In short: A hosted phone system is a business phone system that runs in a provider's data centre instead of a box in your office. Calls travel over your internet connection, users answer on desk phones, apps or Teams, and the provider maintains the platform, numbers and updates. Forever Systems supplies Forever UC, hosted 3CX, Webex Calling and Microsoft Teams Phone.
What a hosted phone system is
A traditional phone system is a PBX (private branch exchange) on the wall of your comms room, wired to phone lines from the exchange. A hosted phone system moves the PBX into a data centre. Your handsets and apps connect to it over the internet, and the provider connects it to the public phone network for you.
Nothing about the way callers reach you has to change. You keep your existing numbers through number porting, callers still hear your greeting and menu, and calls still ring the right people. What changes is where the system lives and who maintains it.
Hosted phone systems use VoIP (voice over IP) to carry calls. If you want the technical detail on bandwidth, network settings and call quality, read our hosted VoIP guide. If you are replacing an on-site PBX and want to know what moves across, see hosted PBX. For a plain-English overview of the whole category, start with what is a cloud phone system?
Why organisations move to a hosted system
- No PBX to buy, house or patch. Hardware, software updates and security fixes on the platform are the provider's job.
- Users can work anywhere. The same extension rings on a desk phone in the office, a softphone at home and an app on a mobile.
- Easy to scale. Add a user for a new starter or remove one when someone leaves, without engineer visits or new line cards.
- Several sites, one system. Branches, surgeries or schools share one dial plan and transfer calls between them as easily as across a desk. See multi-site phone systems.
- Resilience built in. If an office loses power or internet, calls can divert to another site, to mobiles or to voicemail instead of ringing out.
- Ready for the analogue switch-off. Openreach is moving all traditional phone lines to digital by 31 January 2027. A hosted system does not depend on them; work through our PSTN switch-off checklist.
Standard features
Every platform we supply covers the core call handling most organisations need. The names vary between vendors, so our phone system features glossary explains each term.
- Auto attendant (IVR) menus, greetings and time-of-day, weekend and holiday routing
- Hunt groups and call queues, with music or messages on hold
- Transfer, call park, call pickup and busy lamp field on desk phones
- Voicemail to email and shared voicemail boxes
- Mobile and desktop apps, and softphones for home workers
- Call recording and call reporting on the editions or tiers that include them (see call recording)
- Conference calling and, on most platforms, video meetings
- An online portal for simple moves, adds and changes
Which hosted platform?
We are vendor-neutral and supply several hosted platforms, so the recommendation follows how your organisation works. This is a summary; our cloud phone system comparison goes deeper.
| Platform | What it is | Often suits |
|---|---|---|
| Forever UC | Forever Group's own app-first hosted system on Cisco BroadSoft technology, in three tiers | Teams that want simple per-user service, mobile apps and optional desk phones |
| Hosted 3CX | The 3CX phone system hosted and managed for you, licensed per system by simultaneous calls | Organisations wanting deep call handling, queues and CRM integration |
| Webex Calling | Cisco's cloud calling inside the Webex App, with UK data centres | Cisco networking estates and Webex meetings users |
| Microsoft Teams Phone | Calling inside Microsoft Teams, via Forever Teams, Operator Connect or a Microsoft Calling Plan | Organisations that already work in Microsoft 365 all day |
Prefer BT as a single supplier for lines, broadband and phones? See where BT Cloud Voice fits. Keeping a PBX you already own? Then SIP trunks may be the better answer than a new system.
What we manage for you
Choosing a hosted system is only half the job. Forever Systems handles the practical work so the switch is uneventful for your callers:
- Discovery. We map your numbers, extensions, groups, menus and opening hours, plus any special lines such as door entry, lifts or alarms.
- Connectivity check. We look at your broadband or leased line and your office network so voice gets priority. See hosted VoIP.
- Numbers and porting. We order new numbers where needed and port your existing ones, with diverts in place while the port completes.
- Handsets and apps. We supply and provision desk phones, cordless DECT phones and headsets, or set people up on apps only. See VoIP phones.
- Build and test. We configure call flows, test them with you, and train reception and admins.
- Ongoing support. UK support for moves, adds and changes, faults and changes to call routing.
For a sense of what affects the cost, read how much a cloud phone system costs. For a quote, contact us.
More on hosted phone systems
Why choose your cloud phone system with Forever Systems
We are vendor-neutral. Forever Group supplies and supports several cloud phone platforms, so we recommend the one that fits how your organisation works rather than the one we happen to sell.
- Side-by-side comparison of hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Forever UC, Forever Teams and Webex Calling for your users
- Contact centre and call recording options matched to your call volumes and CRM
- Number porting, handsets and set-up handled for you, including the move off analogue and ISDN lines
- Connectivity checked so call quality is right from day one
- UK support for moves, adds, changes and faults
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our BT Business Partner site cloudvoice.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. We do not sell consumer phone services.
Want a vendor-neutral cloud phone system comparison and quote?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Is a hosted phone system the same as VoIP?
Not quite. VoIP is the technology that carries calls over an internet connection. A hosted phone system is the whole business phone system (menus, groups, voicemail, extensions) run in a provider's data centre, and it uses VoIP to connect your phones and apps to it.
Can I keep my existing phone numbers?
Usually, yes. Geographic, non-geographic and most other business numbers can be ported to a hosted phone system. We handle the request with your current provider and can put temporary diverts in place while the port completes.
Do I still need phone lines with a hosted phone system?
No. A hosted system runs over your internet connection, so it does not need analogue or ISDN lines. You do need a reliable business connection with enough upload capacity, and a plan for any alarms or devices that still use a phone line.
What happens to calls if our internet goes down?
The phone system itself keeps running in the data centre. Calls to your numbers can divert automatically to another site, to mobiles or apps, or to voicemail until the connection is back.
How much does a hosted phone system cost?
It depends on the platform, the number of users, call bundles, handsets and contract term. Ask us for a quote and we will compare the options side by side.