If you’re thinking of changing your land-line phone services to a business voip provider, take some time to think it over before choosing a business voip provider. There are so many business voip providers to choose from that you’ll be happier with your decision if you put some thought behind which business voip provider services best fit your business. Here are some things to be mindful of:
1) Internet: Voip services rely on fast internet connections that are reliable. This means, your business needs to have broad-band internet or high-speed internet services to support your business voip provider services. Voip also creates a higher flow of data because the phone services are now generated by the computer. Make sure your network can handle the increased data. Before switching from land-line phone services to voip services, identify if you need to upgrade your computer, network, and internet systems.
2) Soft-phones or hard-ware phones?: A soft-phone is software on a computer that makes it possible to make a phone call over the internet using a regular computer. Examples of a soft-phone used in voip are Skype and i-chat. Hard-ware phones are the regular phones you’re used to putting up to your ear and talking into. A business voip provider can often use the same phone hardware that was used in land-line phone services. This allows a business to continue using their phone equipment and just switch over to voip services. A good business voip provider may offer both soft-phone and hard-ware phone options to be used simultaneously. There are also phones made specifically for VoIP. These VoIP phones can be used much like a standard cell phone, using cell-towers wireless internet.
3) Is pbx the same as voip services? No, although VoIP phones can be used with a pbx (Private-branch Exchange). PBX simply routes outside calls to the internal business phone network. If you are considering using pbx services along with voip, make sure you choose a BUSINESS voip provider, one who specializes in providing business voip services.
4) Features New To Your Business: A business voip provider will probably have features and phone services that were not available to you before. (i.e. using one phone for several phone-numbers. Your VoIP phone would then take calls from your international number, local phone numbers, direct line number, etc.)
Another feature you don’t get with land-line phones, but you do thru a business voip provider is having the phone system automatically route and re-direct phone calls to a live-person so that if the person the customer is trying to reach is busy, the customer gets help rather than a busy-signal.
A common Voip service is ATA which splits one phone line making it possible to receive a second phone call while one phone call is still in progress.
These suggestions aren’t everything you should evaluate and think-through. Of course your business will have it’s reasons and needs for switching to a business voip provider. Knowing the internet and phone hardware changes you may need to upgrade will save you the surprise of extra expenses and upgrades that may be necessary in switching from land-line to business voip provider. Make sure you know what voip features will best add to the success of your business and if pbx fits in the picture. Knowing these things before choosing a business voip provider will help make your decision process easier. Landline to Voip Provider Know-How
3) Is pbx the same as voip services? No, although VoIP phones can be used with a pbx (Private-branch Exchange). PBX simply routes outside calls to the internal business phone network.
