How do internet phones actually work?
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Your calls travel over your internet connection instead of an old copper phone line. Your "phone system" becomes software, your phones are either desk phones or apps, and your numbers aren't tied to a wall socket — you could answer the office line from your computer in another country. The old copper lines are being switched off across the UK in January 2027, so every business will make this move eventually.
Can we keep our existing numbers?
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Yes — keeping your numbers is the default, not the exception. We move your existing numbers across, including 0800s and the like. The process involves a lot of paperwork with some providers, but it's normal and routine. We keep the old line running in parallel so calls keep working throughout.
Teams or Xelion — how do we decide?
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Xelion is our default recommendation — it does more out of the box (WhatsApp, an AI receptionist, live call screens, deep links to your customer records). We suggest Teams Phone when your team would rather keep everything inside Teams and doesn't need those extras. Sometimes the answer is both — Teams for the office and Xelion for a sales team. We'll be honest about which fits.
How does Teams Phone work?
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Calls simply land in the Teams app you already use. Behind the scenes, we connect Teams to the phone network for you. The cost works out about the same as buying calling straight from Microsoft — the value we add is setting it up, supporting it, and adding proper phone-system features (queues, "press 1" menus, recording, reports).
What does Xelion add over Teams?
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A lot — it's why we recommend it for most businesses. WhatsApp messaging, an AI receptionist, live wall screens, detailed call reports, smarter routing and built-in recording all come as standard. Teams Phone is fine for general office calling, but most of those extras need add-ons. Xelion also links deeply into Zoho Bigin and other customer databases — see who's calling before you pick up, dial with one click, recordings saved against the right customer.
What happens to our old deskphones?
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Often they keep working; sometimes they need replacing. Most modern desk phones can be reprogrammed to work with the new system. Anything more than about 8 years old is normally retired. We check what you've got at the start and quote replacements only where needed.
Is the call recording GDPR-compliant?
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Yes, when set up correctly — and we set it up correctly. Recordings are encrypted, stored in the UK, kept only as long as you choose, and handled in line with UK data-protection law. For regulated businesses (like financial services) we use a version that meets the stricter rules.