What is a traditional private branch exchange (PBX)?

A traditional PBX (often called a PBX) is a physical system located in your company that controls all telephony. Think of a cabinet in the server room, linked to fixed phones and traditional phone lines.

For years, this was the standard. And it worked perfectly well… until the way we work changed. Because, honestly, a system like that isn't built for flexibility. Adding new users, connecting an extra location, or letting employees call from home? That quickly requires technical interventions, extra costs, or complex configurations. On top of that, you need to consider:

• Hardware investments
• maintenance and updates
• limited scalability

For many organisations, this today feels like a system that hinders rather than supports.

What is VoIP telephony?

The first major evolution came with VoIP, or Voice over IP. Instead of calling via traditional phone lines, communication takes place over the internet. This might seem like a small change, but it opens the door to much more flexibility. Suddenly, it becomes possible to:

• to call from different devices
• add users faster
• telephony partially or fully to the cloud to bring

It is important to understand that VoIP is not a product in itself, but a technology. Many solutions fall under this: from simple softphones to extensive cloud-based telephone exchanges. For many companies, this is a logical step forward. Less hardware, more flexibility, and often also a lower cost. But in practice, we see that classic VoIP solutions are still often separate from other tools. Telephony is then one system, chat another, video meetings yet another. And it is precisely there that things are starting to get complicated today.

Wat is Microsoft Teams Calling?

With Microsoft Teams Calling You take another step forward. Technically, this is also a form of VoIP; you are still calling over the internet. But that's where the comparison pretty much ends. Because where classic VoIP solutions focus on telephony, Teams Calling is part of a broader digital workplace.

In other words, you're bringing your telephone exchange into the same environment where you already collaborate today. Think of chatting, meetings, file sharing... and calling, all within the same application. Your employees no longer need to switch between different tools. They work in one familiar environment, whether they are in the office, working from home, or on the go.

What makes Teams Calling different from classic VoIP?

Although Microsoft Teams Calling is technically also a VoIP solution, the real difference lies in how telephony is embedded in your work environment. With classic VoIP solutions, telephony often remains a separate tool. You have a system for making calls, and in addition, you use other applications for chat, meetings, or collaboration. Those tools can sometimes be linked, but they rarely form a single unit. With Teams Calling, it's different. Telephony is part of a broader platform from the outset. Specifically, that means:

• Telephony as part of one platformCalling isn't separate, but is integrated into the same environment where you also chat, meet, and collaborate.
• Integration with Microsoft 365Contacts, calendars, and presence are directly linked, without extra connections.
• Central management environmentYou manage users, numbers, and settings within the same environment as the rest of your Microsoft tools.
• Consistent operation across the entire organisationWhether someone works in the office or remotely, the way of communicating remains the same.

What particularly stands out here is that Teams Calling builds on VoIP technology, but broadens the concept of telephony. It's no longer a separate solution, but an integrated part of your digital workplace.

Traditional phone system vs VoIP vs Teams Calling

Let's set out all the solutions again:

Why do businesses today choose Teams Calling?

In practice, we see that companies rarely start from technology alone. The choice for Teams Calling usually has to do with how people work today.

Workplaces have become more flexible. Employees switch smoothly between the office and home, work on different devices, and expect tools to work together intuitively. In this context, companies are particularly looking for simplicity and coherence. Teams Calling strongly addresses this.

More simplicity in daily operations

With Teams Calling, communication comes together in one place. Employees have to switch between fewer systems, which leads to more clarity and less frustration.

Less complexity for IT

A fragmented IT landscape requires more management, more integrations, and often more support. By integrating telephony into Microsoft 365:

• Do you work with one central platform?
• reduce the number of loose tools
• Do you keep the administration manageable?

This makes a noticeable difference in the daily operations of IT teams.

Flexible working without limitations

Hybrid working is no longer an exception, but the norm. With Teams Calling, employees can:

• Calling from the office, at home, or on the go
• working via desktop, laptop or smartphone
• always maintain the same method
• Make and receive calls worldwide using their trusted business number

Without additional configurations or workarounds.

Scalability that grows with your organisation

Whether you're recruiting new employees or expanding to multiple locations, you want your telephony to easily keep pace. With a cloud solution like Teams Calling:

• quickly add users via our unique licence portal
• adjust your settings centrally
• Will you grow without major adjustments

Highly competitive and predictable cost structure

An often underestimated advantage is the pricing. Companies, especially those already working with Microsoft 365, will find that Teams Calling can be particularly interesting financially. The rates for call minutes, numbers, and lines are often very competitive, meaning that in many cases it's no longer a significant extra cost on top of your existing Microsoft environment. This makes the transition a logical evolution rather than a heavy investment for many organisations.

A logical step for Microsoft 365 users

For organisations already working with Microsoft 365, Teams Calling often feels like a natural next step. You build upon an already established environment, instead of introducing a separate solution again. This lowers the barrier for both users and IT.

Additionally, Teams Calling offers strong integration possibilities with other Microsoft solutions, such as CRM and ERP systems within the Microsoft ecosystem (for example Dynamics 365This makes telephony not only simpler, but also smarter and better integrated with your business processes.

Why Teams Calling through VanRoey?

The technology itself is one thing, but the success of a telephony project often depends on the right implementation and follow-up. In practice, we see that companies sometimes get stuck in a fragmented landscape: the network partner points to telephony, the telephony partner to the network, and problems get stuck somewhere in between. At VanRoey, we avoid that by bundling everything into one approach.

One partner for the complete picture

VanRoey brings together all relevant expertise:

• Microsoft specialists
• Network and infrastructure knowledge
• expertise in modern workplaces and meeting rooms
• Cloud and telephony solutions

This way, you have a single point of contact who understands and manages your entire environment.

Faster solutions, less complexity

Because everything is with one partner, classic supplier discussions disappear. That means:

• Faster problem-solving
• less downtime
• Clear ownership of your environment

Belgian infrastructure with proprietary data centre

Your data is hosted in a Belgian data centre van VanRoey. This ensures:

• Fast and stable performance through local processing
• Extra peace of mind regarding data and compliance
• no additional external hosting complexity or costs

Ready to modernise your telephony?

Are you considering switching to Microsoft Teams Calling, or do you simply want to test which solution best suits your organisation?

Our experts are happy to think along with you: from analysis to implementation and management. Feel free to contact our team for a no-obligation chat. Together, we'll look at how we can make your telephony simpler, more flexible, and future-proof.