Moving to a cloud phone system usually raises one practical question: which phones go on the desks? This IP phone Malaysia guide is for owners and office managers of SMEs, clinics, shops and multi-branch companies. It explains what an IP phone is, when a desk phone, a cordless DECT phone or a softphone is the right choice, which features actually matter, which model suits which role, and how the four brands we use most — Yealink, Fanvil, Poly and Grandstream — compare.
The phones in this guide all work on JomCloud’s cloud PBX, and we can supply them set up and ready to plug in. We cover how that works near the end.
What is an IP phone?
An IP phone (also called a VoIP or SIP phone) makes calls over your office network and the internet instead of a copper telephone line. It plugs into a network port, registers to a phone system using the SIP standard, and becomes an extension: a line with its own number, voicemail, call transfer and the rest.
The phone system itself lives in the cloud, so there is no PBX box in the store room. If you are still deciding on the system, start with our cloud PBX Malaysia guide. If you have an existing PBX you want to keep for a while, see connecting a legacy PBX through a SIP gateway.
Desk phone, cordless or softphone?
Most offices end up with a mix. The same extension can ring on a desk phone, a softphone on the computer and the mobile app at once, so this is about what each person needs, not an either-or.
| Type | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Desk IP phone | Reception, heavy phone users, shared counters, anyone who wants a handset that works with the computer off | Needs a network point (or Wi-Fi model) and power or PoE at the desk |
| Cordless DECT phone | Shops, warehouses, clinics, restaurants, people who walk while they talk | Coverage depends on base stations and repeaters; plan the floor first |
| Softphone and mobile app | Hybrid and remote staff, sales on the road, managers | Needs a decent headset and a stable internet connection |
For cordless set-ups in more detail, read our cordless office phone guide.
What to look for in an IP phone
Spec sheets are long. These are the items that change day-to-day use:
- Lines, accounts and keys. “Accounts” is how many SIP registrations the phone holds; “line keys” or programmable keys are the buttons you can set to lines, colleagues’ extensions (busy-lamp field, BLF) or speed dials. Reception needs many keys; most staff need two to four.
- Screen. A colour screen makes caller ID, call lists and key labels easier to read. Larger screens suit managers and reception.
- Gigabit Ethernet. Most desk phones have two ports so the computer plugs in through the phone. If your network is Gigabit, pick a Gigabit phone, or the computer behind it is limited to 100 Mbps.
- PoE (Power over Ethernet). The phone takes power from the network switch, so there is one cable and no adapter. Check your switch supports PoE; otherwise budget for power adapters.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Wi-Fi lets a phone sit where there is no network point. Bluetooth connects a wireless headset or a mobile phone.
- Headset port. Agents and receptionists should use a headset. Look for an RJ9 headset jack, USB, or an EHS (electronic hook switch) connection for wireless headsets that answer from away from the desk.
- Expansion module. A side-car of extra keys for reception and operators who watch many extensions.
Which IP phone for which role
Here is how we usually match phones to people. Tiers are in words only; ask us for a quote for the exact models.
| Role | What they need | Typical choice |
|---|---|---|
| Reception / operator | Many BLF keys to see who is busy, large screen, headset, often an expansion module | Mid-range or executive desk phone with expansion module |
| General staff | Two to four lines, colour screen, PoE | Entry-level colour-screen desk phone |
| Manager | Larger screen, Bluetooth headset or mobile pairing, Wi-Fi if the desk moves | Executive desk phone |
| Call-centre agent | Headset port (RJ9 or EHS), clear audio, few keys; often a softphone instead | Entry-level or call-centre model, or softphone with headset |
| Warehouse, shop floor, clinic corridor | Mobility, a handset that survives being carried around | DECT cordless handsets with base station and repeaters |
Contact centre teams on JomCloud Contact Centre often skip desk phones entirely and run the softphone with a USB headset; supervisors keep a desk phone for escalations.
The brands we use most
JomCloud supplies phones from four brands. All make standard SIP phones from entry-level to executive, and all four work on every JomCloud package. Specs below are as stated on each vendor’s own pages.
Yealink
Yealink has a wide desk and DECT range. The SIP-T33G is an entry-level model with a 2.4-inch colour display, up to 4 SIP accounts, dual-port Gigabit Ethernet and PoE. The SIP-T54W moves up to a 4.3-inch colour screen, up to 16 VoIP accounts, dual-port Gigabit, PoE, built-in dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, and supports up to three EXP50 expansion modules. More in our Yealink IP phone guide.
Fanvil
Fanvil is known for good value and a broad catalogue. The X303W has a 2.4-inch colour screen, 4 SIP lines and built-in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. The X2P is built for call centres, with RJ9, 3.5 mm and EHS headset support, and the V64 is a business phone with a colour screen, Bluetooth 4.2 and dual-band Wi-Fi. See the Fanvil IP phone guide.
Poly (formerly Polycom)
Poly is now part of HP. Its current desk range is the Poly Edge E series: E100 and E220 at the entry end with colour displays, E300/E320/E350 with 8 line keys and a 3.5-inch colour display, and E400/E450 with 14 line keys and two displays, with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC on selected models. Many Malaysian offices still have older Polycom phones; our Poly IP phone guide covers whether to keep them.
Grandstream
Grandstream’s GRP series is designed for mass deployment. The GRP2612W has a 2.4-inch colour LCD, 4 SIP accounts and line keys, PoE and dual-band Wi-Fi. The GRP2616 has 6 line keys, up to 16 SIP accounts, a 4.3-inch colour LCD plus a 2.4-inch second screen, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. For cordless, the DP752 DECT base pairs with up to 5 handsets. See the Grandstream IP phone guide.
Torn between brands? Our Yealink vs Fanvil vs Poly vs Grandstream comparison sets them side by side.
Auto-provisioning: phones that arrive ready
Setting up IP phones by hand means opening each phone’s web page, typing in the server, extension and SIP password, and repeating it whenever someone moves desk. Auto-provisioning replaces that. Each phone fetches its settings from a provisioning server when it starts, based on its MAC address.
With JomCloud, our team assigns each phone to your phone system and extension from our panel, remotely. You plug the phone in — network cable, PoE or power adapter — and it comes up on its extension. When someone changes desk, joins or leaves, or a branch opens, we move the phone to a new extension without anyone touching it. Shared key layouts (busy-lamp and speed-dial keys) can be applied to a whole company or per phone. The full explanation is in our IP phone auto-provisioning guide.
Buying checklist
- List every person and shared phone point, and mark each as desk, cordless or softphone.
- Count network points and check whether your switch provides PoE.
- Note who needs a headset, and which kind (wired, USB, Bluetooth or EHS wireless).
- Decide how many BLF keys reception needs; add an expansion module if it is more than the phone has.
- For cordless, walk the floor and note where coverage is needed, including stock rooms and upper floors.
- List any phones you already own by brand and model so we can check them.
How JomCloud supplies and sets up your phones
We supply Yealink, Fanvil, Poly and Grandstream phones, matched to the roles above. Ask us for a quote. Phones are auto-provisioned to your extensions before or after delivery, so set-up on the day is plugging them in.
The phones work with every JomCloud package: PBX from RM39 per extension per month, Contact Centre, Dialer and JomConnect, where calls sit in the same inbox as WhatsApp, email and chat. The same number rings on the desk phone, the softphone on the computer and the mobile app.
Prefer to keep your existing phones? Most standard SIP phones work. Send us the models and we will check them first.