Cost is always an important factor to consider when it comes to technological investments. Especially with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems, you have to be careful that investing in one doesn’t put you way over budget. Even if that phone system comes with a host of features, it’s important that you evaluate not only its upfront cost but also its total cost of ownership (TCO).

TCO is the overall sum of procuring, deploying, and operating a VoIP system over its life cycle, which is typically five years.