Phone Systems That
Don't Get Left Behind
Next Step replaces legacy phone systems with cloud-based platforms, managed as part of your broader IT environment, not a separate vendor relationship.
Communication That Just Works, Wherever Your Team Is.
One platform, properly managed, means nobody's
chasing a dropped call or a missed handset firmware update.
Disconnected Communication Tools Create More Friction Than You Think
Outdated phone systems and disconnected communication tools create small problems
that compound across every team, every day.
Missed calls, inconsistent meeting experiences, unreliable remote access and separate platforms for voice, video and messaging all slow your team down. That friction also affects how easily clients can reach and communicate with your business.
If your phone system sits outside the rest of your technology environment, every change or fault means dealing with another supplier, another support process and another system nobody fully owns.
Next Step brings voice, video and collaboration into the same managed environment as the rest of your IT. One team manages the platform, connectivity and ongoing support so communication works as one connected system.
Let’s Talk About Your Communications
What We Cover
From Microsoft Teams Voice and 3CX to video conferencing and Teams Rooms, this is the full scope of what’s included:
Hosted Phone Systems
Cloud-based telephony, without the on-site PBX hardware.
Microsoft Teams Voice
Calling built directly into the platform your team already uses.
3CX Hosted PBX
A flexible, fully managed phone system.
SIP Trunking
Voice connectivity delivered over the internet, reliably.
IVR & Auto Attendant
Calls routed to the right person, automatically.
Call Recording & Compliance
Conversations captured and retained to meet your obligations.
Video Conferencing
Meeting tools that work the same way, every time.
Teams Rooms & AV Integration
Meeting spaces set up properly, once.
Unified Communications
Voice, video and messaging under one platform.
Internet & Carriage Services
The connectivity your voice platform actually depends on.
AI & Bot Services
Automation applied to calls and routing, in plain terms.
Response Times You Can Hold Us To
Every network incident is logged, prioritised and worked to a committed target, not a best guess.
Impact
Response Target
Resolution Target
critical
The business is stopped
1 hour
4 hours
high
Major function is down
4 hours
8 hours
moderate
Limited impact, workaround available
8 hours
24 hours
low
Minor request or query
24 hours
2 business days
Targets apply within business hours and form part of every Next Step service agreement.
Case Study: MFAA
From Legacy to Leading Edge
MFAA moved off legacy, on-premise infrastructure to a secure, cloud-first environment under Next Step’s management: cloud migration, a standardised device environment, and Essential Eight aligned cybersecurity, delivered as one connected project rather than three separate ones.
If you do not have the IT operations and foundations in place and working well, it becomes much harder to focus on broader organisational priorities. The value for MFAA is that we now have a more secure, reliable and modern technology environment, and we have confidence that Next Step is managing those foundations effectively.
Evan Thomas
COO, MFAA
A Better Phone System in Three Steps
Assess
your current setup and call volumes.
Migrate
numbers and handsets with minimal disruption.
Manage
under the same agreement as the rest of your IT.
Priced Per Seat, Not Per Guess.
Voice is scoped to the number of users and call volume you actually have, not a fixed platform fee regardless of size.
Why Businesses Choose Next Step
Full Ownership, Not Just Advice
One team, one relationship, one number to call. We manage your vendors, contracts and environment so nothing falls into the gap between suppliers.
Reporting You Can Actually Act On
Technology risk and investment translated into plain language, not technical jargon, so decisions get made with confidence.
Forward Planning as Standard
Every client gets a technology roadmap. You'll always know what's coming, what it costs, and why it matters, before it happens.
Response Times You Can Hold Us To
Every incident is logged, prioritised and worked to a committed target, not a best guess.
Thirty Years Deep
Next Step has been doing this since 1994. The tools have changed. The commitment to getting it right hasn't.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to replace our handsets to move to a hosted phone system?
In most cases, existing handsets can be reused or migrated, depending on age and compatibility. This gets confirmed during the assessment stage, not assumed either way.
What's the difference between 3CX and Microsoft Teams Voice?
Microsoft Teams Voice builds calling directly into a platform your team may already use daily. 3CX is a dedicated, fully managed phone system with more call-handling flexibility. Which fits depends on how your team actually communicates.
How long does a phone system migration take?
Most migrations, including number porting, take two to four weeks, and can be scheduled to avoid disrupting business hours.
Do we need call recording?
If your business has compliance, dispute resolution or training obligations, call recording is usually worth including. It’s scoped to only the lines that need it, not applied as a blanket cost.
What happens to our phone numbers if we switch providers?
Existing numbers are ported across as part of the migration, so clients and staff keep dialling the same numbers throughout.
Can remote and hybrid staff use the same phone system?
Yes. Cloud-based phone systems work the same way wherever staff are logged in from, so remote and office-based teams share one platform rather than separate setups.
What is SIP trunking, in plain terms?
SIP trunking delivers voice calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines, usually at lower cost and with easier scaling as the business grows.
Do you support call centres or high call volume environments?
Yes. Deployments have been built for clients running high call volumes, with dedicated site border controllers, SIP trunking and full call recording where needed.
What happens if the internet goes down, can we still make calls?
Cloud-based systems depend on internet connectivity, so most deployments are paired with backup internet or mobile failover to keep calls running through an outage.
Can we integrate the phone system with Microsoft Teams and other business tools?
Yes. Microsoft Teams Voice builds calling directly into Teams, and other platforms can be integrated so voice sits alongside the tools your team already uses daily.
Talk to Someone Who'll Give You a Straight Answer
No sales script, no pressure to sign today.
Just a clear picture of where your IT stands and what fixing it would actually involve.