Phone systems from Cologne – reachable wherever you are

Yes. Existing numbers and entire number blocks are ported. We agree the date with the outgoing and the incoming provider and plan the switchover so that, as a rule, it only takes a few minutes and falls outside your main business hours.

The cloud version needs less maintenance, requires no hardware on site and is particularly suitable for distributed teams and multiple sites. A system on your own premises can make sense if there are special requirements regarding data storage, interfaces or integration with existing systems. As 3CX supports both modes of operation, you can switch later.

Yes, and that is one of the biggest advantages. Your employees can be reached on the same extension as in the office – via the 3CX app on their smartphone, a softphone on their laptop or a desk phone at home. Calls can be transferred internally as if everyone were sitting in the same building.

Not necessarily. Many existing SIP-capable devices can continue to be used. Older ISDN or analogue phones do not work directly, but some can be connected via adapters. We check your existing equipment and tell you what can stay. We mainly source new devices from Yealink.

With a properly designed network it is better than with traditional telephony, because modern wideband codecs are used. The prerequisites are sufficient bandwidth, low latency and prioritisation of voice traffic (QoS) on the network. That is exactly what we check and set up before the switchover – it is the most common cause of quality problems.

Yes. 3CX offers integrations with common CRM and ERP systems as well as with Microsoft 365 and Outlook. As the phone rings, your employees can already see who is calling and which matters are open, and they can dial directly from the customer record. For special cases, the integration can be custom-developed via interfaces.

That depends on four things: the number of extensions, whether the system is on your premises or runs as a cloud service, which handsets you use and which additional features you need – call queues, recording, CRM integration.

Broadly, there are two models: with a system on your own premises, you pay once for the system, licences and setup, and then on an ongoing basis for maintenance and call charges. With a cloud system there is no purchase, but you pay monthly per extension. Calculated over five years, the two are often closer together than they seem at first glance.

Handsets are the item most often missing from quotes. Always include them – with thirty workstations, they make a considerable difference.

Buying makes sense if you run a server room anyway, want to use the system for a long time and value keeping everything in-house. Renting makes sense with multiple sites, a lot of work on the move and if you do not want to run your own hardware.

One point that is often overlooked: with a cloud system, telephony stops if the internet line fails. If you depend on it, you need a second line – and that belongs in the cost comparison.

Often, yes. SIP-capable devices from common manufacturers can usually be taken over. Older ISDN or proprietary system phones cannot – they are tied to their particular phone system.

We check this before making a quote, based on the model names. It is worth it: if half the devices can stay, that changes the calculation considerably.

From placing the order to the switchover, allow four to eight weeks. The longest item is not the technology but porting the numbers – the outgoing provider has statutory deadlines for this that nobody can shorten.

The new system is set up in parallel and does not disrupt your operations. With proper preparation, the actual switchover takes a few minutes.

Then telephony stops – with any IP-based system, regardless of manufacturer. That is why a fallback is part of the setup: in the event of an outage, incoming calls are automatically diverted to mobile numbers so that customers can still reach someone.

For businesses where telephony is business-critical, we also set up a second line, in the simplest case via mobile data. These costs belong in the calculation from the start.

Technically, yes. Legally, it is a sensitive matter: in Germany, recording a conversation without both parties' knowledge is a criminal offence under Section 201 of the German Criminal Code (§ 201 StGB). It only becomes permissible with consent – in practice through an announcement at the start of the call and the option to object.

In addition, there are the works council's (Betriebsrat) co-determination rights and retention periods under the GDPR. We set up the technology; you should agree the legal details with a law firm.

Not necessarily. 3CX runs on a small server on your premises, on an existing virtualisation platform or as a hosted system in a data centre. All three are common.

The decision depends less on the technology than on whether you run a server room anyway and how good your internet connection is. With only one site and a good line, the hosted system is usually the simpler solution.

This is the part that is regularly forgotten in quotes and then noticed on the day of the switchover. Door intercoms, lift emergency phones, alarm systems with telephone diallers and fax machines are often still connected to analogue ports on the old system.

There is a solution for most cases – adapters, IP-capable retrofits or replacement. What matters is that these devices are recorded before the quote, not afterwards. We go through the list during the assessment.

With a system on your own premises, call data does not leave your building. With a hosted system, it depends on the data centre – we use locations in Germany and put this in writing in the contract.

The telephony provider through which calls go out to the public network is a separate matter. There, too, you can choose a provider based in Germany. For law and tax firms and medical practices, this regularly comes up in audits.