A hosted number – sometimes called a virtual phone number – is the number assigned to a phone that uses the internet to make calls, using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Other names that are used interchangeably for this technology include:

• Virtual / cloud telephony
• Cloud / hosted PBX
• Hosted VoIP

What is hosted telephony?

With the ISDN switch of occurring in 2025, telephone users will have to move away from traditional copper telephone lines and towards a ‘hosted’ or ‘virtual’ solution, that uses the internet to make calls.

There are three options when looking at hosted telephony solutions: using a physical desk phone (‘hardphone’), using an app on your phone or computer (‘softphone’), or using a call answering service. A call answering service is a third party who answers calls, and takes and relays messages on your behalf.

How does hosted telephony work?

In hosted telephony, VoIP providers (such as Beaming) use cloud technology to remotely host the calls made to and from your company. This means there is no need to have bulky hardware at your office, and you can use and present your phone numbers, even those beginning with your local area code, no matter where you are in the world.

A traditional landline uses copper wires to transmit voice signals, with a phone number that is tied to your local telephone exchange. In hosted telephony, however, the phone system is hosted remotely, and audio is turned into digital data packets that travel in the same way as other traffic across the internet.

What sort of business can use a hosted number?

Effective communication is a crucial element of businesses of any size – from sole traders to large enterprises – and as such, hosted numbers are a practical solution for any business that uses telephones.

What are the benefits of hosted telephony?

Call handling

Hosted telephony can be your answer to call handling. The ability to provide your established phone number to customers while using a professional call handling service can help your business to provide out of hours support, avoid missed calls, and allow your employees to focus on their roles, instead of wasting their time directing calls.

Boosting brand image

For sole traders and companies with employees that are constantly on-the-move, mobiles might be the most convenient option, but mobile numbers can give the impression that your business is small, and blur the lines between your personal and professional lives. Using a hosted number to present a local landline number can help to boost the perception that your business is established and trustworthy, and can allow you to log out of your VoIP system so you only receive calls when you want to.

For medium and larger businesses, using a hosted phone number can be useful for those that might work across multiple sites, but want to retain the local area code that their business is commonly associated with.

Flexibility

Another benefit of hosted telephony is its inherent flexibility; and the fact it can be used anywhere in the world you have an internet connection. Your phone isn’t tied to your desk – which can be especially useful in today’s age of remote and hybrid working.

Other features

The features available to your business will depend on who you choose to provide your telephony solution. From outbound caller ID blocking and three-way calling, to multiple line appearance, busy lamp monitoring and more, here are the features available with BeamRing.

BeamRing is our hosted telephony solution, built for business. Learn more here.