What datatype should be used for storing phone numbers in SQL Server 2005?

Question

I need to store phone numbers in a table. Please suggest which datatype should I use? Wait. Please read on before you hit reply..

This field needs

Answer 1

I realize this thread is old, but it's worth mentioning an advantage of storing as a numeric type for formatting purposes, specifically in .NET framework.

IE

.DefaultCellStyle.Format = "(###)###-####" // Will not work on a string