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Before upgrading phone system, decide whether to add modern features to the system you have or replace it, then check any new system for five things: room to grow, call features, integrations, mobile access and security. This guide covers both. If you’re comparing options now, see our business phone systems.
Keep, Extend or Replace Your Old System
Many Australian businesses still run a traditional on-premises phone system. It works, staff know it, and it has often been reliable for years. But teams now expect mobile apps, remote access, softphones, CRM integration and real-time call analytics, and the common question is whether those can be added to the existing system.
Sometimes they can, but it comes with technical and security trade-offs.
What adding modern features to an older PBX takes
Traditional PBX systems were designed for closed office networks. To run mobile apps or remote extensions, an older system often needs:
- Port forwarding on the router
- Direct inbound access from the internet
- A static IP address
- SIP trunk changes
- Third-party gateways or extra licences
The system can then look modern, but underneath it is still equipment that wasn’t built to be permanently exposed to the internet.
The security risk
Opening a legacy phone system to the internet can:
- Expose it to automated SIP scanning and brute-force attacks
- Create entry points into your internal network
- Weaken your overall cyber security
- Raise compliance concerns
- Increase the risk of toll fraud, which is still common in Australia
Older systems weren’t designed with encrypted authentication or zero-trust security in mind.
When extending the old system makes sense
- The system is relatively new
- Its firmware is still supported and updated
- Firewall policies are properly configured
- Internet access to it is tightly controlled
- The risks are documented and understood
If you take this path, we explain the risks, document the security implications and responsibilities, apply best-practice configuration and recommend monitoring. We don’t recommend opening a phone system to the internet without an assessment first.
When it’s time to replace it
Adding features can turn into a patchwork. If your system needs workarounds, open inbound ports, unsupported firmware, weak encryption, ongoing troubleshooting or rising maintenance spend, moving to a cloud phone system may cost less over time and is more secure. Current cloud phone systems are designed to:
- Use secure outbound connections
- Support encrypted authentication
- Run mobile apps without port forwarding
- Integrate with Microsoft 365 and CRMs
- Provide detailed call reporting
- Support hybrid and remote teams
- Scale as your business grows
If you’d rather keep your phone system on site, a current on-premises PBX is another option.
The decision comes down to your risk tolerance, business continuity needs, cyber security, compliance obligations, long-term IT plans and total cost of ownership. Keeping an older system can look cheaper in the short term, while each extra modification adds exposure, complexity and cost.
Five Things Worth Checking before Upgrading phone system
1. Room to grow
Choose a system that fits your business today and can grow with it. With a hosted phone system, adding users or opening a new branch in another city doesn’t mean rewiring the office, because the system is managed in the cloud.
2. Call features you’ll use
Call forwarding, voicemail to email, auto attendants and call recording are now standard. If your receptionist is off sick, calls can reroute to another team member or a mobile, and voicemails reach your inbox while you’re out of the office. Our hosted systems include these features.
3. Integration with your other tools
A modern phone system should work with your CRM, Microsoft 365 or helpdesk. When a customer calls, the system can bring up their details from your CRM, so your team sees past interactions before they answer. We connect phone systems with the tools businesses already use.
4. Mobile and remote access
Cloud-hosted phone systems can ring laptops, smartphones and tablets wherever there’s an internet connection. For a simple option, VoIP Express is our cloud-based softphone service for making and receiving calls on a computer or mobile. See also how softphones work.
5. Security
Phone systems can be attacked like any other system: calls intercepted, or confidential information accessed if the system isn’t locked down. On our hosted phone services we use encryption, firewalls and regular monitoring, and we look after updates and patches.
Our Approach
We set up phone systems based on your size, industry and the way your team handles calls, from small businesses that need a straightforward setup to larger ones with complex call routing and integrations. We handle installation, configuration and security, and support the system after it goes live.
Before you enable remote access or mobile apps on a legacy system, our phone system assessment can:
- Identify configuration and security risks
- Compare the cost of extending against replacing
- Line up your phone system with your wider IT plans
Book a phone system assessment or call 1300 603 404 to talk about your current setup.
