If someone has told you to "sort out the business phones," it can feel like you've been handed a technical project you're not qualified for. You haven't. Changing providers can be straightforward when you choose a managed migration service, but the work included varies by provider, plan, hardware and network requirements. Your main job is giving them some basic information and making a few decisions.
What normally stays the same: your phone numbers, your customers (they keep calling the same numbers), and your current phone service, which usually keeps working while the new one is being set up. Your role is generally to provide information and approve decisions, not to configure anything yourself.
What actually happens, step by step
Every provider does this slightly differently, but a straightforward small business migration normally follows the same shape. Here's what to expect.
Step 1: You tell the new provider what you have
Usually just your current provider, your existing phone numbers, roughly how many staff need a phone, how many locations you have, and a basic idea of what you need. You're not expected to run a technical audit of your own phone system before you contact anyone.
Step 2: The provider recommends the setup
The provider works out which phone service suits your business, how many users or extensions you need, which phones or apps to use, how calls should be answered, and how your existing numbers will move. This is the provider's job, not yours. If you want to understand the difference before that conversation, see our guide to cloud phone systems vs on-premise office phone systems.
Step 3: The new system is prepared
Normally, the replacement service can be set up before your old service is touched. This includes creating user accounts, programming phones, setting business hours and voicemail, setting up how calls are grouped or answered, and testing that everything works. Again, this is the provider's work, not something you're expected to do yourself.
Step 4: Your existing numbers are moved
Your existing phone numbers are transferred from your old provider to your new one, a process usually called number porting. Don't cancel your existing phone service yourself before this transfer is complete, unless your new provider specifically tells you to.
Step 5: The new service goes live
The provider should coordinate the changeover. Staff may need to plug in a replacement phone, sign into an app, or follow a short set of instructions. On a managed deployment, staff may only need to plug in a phone or sign into an app, but customer and IT tasks vary with the provider, plan, hardware and network.
Step 6: Old services are closed
Only after the new service is confirmed working and your numbers have transferred successfully. Closing the old service too early, before the transfer is confirmed, is one of the few genuine mistakes to avoid, which is why it's worth waiting for your provider's confirmation rather than cancelling on your own timeline.
What does the new provider normally do?
- Recommend the right service for your business
- Configure the phone system
- Create users and extensions
- Set up call routing and business hours
- Configure voicemail
- Set up reception and call groups
- Arrange the transfer of your existing numbers
- Supply or configure phones if needed
- Coordinate the changeover
- Test the service
- Provide login details and instructions
- Help resolve any problems during the migration
You are not expected to design or build the phone system yourself.
What will I need to provide?
Keep this deliberately simple. Providers usually ask for:
- Current provider: for example Telstra, Optus, Commander, Vocus, another provider, or you're not sure
- Phone numbers: your main business number plus any other important numbers. If you don't know all of them, that's okay, your bills or provider records can usually help identify them
- Roughly how many staff need to make or receive calls
- How many locations: one office, multiple offices, or office plus remote staff
- How calls work today: does reception answer everything, do calls ring several people, do customers select options, does anyone work remotely
Your current phone bill can help too, but it's not mandatory to start an enquiry.
Things you do not need to know before asking for help
You don't need to know what SIP is, what PBX means, your NBN connection type, how number porting technically works, what phone hardware to buy, or how to configure extensions.
If you know who currently sends the phone bill and roughly how many people use the phones, that's enough to start.
Will our phones stop working?
A properly planned migration is designed to minimise disruption. Normally, the new service is prepared first, your existing service stays active in the meantime, the new setup is tested, your number is transferred, and only then is the old service closed. Every migration is a little different, so it's worth asking your provider to confirm the exact changeover process before you agree to anything. This is a managed, low-risk process, not a risk-free one, and no provider can honestly promise zero disruption.
Can we keep our existing phone number?
In most normal provider changes, yes. Existing Australian business phone numbers can usually be transferred to a new provider. Some unusual legacy services or account arrangements may need extra work, which a competent provider should identify before the change goes ahead. Changing provider does not normally mean changing the number your customers already know.
How much work is this for me?
For a managed small-business migration, much of the technical work may sit with the provider; confirm which configuration, installation and network tasks are included. Your role is mainly to provide information, answer a few questions, approve the setup, coordinate staff if needed, and confirm calls are working once it's live. This shouldn't become your second job.
Do I need our IT company involved?
Often not, for a basic cloud phone migration. Your phone provider may want to coordinate with IT where there's a more complex network, firewalls, managed switches, multiple offices, or integrations with Microsoft Teams, a CRM, or other business systems. If IT involvement is needed, your provider should tell you what they need from them. Working out whether that's necessary is the provider's job to assess, not something you need to determine technically yourself.
What does it cost to change?
Most of the cost of changing provider is the ongoing monthly service, not the change itself. Moving your existing numbers across is normally free or a small one-off charge, though a few providers do bill for it, so it is worth asking for the figure in writing before you agree to anything.
Two other costs catch people out. If you are still inside a minimum contract term with your current provider, early termination charges may apply, and those are set by your contract rather than by the new provider. And if your handsets are old analogue phones plugged into the socket on the back of your modem, they will not move across as they are; you will either need an adapter or replacement handsets. Existing IP desk phones can usually be reconfigured for a new provider rather than replaced, which is worth confirming early because it can be the difference between a few hundred dollars and a few thousand. For what the ongoing service itself typically runs, see our guide to what a business phone system costs in Australia.
How long it takes, and when to start
The part with a real timeline is moving your numbers. A straightforward transfer of a single local business number generally takes 8 to 15 business days. A more complex move, such as a block of numbers or a service with unusual account arrangements, can take up to 30 business days. Our number porting timeline guide explains which category a service falls into and why.
The practical advice that follows from those numbers: start earlier than feels necessary, and do not book the changeover for your busiest week. If you are moving premises, changing providers and relocating at the same time is harder than doing them a few weeks apart. Your old service normally keeps running throughout, so starting early costs you very little and running late costs you a lot.
The mistakes that actually cause problems
Most migrations are uneventful. The ones that go wrong usually go wrong for one of four reasons, and all four are avoidable.
1. Cancelling the old service before the numbers have moved. This is the one genuine way to lose a number permanently, and it is covered above and in the FAQ below. Wait for written confirmation that the transfer is complete.
2. Cancelling a bundle that also carries your internet. If your phone service is bundled with your internet connection, cancelling the phone component can take the internet with it. Confirm in writing what a cancellation actually cancels before anyone submits it. Our landline to VOIP migration guide covers this in more detail.
3. Details on the transfer form not matching your old account. The business name, address and account number on the request have to match what your current provider has on file. A trading name where the registered name is on the account, or an old address that was never updated, is enough to get the request rejected and start the clock again. Check a recent bill and use exactly what it says.
4. Nobody owning the changeover day. Somebody at your end needs to be reachable on the day the numbers move, to confirm calls are arriving. It rarely takes long, but a transfer that completes while everyone is unavailable is how a problem goes unnoticed until a customer mentions it.
Questions to ask a new provider
Before agreeing to anything, it's reasonable to ask:
- Can we keep all our existing numbers?
- Who handles the number transfer?
- Will our current phone service stay active while the new system is prepared?
- Who configures the phones and call routing?
- Is any IT work required from us?
- What equipment needs to change?
- What are the setup costs?
- What is the ongoing monthly cost?
- How long is the contract?
- Who do we call if there's a problem during the change?
What happens if you ask us for help?
1. Send us the basics. Tell us who you're with, roughly how many people use the phones, and what you're trying to change or fix.
2. We help you understand your options. We'll explain the sensible options in plain English.
3. You decide what happens next. Your details aren't shared with any provider unless that's clearly part of what you've agreed to.
4. If you choose to proceed, the provider handles the technical setup and migration, using what you've told us.
Want to compare your options first? See our full guide to the best phone systems for small business.
Want the technical detail on exactly how number porting works and how long it takes? Read the full number porting timeline guide.
Will we lose our main phone number?
Normally, no. Existing Australian business numbers can usually be transferred to a new provider, so customers keep calling the same number.
Do I need to understand VoIP, SIP or PBX to organise this?
Not necessarily. A fully managed service may handle the technical setup, while self-service, BYO-phone or SIP services can require configuration by you or your IT provider. You need to know who your current provider is and roughly how many people use the phones, that's enough to start.
Will our phones stop working during the change?
A properly planned migration is designed to minimise disruption. The new service is normally prepared and tested before your existing service is switched off. No provider can honestly promise zero downtime, but a well-run migration keeps it to a minimum.
Do I need to cancel our old phone service first?
No, and you generally shouldn't. Cancelling the old service before the number transfer is confirmed is one of the few genuine mistakes to avoid. Wait for your new provider to confirm the transfer is complete.
Will I have to configure the phone system myself?
Not necessarily. Some managed plans include configuration, while self-service, BYO-phone or SIP-trunk services may require you or your IT provider to configure users, devices, routing or network settings. Staff might need to plug in a new handset or sign into an app, but that's usually the extent of what's asked of them.
How long will this take, and how much of it is my job?
Timelines vary by provider and how many numbers need to be transferred. Your own time involvement is usually limited to providing information, answering a few questions, and confirming things are working once the new service goes live.
Tell us who you're with now and roughly how many people use the phones. We'll help you understand the simplest next step, free, with no unexpected sales calls.
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