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Voice & Unified Communications

Voice & Unified Communications Services in Melbourne & Brisbane

For organisations whose phone system is holding them back rather than keeping them connected.
Many businesses have not thought carefully about their communications platform since it was set up. Calls get made, meetings get held, and the system keeps running. Whether it's actually working well for the business is a different question.

A modern communications platform does more than connect calls. It integrates voice, video, messaging, and collaboration into a single environment that supports the way your team works, whether they are in the office, working remotely, or serving customers on the front line.
The Reality

When Your Communications Platform Is Not Working For Your Business

The signs that a communications platform is not working well can often be subtle: a call that drops at the wrong moment, a customer left on hold longer than it should take, a remote staff member who cannot access the same features as someone in the office, or simply a system that has not kept pace with how the business has grown.

Over time, the workarounds become normal. Staff route calls through personal mobile numbers. Messages are missed because they arrived on the wrong platform. Customer experience suffers in ways that are hard to trace back to a single cause.

These are not technology failures. They are the result of a communications environment that has not been designed around how the business actually operates.

Calls dropping or poor audio quality

Remote and hybrid staff with limited access to phone features

Customer calls going unanswered or to the wrong person

No visibility into call volumes, wait times, or team performance

A phone system that cannot grow with the business

Communications tools that don't integrate with the rest of the environment

A Better Approach

What a Modern Communications Platform Looks Like

When voice and communications are properly designed and integrated, the difference is felt across the whole organisation. Calls reach the right person the first time. Remote staff have the same experience as those in the office. Customer interactions are handled consistently, with visibility into how the team is performing.

For organisations using Microsoft 365, a well-integrated communications platform means Teams becomes the single environment for calls, meetings, messaging, and file sharing, reducing the need to switch between applications and keeping every interaction in one place.

For organisations with more complex requirements, including multiple locations, customer-facing teams, or call centre operations, a dedicated platform like 3CX provides advanced call routing, queuing, reporting, and integration capabilities that a basic phone system cannot deliver.

The right solution depends on how your business operates. We take the time to understand that before making any recommendations.
Our Solutions

Our Voice and Unified Communications Solutions

3CX

For organisations that need more advanced telephony capabilities, including complex call routing, call centre operations, multi-site environments, or integration with CRM and other business systems, 3CX is a powerful, flexible platform that goes beyond what a standard business phone system can offer.

3CX can be deployed in the cloud, on-premise, or in a hybrid configuration, giving you control over how and where your communications infrastructure lives.

Key capabilities

  • Advanced call routing and smart IVR
  • Desktop, mobile, and web softphones
  • CRM, WhatsApp, SMS, and live chat integration
  • Real-time dashboards, queue performance reporting, and analytics
  • Call centre supervision tools including live monitoring and agent management
  • Wallboards for frontline and customer service teams
  • Lower overall cost compared to traditional PBX systems

Best suited for: organisations with customer-facing teams, call centre operations, multi-site environments, or complex call flow requirements.

Microsoft Teams Calling

For organisations already invested in Microsoft 365, Teams Calling integrates voice directly into the platform your team already uses every day. Calls, meetings, messaging, and files all live in one place, accessible from a desktop, mobile device, or meeting room system.

Teams Calling is cloud-native, requiring no on-site hardware, and benefits from the same identity, security, and compliance controls that govern the rest of your Microsoft 365 environment. This includes multi-factor authentication, conditional access, and compliance recording where required.

Key capabilities

  • Calling from Teams on any device, anywhere
  • Auto attendants, call queues, and voicemail transcription
  • Native integration with Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive
  • Compliance and security controls built in
  • Integration with certified contact centre platforms for more advanced requirements

Best suited for: organisations using Microsoft 365, hybrid and remote teams, businesses looking to consolidate their communications into a single platform.

Why It Matters

Why Every Client Gets a Dedicated Platform

Many communications providers host multiple clients on a single shared platform. It is a common approach, and for basic requirements it can work, though it comes with limitations that are worth understanding.

On a shared platform, the performance, configuration, and security of your communications environment are influenced by every other organisation on the same system. Customisation is limited. Integrations are restricted. When something goes wrong, the impact can extend beyond your organisation.

At Step Fwd IT, every client receives their own dedicated communications platform.

Stronger security and compliance

Your call data, recordings, routing configurations, and SIP credentials are never shared with other organisations. Your communications environment is yours alone.

Better performance

No other organisation can affect your call quality, system availability, or response times. Your platform performs to your requirements, consistently.

Deeper customisation

A dedicated platform means we can configure advanced call flows, complex queue logic, custom integrations, and tailored reporting that would not be possible on a shared system.

Full control

Your numbers, your routing, your call flows, your retention policies. No vendor lock-in, no shared failure domain, and no compromises when your business needs something specific.

Which Is Right For You?

Which Is Right for Your Organisation: Microsoft Teams Calling or 3CX?

Both solutions are enterprise-grade. Both are deployed and managed by our team. The right choice depends on how your business operates, who your customers are, and what you need your communications platform to do.
3CX
Microsoft Teams Calling
Best for
Call centres, complex routing, multi-site, cost control
Microsoft 365 environments, hybrid workers, consolidation
Deployment
Cloud, on-premise, or hybrid
Cloud-native
Call centre features
Advanced dashboards, wallboards, supervisor tools
Available via certified add-on integrations
Device flexibility
Broad SIP handset compatibility
Certified Teams devices
Integrations
CRM, WhatsApp, SMS, live chat, APIs
Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Power Platform
Cost model
Flexible SIP plans, lower ongoing cost
Microsoft licensing plus calling plans
Not sure which is right for your organisation? We will walk through it during our initial consultation, with no obligation or pressure.
The Result

The Benefits of a Properly Designed Communications Platform

Calls Reach the Right Person

Advanced call routing and queue management mean customers and colleagues are connected to the right person the first time, without unnecessary transfers or hold time.

Your Team Can Work From Anywhere

Remote and hybrid staff have the same calling experience as those in the office, on any device, without compromising security or functionality.

Visibility Into How Your Team Is Performing

Real-time dashboards and call reporting give you a clear picture of call volumes, wait times, and team performance, so you can make informed decisions rather than guesses.

A Platform That Integrates With Your Environment

Whether it is your CRM, Microsoft 365, or other business systems, your communications platform works with the rest of your tools rather than alongside them.

A System That Grows With You

As your business grows, adds locations, or changes the way it operates, your communications platform scales with it, without needing to start again.

Support From People Who Know Your System

Your communications platform is managed by the same team that understands your broader IT environment. Issues are resolved faster, changes are implemented with context, and your system is continuously optimised.

Our Process

How We Deploy Your Communications Platform

Every deployment starts with understanding how your business communicates today, and what you need it to do tomorrow. We do not apply a standard configuration to every client.
1

Discovery and Call Flow Mapping

We take the time to understand your current communications environment, your team structure, your customer interactions, and your requirements before making any design decisions.

2

Architecture and Design

We design a dedicated platform architecture tailored to your organisation, including call flows, queue logic, integrations, and device requirements.

3

Number Porting and Carrier Setup

We manage the transition of your existing numbers and carrier arrangements, ensuring continuity throughout the process.

4

Deployment and User Rollout

We deploy and configure your platform, provision devices, and roll out to your team with training and support.

5

Ongoing Monitoring and Optimisation

We monitor your communications environment continuously, respond to issues, and optimise your platform as your business evolves.

Client Feedback

Client Reviews & Results

“

The Step Fwd IT team has exceeded our expectations across the board. We started the search for an IT service provider hoping to find a team we can work with, after just a few months it's clear we have found a partner that understands us and has become part of our team.

”
Matt Glass
Senior Project Manager | Mint Renewables
“

They are unique in that they don't treat clients like tickets… When you bring Step Fwd IT on board, you gain an ally who cares as much about your business's success as you do.

”
Chelsea Quake
Communications and Memberships Manager | Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals
“

Switching to Step Fwd was one of the best decisions we made. Our previous provider was reactive and slow. Step Fwd came in, reviewed everything, and within weeks had resolved issues we'd been living with for years. Outstanding service.

”
Chief Financial Officer
Manufacturing
“

They are very proactive in ensuring everything is running perfectly on a monthly basis… I can't recommend Step Fwd IT highly enough to any business seeking an external IT partner.

”
Jeremy Cowan
Director | TwoScots Recruitment
“

They came in at a time we were being mucked around with another IT company — cleaned it all up and made it completely effortless and seamless for us.

”
Charles Peake
Director | Oracle Group
FAQs

Voice and Unified Communications FAQs

Unified communications is the integration of voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools into a single platform. Rather than managing separate systems for phone calls, video meetings, and team chat, a unified communications platform brings these together so your team can communicate and collaborate from one place, on any device.

Both are modern business communications platforms, but they serve different needs. Teams Calling is built into Microsoft 365 and is ideal for organisations that want to consolidate their communications within the Microsoft ecosystem. 3CX is a more feature-rich telephony platform suited to organisations with complex call routing, call centre operations, or multi-site requirements. We help you determine which is the right fit for your organisation.

Not necessarily. Both 3CX and Teams Calling support softphones, which are applications on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device, which means many organisations can operate without dedicated desk phones at all. Where hardware is preferred or required, we advise on compatible devices and manage provisioning as part of the deployment.

Yes. We manage number porting, SIP transitions, call flow remapping, and user training as part of our deployment process. We plan migrations carefully to ensure continuity of service throughout the transition.

A call queue holds incoming calls in order and distributes them to available team members. It is particularly useful for customer service and support teams where multiple people handle incoming calls. Both 3CX and Teams Calling support call queues, and we configure them to match how your team operates.

Yes. Both 3CX and Teams Calling are designed for hybrid and remote work. Staff can make and receive calls on a desktop application, mobile app, or browser from anywhere, with the same functionality they would have in the office.

Direct routing is the way Microsoft Teams connects to regular phone networks, allowing your team to make and receive calls to and from any phone number. It is one of two options for enabling calling in Teams, and the right choice depends on your existing carrier arrangements. We advise on which approach suits your organisation as part of our consultation.

Yes. Call recording is available on both platforms and can be configured to meet your compliance and quality assurance requirements. We advise on retention policies and storage options as part of the setup.

With a conversation. We take the time to understand how your business communicates today, what is not working as well as it should, and what you need from a modern communications platform. There is no obligation and no pressure, just a clear discussion about what is right for your organisation.

Modernise the Way Your Business Communicates

Ready to move forward? Start with a conversation.
Whether you are replacing an outdated phone system, consolidating your communications into Microsoft 365, or building out a call centre capability, we are ready to help. We take the time to understand your situation before making any recommendations.
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