So how do you choose a VoIP telephony provider? How many of these companies are there? Amusingly, there are probably enough VoIP providers to fill a phone book. Seriously, there are a few hundred. Finding the right one for your company is the work of a few hours. Or it’s the work of sticking a pin in a list, depending on how you normally choose your vendors.
A good place to start your quest is at our vendor marketplace, but if you’re not sure what you want in a VoIP phone service here are some questions to help you decide what’s important to your business.
Does your business already use a broadband or high-speed internet service? If not, why not, the new millennium is a decade old already
How reliable has your internet connection been? If the answer is “not very” then VoIP might not be for you.
Does your company have infrastructure from a previous landline service. Some VoIP systems can route VoIP service through your company’s existing extensions, some don’t, but others may require that infrastructure in order to provide VoIP service. Check before you buy, because you’ll be really annoyed if your business needs have to have a bunch of extensions installed for your “simple” VoIP service.
Do you have, need, or want a toll-free number? If your VoIP provider has a problem with this, move on to the next one. And however many vendors you’ve talked to already, there will be a next one.
Do you run a switchboard? Some VoIP services can handle switchboards with multiple extensions, some can’t. It just depends on the company. If you need to route calls, you’ll need a provider that can do that.
Which additional features are important to you? Call Waiting, 3-Way Calling, VoiceMail, Caller ID, Call Transfer, Call Forwarding, Do Not Disturb, Call Blocking and other services are all offered my most providers, often as part of their basic package. Find out what features different VoIP providers offer, and compare apples-to-apples.
Names you might consider as a service provider include RingCentral, Vonage, Skype, Axvoice, INVIVNI, VCINetwork, DialPad, BroadVox Direct, Packet 8, Galaxy Voice, Sun Rocket, SpeakEasy…really, it’s a big list so get your hands on testimonials from friend, family and anyone whose opinion you trust.
Finally, if a provider’s website makes it hard for you to find information, there’s a good chance that it’s designed to be that way. There’s also a good chance that dealing with their customer service procedures when you have a problem will be just as frustrating. If good customer service is important to you, give it a lot of weight in your comparison—excuses from your vendor won’t fly with if your problem impacts your customers.
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