"Yes, I did select a vendor. I have to admit that my decision was quite difficult as two vendors in particular were extremely helpful and professional. I selected {extracted} because they provided me with the most customer service prior to my decision, but it was a close race with my second choice. Overall I would rate my experience as "Excellent" and I will certainly consider and value any future recommendations for my business needs." - Patricia, CEO
Choosing a VoIP Service Provider
VoIP is a telephone system that uses an internet connection to place and receive calls. The benefits of using Voice over IP are numerous:
- Less expensive phone bills
- One-click dialing and video conferencing
- Features like voicemail, call waiting, and call forwarding that operate the same as a traditional phone
- Transferring calls from different office locations easily
- No long distance charges
Of course, your business must have the capacity for a VoIP phone system before taking advantage of cost savings or other features. Most VoIP telephone service providers require that an office have a steady power supply (with backup, if necessary) and a fast enough internet connection to handle the additional traffic caused by phone calls. Your internet service provider can probably tell you if your connection can be improved or upgraded.
Most businesses switch to VoIP phones for the cost savings. Since calls are placed using an internet connection, they can't be routed geographically- no long distance charges can be applied. However, lack of a telephone line can also have a down side. If power goes out in your office, your phone service will be interrupted since an internet connection requires electricity to run. Most businesses opt to install a backup phone line for such emergencies, or in case they need to make 911 calls. VoIP phone system providers also offer features like E911 for businesses that are concerned about geographic tracking in case of emergencies.
VoIP telephones act and sound just like regular phones, and require very little hardware if you're switching from a regular phone system. You?'ll need to purchase adaptors, which run about $30 each. Otherwise, VoIP phones have all of the capacities of regular phones. You can forward calls, check voicemail, provide hold music for customers, and offer other features that are available for traditional phones.
The cost of installing a VoIP phone system is minimal, and most businesses recoup costs in the long distance savings alone shortly after implementing the system. In addition to the adaptors, you may need to pay a setup fee, but the only other cost will be your monthly phone bill. Most businesses report significant savings after switching to VoIP phone systems.