What are IP Phones / IP Telephones?

An IP telephone, very broadly speaking, is a telephone designed to work with an IP PBX. Almost all IP phones nowadays are SIP-based phones.

This is good news for businesses and end users because it means that PBX vendors can’t force you into locking in with their proprietary software or hardware. Phone manufacturers can produce SIP phones, and as long as the phones can support the SIP standard, then your investment is protected, and the phones can be used with virtually any SIP-based IP PBX. The 3CX software is tested against all major brands to ensure compatibility, such as:

  • Aastra
  • Cisco
  • Fanvil
  • Grandstream
  • Htek
  • Polycom
  • Snom
  • Yealink

C2 Communications also offers a free 3CX softphone for Windows that can be used to make and receive VoIP phone calls from your PC. With the 3CX softphone for Windows, your costs are strongly reduced and you can enjoy free VoIP calls.

Today’s modern SIP Phones are also able to work without being constrained to a particular office or location, which makes them more mobile. We now can have on-premise phones and remote ones working off of the same systems. Additionally, you can use the 3CX mobile apps in order to receive and make calls over the 3CX phone system, no matter where you are. Thanks to the great connectivity of 3CX, the collaboration between team members is enhanced.

IP phones are sometimes called VoIP telephones, SIP phones or softphones. Although they have different name, it’s all the same device or software client that is designed to transmit voice over the internet (VoIP), mostly using the SIP protocol. IP telephones come in different types for different user roles. 3CX software supports the most popular IP phones.