chat, meetings and calls.
• Why people choose it: one place for everything, easy for hybrid teams, and managed alongside your other Microsoft 365 users.
• Things to consider: Teams calling needs the right Microsoft licences plus a calling plan or connection to a phone carrier. Reception and front-desk users often still prefer a physical handset.

Option 3: On-site IP phone system (IP PBX)

A phone system that sits in your comms room, connected to the outside world by SIP trunks over your internet connection. Systems like NEC, Panasonic and Grandstream have been the backbone of Brisbane offices for decades and are still a strong choice for the right site.

• Best for: larger single sites, call-heavy businesses, and sites that need specific integrations or analogue devices (lifts, door phones, alarms, fax).
• Why people choose it: you own the hardware (Telrex supplies Grandstream on-premise systems along with the SIP trunks to connect them), ongoing costs can be lower over the life of the system, and you keep control on-site.
• Things to consider: a higher upfront cost, and the system needs maintenance, a UPS and occasional upgrades.

Option 4: Keep your existing system and connect it to VoIP

Not every business needs a new phone system. If your current system works and your staff know it, it can often be connected to VoIP lines with a SIP trunk or gateway, which keeps it running on the NBN. Telrex can supply the SIP/VoIP trunks for you.

• Best for: businesses with a reliable existing system they're not ready to replace.
• Why people choose it: lower cost now, with no retraining for staff. We stock new and refurbished phone system parts for a wide range of older systems to keep them going, plus refurbished VoIP phone systems if you want a budget-friendly upgrade.
• Things to consider: older systems eventually run out of spare parts and features, so it's worth having a plan for the next step.

Quick comparison

What every VoIP setup needs

• A reliable internet connection: the quality of your calls depends on it. We'll check your NBN connection and recommend a backup (such as 4G/5G failover) if phones are critical to your business.
• The right network: a business-grade router and switch that prioritise voice traffic, and ideally PoE switches so phones are powered by the network cable. See our networking range.
• Good phones and headsets: Yealink business phones, cordless VoIP phones and business headsets, all held in stock at our Loganholme warehouse.
• Power protection: VoIP phones and NBN equipment stop working in a blackout. A UPS keeps your network and phones running through short outages.
• Emergency calls: make sure each site's address is registered correctly for 000 calls, and remember that VoIP may not work during a power or internet outage. Keep a charged mobile phone available as a backup.
• Number porting: in most cases you can keep your existing business numbers when you move to VoIP. We'll manage the porting process for you.

Which option is right for you?

As a rough guide:

• Under 50 staff, or staff working from more than one location: cloud VoIP is usually the simplest and most flexible choice.
• Already on Microsoft 365 and living in Teams: Teams calling is worth a serious look.
• A large single site, a busy reception or a call centre: an on-site IP PBX may give better value over time.
• Happy with your current system: keep it, connect it to VoIP, and plan the upgrade on your own timeline.

Many businesses end up with a mix, for example a cloud system with Teams integration for hybrid staff. We'll design around how you work, not the other way around.

Why Brisbane businesses choose Telrex

Telrex has been designing, supplying and installing business phone systems for over 20 years. We're a Yealink Platinum Partner with ACMA-licensed technicians, and we hold stock in our own Loganholme warehouse, so you get the right gear, installed quickly, with local support when you need it. Visit our Loganholme showroom to try phones and headsets before you buy.

Find out more about our business phone systems in Brisbane, browse our VoIP phone systems, or contact us for a free, itemised quote. Prefer to talk? Call (07) 3137 9510.