📞 Columbus + Ohio statewide
Most Columbus MSPs added phone systems to their services list in the last 5 years because UCaaS got hot. We started here. Buckeye has been deploying business phone systems for Ohio mid-market companies since 2003 — PRI, hosted PBX, SIP trunking, hosted VoIP, and now Teams Phone. We see the difference between “we sell phones” and “we live phones” in every cutover.
What we deploy
Hosted VoIP / UCaaS
Cloud-based phone system. Handsets, softphones, mobile apps, call routing, voicemail-to-email, integrations. Works across all your locations on one system.
Microsoft Teams Phone
If you’re already on M365 E3/E5, we’ll set up Teams Phone with Direct Routing or Operator Connect, port your numbers, and manage the SBC.
SIP Trunking
Replace your PRI or POTS lines with SIP trunks while keeping your existing PBX. Usually 40–60% cheaper than legacy lines.
Number porting
614, 740, 419, toll-free, vanity, fax — all of it. Included in every cutover. We handle LOAs and carrier coordination.
Contact center / IVR
Call queuing, auto-attendants, smart routing, recording, reporting. We build the call flow with you, not for you.
E911 + emergency address mapping
Properly configured E911 for every extension, so when somebody dials 911 from your warehouse, dispatch goes to the right address.
Plain English on cost: Hosted VoIP typically runs $25–$45 per user per month all-in. A 50-person Columbus company on two locations usually lands at $1,500–$2,500/month for the phone stack. We quote line-by-line so you see what each feature costs — not a bundled mystery number.
How we choose your platform
We are vendor-neutral on phone platforms — we’re paid the same residual whether we deploy you on RingCentral, 8x8, Nextiva, Webex, Zoom Phone, Microsoft Teams Phone, or a different solution that fits your specific environment. Here’s exactly how we get paid.
What drives the choice is your environment, not our commission. The questions we ask:
- Already on Microsoft 365 E3/E5 with heavy Teams adoption? Teams Phone often wins on TCO.
- Heavy contact center needs (queues, agent reporting, recording)? Webex/8x8/RingCentral over Teams Phone.
- Multi-location with regional differences in compliance (e.g., healthcare across multiple states)? Look at platforms with deeper BAA terms and audit logging.
- Tight integration with a specific CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot)? Some platforms have first-party connectors; others don’t.
- Existing PBX that’s working fine but you want to retire copper? SIP trunking the existing PBX may beat a full replacement.
The cutover — how we run it
1
Network readiness
Bandwidth, jitter, packet loss, QoS audit. VoIP only sounds good on a properly configured LAN/WAN.
2
Number porting setup
LOAs to losing carrier, port dates locked, number inventory verified.
3
Build the call flow
Auto-attendant menus, hunt groups, ring groups, voicemail-to-email, fail-over destinations.
4
Provision handsets
Phones pre-configured before they ship. Softphones and mobile apps deployed.
5
User training
30-minute training session per team. Quick-reference guides. Office champions identified.
6
Weekend cutover
Number port executes, calls flow to new system. We’re on-call all weekend.
7
Monday morning support
On-site or remote presence Monday morning, no matter how small the question. Most issues land before lunch.
8
Old system decom
Old lines killed, PBX retired, copper disconnects filed, billing reconciled.
9
Day 30 review
Call quality data, user feedback, configuration tweaks, billing audit against the quote.
Why this matters for Ohio businesses right now
AT&T is sunsetting copper. First wave of wire-center decommissions starts mid-2026. If you still have POTS lines — fax, fire alarm, elevator emergency, alarm panels — you have a deadline. The lines are getting killed on a published schedule and most building owners haven’t read it.
We replace POTS lines with code-compliant alternatives (cellular failover for fire panels, SIP for fax, etc.) before the cutoff date hits. Don’t wait until December.
See the concentration-risk story from earlier this year for the broader picture: Six Weeks, Six Failures: The Concentration Risk Behind 2026’s Telecom Outages.
Phones-only or full convergence?
Plenty of our Columbus clients use Buckeye only for phones. They have an internal IT team or an existing managed services provider. We handle the entire phone stack and stay out of the rest.
Other clients converge — IT, phones, network, security under one roof, one invoice, one number to call. That’s covered in detail on our Managed IT + Business Phone page. Both paths work. We’ll tell you honestly which is the right fit for where you are today.
Free Stack Audit — phone stack edition
15 quick questions about your current phone system, carriers, and what’s prompting a change. We’ll come back within one business day with what we found and your real options. No deck, no pressure.
Start the Free Stack Audit →
FAQ
How much does hosted VoIP cost in Columbus?
Typical range: $25–$45 per user per month all-in for hosted VoIP with support, calling, and basic UCaaS features. A 50-person, 2-location Columbus company usually lands around $1,500–$2,500/month total. Adds for advanced contact center, call recording, or compliance archiving run extra. We quote line-by-line so you see what each feature costs.
Can I keep my 614 number?
Yes. Every time. Number porting is included in every cutover we do — 614, 740, 419, toll-free, vanity numbers, all of it. We handle the LOA paperwork and the carrier coordination so the port completes cleanly on cutover weekend.
How long does a phone system cutover take?
Small single-location: 2–3 weeks from contract to live. Multi-location: 4–8 weeks. We do most cutovers on a weekend so Monday morning is uneventful. Includes number porting, handset/softphone provisioning, training, and old-system decommissioning.
What about Microsoft Teams Phone?
Yes — we deploy Teams Phone as a hosted VoIP option for Columbus businesses already using Microsoft 365. We act as your Operator Connect or Direct Routing provider, port your numbers in, and manage the SBC and SIP trunking. Teams Phone makes sense when you’re already paying for M365 E5 or have heavy Teams adoption; doesn’t make sense if you need legacy paging, complex call flows, or contact center features Teams doesn’t handle well.
Do you handle SIP trunking for an existing PBX?
Yes. If your current PBX is working and you don’t want to replace it, we can replace just the PRI/POTS lines with SIP trunks. Usually saves 40–60% on per-channel costs. Common path for buyers who recently invested in an on-prem PBX but want to retire copper before AT&T’s POTS sunset.
Will the VoIP quality be as good as our PBX?
It depends entirely on your network. VoIP quality lives or dies on your internet connection, QoS configuration, and LAN cabling. We do a network readiness assessment before quoting — measure bandwidth, jitter, packet loss, identify QoS gaps — and tell you honestly if your network needs fixes before VoIP will sound right. Most do; some don’t.
Do we have to switch our MSP to work with you on phones?
No. We deploy and manage hosted VoIP, SIP trunking, and Teams Phone for plenty of Columbus businesses that already have a managed IT provider. About a third of our telecom-only clients eventually grow into full convergence — but that’s their call, not a precondition.