Desk phone

The CallFactory phone system works with any brand and type of VoIP handset that supports the SIP protocol, so you are not locked into a single hardware maker. That applies whether you have multiple desk phones in an office setup, a single handset at a home working space, or a mix of both.

Use whatever suits your business:

• a VoIP desk phone for traditional office workplaces,
• a softphone on a laptop or desktop,
• a fixed number on mobile for staff who are out and about,
• or a voicebot that handles calls outside office hours.

Already have VoIP handsets from a previous provider? In most cases you can keep using them, because any SIP-compatible handset can connect to our system. You do not need to replace everything at once when you switch.

You purchase desk phones directly from your IT supplier or any online retailer. That way you choose the brand and model that fits your office, compare prices and delivery times, and keep your relationship with your IT partner on your own terms. For businesses that already have an IT supplier for network equipment and workstations, that is often the logical place to order phones as well.

Once the handset arrives at the office, create a VoIP account in your CallFactory dashboard. You get SIP login details that you enter into the handset via its screen menu or web interface, then the device connects to our platform and is ready to call immediately. You can activate a new workstation in minutes without waiting for shipping or pre-configuration from a provider.

This approach works just as well for a single handset at a home office as it does for dozens spread across several locations. You manage all accounts centrally from your dashboard, even when the handsets were purchased from different retailers.

The Ubiquiti UniFi Talk Touch G3 and later are the latest generation of desk phones from this American brand, and a strong choice for many businesses. Ubiquiti makes well-known network equipment like access points and switches and brings that same design philosophy to their VoIP handsets.

A few ways these handsets stand out:

• Easy to use. Operation is via a large touchscreen with clear menus, so staff without technical knowledge can use the handset straight away.
• Polycarbonate case. Instead of standard plastic, Ubiquiti uses polycarbonate, which feels more solid and lasts longer than cheaper materials you see in many other brands.
• Firmware updates from the screen. You run security updates directly from the handset’s screen menu, so the firmware stays current without anyone needing to pick up or open the handset.

That last point makes these handsets noticeably more secure in practice. VoIP handsets that run old firmware for years are a known risk on business networks because security holes that newer versions already fixed stay open. When an update can run straight from the screen menu, the chance that it actually happens is much higher.

Besides Ubiquiti, our system also works very well with Yealink, which has been one of the most popular brands with our customers for years. Which brand you choose mostly depends on what your IT supplier recommends and the look you want for your office.

The desk phone is one of the endpoints in the CallFactory system, alongside a fixed number on mobile, a softphone on your computer and automated endpoints such as a voicebot or a selection menu. You mix these endpoints freely, with one business number ringing multiple handsets at the same time or in sequence.

A typical setup looks like this: during office hours the desk phone and a softphone on the laptop ring at the same time, then outside office hours the call falls back to the mobile number of the staff member on call, and at night a voicebot answers to identify urgent matters and pass them on. You adjust this setup from your dashboard at any moment, even as your team grows or the way you work changes.

That means the desk phone is not a choice you make once and stick with, but a component that can move with how your business operates. Start with one handset on reception, add softphones for the sales team later, connect mobile phones for field staff, and switch on a voicebot once call volume justifies it. Everything runs under the same business number and the same dashboard.

Whether your team works from one head office, from home addresses or spread across international locations, each desk phone registers with our platform over the internet, so the physical location of the handset makes no difference to how reachable you are under your business number.