How To Find The Best Business VoIP Solutions
If you are contemplating switching your phone system from analog to VoIP then you should first decide what kind of business VoIP solutions you need. While the vast majority of people want a high-quality system with a good call quality, many of them do not want to spend too much time or money on the equipment and installation of this new technology. Fortunately there are a wide variety of business VoIP services that will meet almost any needs and will work for even the busiest offices.
First decide what kind of business VoIP solutions you need. Do you just want an inexpensive system that can handle general office calls? Is it better to have a dedicated business VoIP provider or a shared business VoIP service? This is a very important decision because the cost of a dedicated company is much more affordable than a shared business VoIP service. However, if you use a dedicated provider you may want to consider getting one that also offers an enterprise VoIP solution so that you can manage the business VoIP network from the same location.
A basic business VoIP solution can include voice over IP conferencing and video conferencing. You will need at least a few of these capabilities to be successful in your business. The important thing is that you get as many as possible.
Business VoIP solutions can include voice mail and conference calling. You should seriously consider getting conference calling, especially if you are a large company and plan to operate out of multiple locations. If you are looking to use VoIP as a source for communicating internally, you may also want to look into the possibility of a conferencing service.
It is also a good idea to look into the possibility of web conferencing. Even smaller businesses can now use a web conference service for conferences without the expense of dedicated web hosting services. Many times, the conference will consist of the entire company at one meeting room and many times a slide show is played of their recent accomplishments.
One way that business VoIP can help is through remote collaboration. The most common method of remote collaboration is via a file-sharing server such as File Station or the OneDrive. If you need to collaborate with your team for project work and want to make sure that they can easily access all of your documents, then this service is a must.
Another common use of business VoIP is to make international calls. Since international rates can be quite high for regular land lines, you may want to think about switching your lines over to VoIP so that you can make cheap calls for your overseas clients.
Once you have decided which type of business VoIP solutions you need you can begin to search around for a provider who can provide it. You may want to join one of the many affiliate programs that offer some sort of discounts to those who sign up for their services.
When you compare the rates from different providers, you will quickly determine which ones are the cheapest. It is also a good idea to talk to your current provider and see if they will allow you to take advantage of their discounts.
Once you have narrowed your list down to a couple of VoIP providers, you can start calling them and asking them about their prices. Be sure to ask them specifically how many minutes they are willing to give you for free and what the lowest rates are in your area. It is also a good idea to ask for the best rates if your plans have tie-ins with other companies.
When you are calling the providers be sure to ask if there are any free trials or free giveaways they are offering. This will save you quite a bit of money.
You may want to check with your local chamber of commerce or other groups and see if they have any information on VoIP providers in your area. The more people that are familiar with these services the better off you will be.
