Thursday 20 October 2011

Make the Transition to the New Phone System

By Yvonne Brixey


So you have decided to make the transition from your old, outdated phone system to a VoIP service? Congratulations, this is a wise move for micro businesses especially. Before you move forward however, you should be aware of the two major choices for purchasing a VoIP service and what the differences are. Both phone system options have a variety of features and both will give your company cost savings, and a good image, but choosing the right business phone service is an important decision, so read on. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is offered in either a hosted VoIP or it can be deployed on site.

Hosted VoIP

The hosted VoIP phone system is very simple, and is frequently installed and activated within one business day. With the exception of your phone, all of the equipment needed to power a hosted VoIP service is on the premises of the provider. This is especially nice because you do not have to worry about where to store enormous pieces of equipment, nor do you have to worry about how to maintain it. Because there is virtually no installation required with hosted VoIP, the initial costs for switching to the service are minimal. Monthly charges with a hosted VoIP service are only a little higher than those of an on location VoIP service, but it is still much cheaper than your traditional telephone service.

A hosted VoIP service uses the PBX system of your internet provider instead of your own in-house system to keep your phone system or call center functioning. This means that your call quality is likely to be stronger and more robust than if using the alternative form of VoIP. With a hosted phone system, your calls can be managed around the clock by trained support staff. Many hosted VoIP services offer their customers a promised level of good performance and a minimal amount of downtime. For example, when an on-site VoIP system breaks down, downtime can cause you to lose significant amounts of business. A hosted VoIP service will be able to get operational again quickly.

Another major positive feature to a hosted VoIP system is that you can increase or decrease the number of phone lines you need very easily to reflect the changing needs of your business. In most cases, a change in the number of phone lines is just the matter of a phone call to your provider who can give you the solutions and make the required changes almost instantly.

On Site VoIP

An on site VoIP phone differs from hosted VoIP because with on site VoIP the equipment is installed on your business premises. This includes not only the phones, but the routers and cables too. If you have the storage space, this is a viable option, especially for larger businesses that have the trained staff able to operate and maintain the phone system equipment daily. Contrary to a hosted VoIP service, an on site service will have a larger initial cost for installation, but the monthly charges do tend to be lower than they are with hosted VoIP.

Making the decision to switch over to VoIP is a wise move, but deciding upon hosted VoIP or on site VoIP can be crucial for your business. Research VoIP reviews unlimited and other VoIP reviews for more information.

Make the Transition to the New Phone System




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment