Methodology

How We Test and Review

Everything we publish on Need to Know Comms is based on structured research and, where possible, hands-on experience with Australian business communications infrastructure. This page explains how we approach our guides and the personal recommendation service.

Editorial Guides and Buying Guides

Our buying guides and explainers evaluate products and services against criteria chosen specifically for Australian small business users. We assess:

For phone systems and VoIP services:

• Call quality on Australian NBN connections (FTTP, FTTN, FTTC, HFC)
• Setup complexity and support quality for non-technical business owners
• Pricing in AUD including port fees, number fees, and call rates
• Feature completeness for common SMB use cases: auto attendant, hold music, call recording, ring groups
• Number porting support from Australian carriers (Telstra, Optus, etc.)
• Contract terms and cancellation conditions

For SIP phones and hardware:

• Compatibility with common Australian-hosted PBX platforms
• Audio quality for typical office environments
• Power over Ethernet support (standard in AU commercial deployments)
• Screen size and programmable button count relative to use case

Products We Have Not Personally Tested

Not every product we cover can be physically tested. Where we have not tested a product directly, we rely on verified technical specifications from the manufacturer, cross-reference multiple independent sources, note clearly where our assessment is based on research rather than direct testing, and do not make specific performance claims we cannot substantiate.

The Personal Recommendation Service

The "Get a Recommendation" service is separate from our editorial guides. When you submit an enquiry, a member of our team reviews your specific situation -- your current setup, call volume, staff count, and requirements -- and responds with a personal recommendation.

Recommendations via this service come from our panel of vetted Australian providers. The panel is curated based on the assessment criteria above. We do not recommend providers we have not assessed. The fact that a provider appears in our editorial guides does not automatically mean they are on our recommendation panel, and vice versa.

We disclose all commercial relationships with providers on our Independence and Disclosure page.

How Often We Update Articles

We review all buying guides and product pages at minimum once per year. The "Last updated" date shown on each article reflects the date of our most recent review. Regulatory information (ACMA, TIO, ACL) is updated as rules change.

Sources We Rely On

• Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) for regulatory claims about number porting, 1300/1800 numbers, and emergency calling
• Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) for consumer rights information
• Provider documentation and pricing pages (with "check current price" caveats on all pricing)
• NBN Co technical documentation for connection type specifications
• Direct AU deployment experience with business communications infrastructure