VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has replaced traditional landlines as the standard for business phone systems across Ireland. If you’re evaluating VoIP telephony services for the first time, or reconsidering your current setup, this guide covers everything Irish SMBs need to make a well-informed decision — from how the technology works, to what Irish-specific factors matter, to what Dromlik’s services include and cost.
How VoIP Telephony Works
Traditional phone calls travel over copper lines — physical infrastructure that connects your office to a telephone exchange. VoIP calls travel over your broadband connection instead. Your voice is converted into data packets, sent across the internet, and converted back to audio at the other end.
The practical implications for your business:
- Your phone system is hosted in the cloud, not in hardware at your premises
- Staff make and receive calls on a laptop, mobile, or desktop app from any location
- Adding users or numbers is done through a dashboard in minutes, not days
- You pay per user, not per physical phone line
For the vast majority of Irish SMBs, VoIP is simply what a modern phone system looks like in 2026. The question is no longer whether to use it, but which service to choose.
What to Look for in a VoIP Telephony Service in Ireland
Generic VoIP buying guides don’t account for what Irish businesses specifically need. Here’s what matters locally.
Irish Number Availability
Your provider must be able to supply Irish local numbers across the main area codes — 01 for Dublin, 021 for Cork, 091 for Galway, and so on. Some international VoIP providers struggle to provision Irish numbers directly or charge separately for them. Confirm this before committing.
Dromlik provides local Irish numbers across 15 area codes covering every major region in Ireland, from €5/month per number.
Free Number Porting
If you have an existing Irish business number — whether on a traditional landline, a mobile, or a previous VoIP provider — you should be able to bring it across at no cost. Number porting is standard with reputable providers and typically takes 5–10 business days, with no gap in service throughout.
EU Data Hosting and GDPR
Your call recordings, contact data, and call logs must be stored within the EU. “GDPR compliant” is not the same as “data hosted in Ireland or the EU” — ask explicitly where data is stored. This is a straightforward question any provider should be able to answer directly.
Irish Business Hours Support
If your phone system has an issue on a Tuesday morning, you need to reach someone quickly. Many international VoIP providers route support through offshore helpdesks with multi-hour response times. Check whether phone or live chat support is available during your working hours, and whether there’s a local contact familiar with your setup.
No Long-Term Lock-In
The Irish SMB market has been burned by multi-year contracts on legacy systems. Insist on monthly or annual rolling terms. A provider that won’t offer this before you’ve tested the product is a red flag.
Core Features of a Modern VoIP Telephony Service
What a well-specified VoIP service should include as standard — not as paid extras:
Call Routing and IVR
Direct callers to the right person or department automatically, based on time of day, selection from a menu, or caller identity. An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system — “Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support” — can be configured and adjusted without an engineer visit.
Hunt Groups and Ring Strategies
When a call comes in, ring multiple team members simultaneously or in sequence until someone picks up. Reduces missed calls without requiring a dedicated receptionist.
Voicemail to Email
Missed call voicemails delivered directly to the relevant person’s inbox, with an audio file and optional transcription. No one needs to dial in to a voicemail system to check messages.
Call Recording
Every call recorded and accessible from a dashboard. Essential for quality monitoring, training, and compliance — particularly in financial services, legal, and healthcare.
Mobile and Desktop Apps
Staff make and receive business calls from their existing devices. Customers see and dial your business number regardless of which device the call is answered on.
Business Hours Scheduling
Automatically apply different call handling rules during business hours, after hours, and on public holidays. Set once; runs automatically.
Advanced Features Worth Having
As your business grows or call volume increases, these features become increasingly valuable:
Omnichannel Messaging
Handle calls, SMS, WhatsApp, and web chat from a single inbox. Customers reach you on whichever channel they prefer, and your team sees everything in one place rather than checking multiple apps. Available on Dromlik’s Orbit plan.
CRM Integration
Native connection to HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, and Zendesk — calls logged automatically, caller history surfaced before you pick up, no manual data entry required.
Microsoft Teams Integration
If your team uses Teams for internal communication, add business calling directly through it via Dromlik’s Teams integration — without needing Microsoft’s own Calling Plans.
Call Centre Queues and Supervisor Tools
For businesses handling high inbound volume: ACD queues, skills-based routing, real-time wallboards, and supervisor panels showing who’s on a call and what’s in the queue. Available on Dromlik’s Orbit plan.
AI Call Transcription
Automatic transcription of every call with a summary of key points. Useful for training, accountability, and ensuring follow-ups don’t fall through the cracks.
The AI Receptionist Layer
VoIP telephony handles calls when your team is available. The gap — calls during busy service periods, after hours, or when everyone’s occupied — is where an AI receptionist fits.
Dromlik’s AI receptionist Niamh answers calls live, handles common queries, takes bookings directly into your reservation or scheduling system, and sends callers a WhatsApp or SMS follow-up. She works around the clock and supports over 20 languages.
For Irish SMBs that can’t afford to miss calls but don’t have the headcount for full reception coverage, this closes the gap without adding overhead.
Niamh is available as an add-on to any Dromlik plan from €100/month, including 200 minutes of AI call handling.
VoIP for Different Types of Irish Business
Restaurants and Hospitality
High call volume during service hours when no one can get to the phone. VoIP with AI call handling — answering reservation calls, syncing with OpenTable or TheFork, sending WhatsApp confirmations — means fewer missed bookings. See the restaurants page for detail.
Trades and Construction
Team members on site who can’t always answer. Hunt groups that ring multiple people simultaneously, with AI handling overflow — so every lead enquiry gets a response. See the construction and trades page.
Professional Services
Call recording for compliance, CRM integration for client records, after-hours handling for urgent matters. Particularly relevant for solicitors, accountants, and financial advisers with obligations under Central Bank and MiFID II frameworks. See the financial services page.
Recruitment Agencies
High-volume inbound from candidates and clients. Skills-based routing to the right consultant, call recording for compliance, and WhatsApp messaging for candidate communication. See the recruitment page.
Real Estate
Agents out showing properties who still need to be reachable. Mobile-first calling with a consistent business number, CRM integration, and AI handling enquiries when agents are unavailable. See the real estate page.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Nucleus | €12/user/month | Calling, IVR, hunt groups, voicemail to email, call recording, mobile and desktop apps, Teams integration |
| Orbit | €22/user/month | Everything in Nucleus plus omnichannel messaging (SMS, WhatsApp, chat, FB), CRM integrations, call centre queues, ACD, AI transcription |
| AI Receptionist | +€100/month | 24/7 AI call answering, 200 minutes included |
Local Irish numbers: €5/month per number across 15 area codes. Free number porting. Annual billing saves around 20%.
See the full pricing breakdown at dromlik.ie/pricing.
Making the Switch
Migrating to Dromlik’s VoIP telephony service involves three things:
- Number porting — your existing Irish numbers come across free, typically in 5–10 business days, with no gap in service
- Managed setup — Dromlik configures your call routing, greetings, and integrations; you’re not left to do this yourself
- Go live — your team downloads the app and starts taking calls
There’s no specialist hardware required for a standard setup, and no on-site engineer visit needed. For businesses using desk phones, Dromlik supports SIP-compatible hardware if preferred.
For more on the migration process, see Migrate to Dromlik.
Getting Started
A 7-day free trial is available with no setup fees. Book a demo with the Dromlik team or call us directly on 01 686 6414 to discuss your current setup and what switching would involve.
