VoIP Providers - Phone Services Providers

As the world goes forward, everything moves forward as well. This is true in all aspects and is really doing leaps and bounds in technology today. One important impact is now felt in communications, especially in the advent of today’s VoIP providers.

In many countries globally, there is now a trend of going digital in the phone services. There is also the increase of many phone providers this side of the world where development is also going fast forward.

Phone providers

With the increase of the number of these phone providers, two kinds of news are around. The good news is that the competition is getting fiercer and for the customer it can lower prices.

With the increasing number of providers, there is good news and bad news. For customers, the good news is that competition drives prices down and drives companies to innovate to compete better and offer their best features.

Some difficulties

There might be some difficulties in looking for solutions to your own company’s needs because of the number of provider companies to choose from. Solutions for these can be done, although it takes time to get the right provider.

Bes of the news is that as long as you have a reliable broadband connection, VoIP can work well to your advantage. On paper, you might just have an 80% savings over the other legacy phone services.

Business VoIP

The terminologies in voip providers can be confusing, but they all actually are variations to the terminologies in VoIP services.  Actually, they all refer to the identical services provided. The first one is called Business VoIP.

Basically, this is a hosted PBX solution in the cloud, and is sometimes referred to as virtual PBX. However, there is basically no management equipment located on-site at your business.

The primary requirement is a reliable internal network where Internet phones can be connected to Ethernet switches. The broadband connection has to be good likewise. There are two kinds of hosted services: the managed and the unmanaged. 

IP PBX

This is actually a hardware found in your place of business. What are needed to connect these to your system are SIP trunks. Typically, these are utilized by larger companies (usually, with more than 50 users).

As a hosted solution, this setup is often much cheaper to use in smaller businesses. This is without the overhead of getting the hardware to the internal network. SIP trunks are the things needed to connect an on-premise IP PBX to a VoIP provider through the internet.

Some points

Not every provider will offer your unlimited local and national calling as part of their monthly fees. There is a flat rate, usually, for every call.

Typically, fees for calling mobile phones are more expensive than calling land lines. If your company has to make many international calls, you need to check out how much each of the calls will cost for the most-frequently called countries.

If you are going to need IP phones for its many features that VoIP offers, check out if there is a phone rental option around to avoid up-front purchase fees. You also need to compare prices with those offered by other VoIP providers in the country. 

VoIP Providers - Wave of the Future

In essence, VoIP (voice over internet protocol) gives you the access to make or receive calls through your internet connection. This is different from the traditional use of regular phone carriers in sending or receiving phone calls. These days, the big phone companies are also acting as VoIP providers for the new technology.

Most businesses usually use this type of phone service to supplement or augment the present phone systems they are using. One of their main reasons is that providers using VoIP technology don’t have emergency calls and directory listings.

Some advantages

With the use of VoIP, the offered voice services attached to advance applications have improved most company productivity (which redounds to reduced costs for the company). In other areas, business VoIP services have integrated the emerging technologies (cloud computing, unified communications, etc) to cut costs.  

At present, VoIP supports corporate, private, public, cable and some wireless networks. It enhanced voice communications and united many locations into one single converged communications network with built-in features.

Pre- and post-VoIP

Before the coming of VoIP, consumers use POTD (plain old telephone service). Cell phones and other smart phones have expanded the old use of phones, where business is plain talking. Absent were the shared data, calling features, video conferencing, caller IDs and others.

With the new network, voice and data were combined and enjoyed several pathways set up according to the needs of the user. Information can now travel in the network through so many viable routes.

It can also handle data much faster than the old system coupled with more flexibility. With the improvements, they also help reduce the costs associated with the old telephone service.

Quality

Voice quality (clarity, texture, modulation) is thoroughly dependent on the provider you are subscribed to. In turn, they are also dependent on the quality of your internet connection. The better and faster the connection is the better and faster the VoIP experience.

Also, the use of VoIP providers does not necessarily mean you need your computer to be connected to the Internet to be able to use the system. With your VoIP phone, you can be in business right away after plugging it in.

Services

Basically, a VoIP service needs the use of a VoIP phone. These phones are reliant on Internet technology in making and receiving calls. With the phones, voice calls can be converted into data. These data can be transmitted much in the same way as an email.

VoIP phones are useful because of their versatility. They can be used to call regular landlines, mobile phones, and can make a computer-to-computer call. The wider coverage of the devices and the speed with which it does in operating your business constitute some of its advantages.

One last note: if you are going to need IP phones because of its many features that VoIP provides, you need to check out some rental options if you want to avoid up-front purchase fees. Also, it would not hurt to compare prices of the many other VoIP providers these days.

VoIP Providers - In Step with the World

In most major cities in the world, competition in business is fierce. It is the same with phone companies servicing these big metropolitan centers. With the advent of online commerce, providers of VoIP phone system are doing brisk business than ever. Check out any big city and chances are the VoIP providers are in great competition which is good for customers.

Doing calls using VoIP phones (over in high-speed internet connection (DSL or cable) rather than on a regular phone do look fashionable and chic. For 80% savings in rates, It is also one of the soundest business decisions you can make. This is over and above the many other 21st century features that a VoIP service carries.  

Advantages      

Today, you can always get yourself a mobile phone. However, they are not as good as you think they are as anyone who had dropped calls knows. Landlines are easy to get, too, from your local phone or cable operator. The rates are cheap but they are not portable.

A VoIP (voice over internet phone) is much better. The biggest advantage, of course, is the price where there is 80% savings compared to the rates you pay on either cell phones or landlines. The landlines are better in terms of reliability than mobiles. However, VoIP phones have features that regular landlines don’t have.

Setup & some features

As a system, VoIP is relatively very simple to set up. You are provided by the company with a special phone adapter in a box. Simply plug it into a power source, your internet router, and your standard phone handset. An alternative is buying a SIP phone. This has the electronics that sidesteps the need for an adapter for your VoIP.

Aside from the luxury of impressive savings, some providers offer features that most landlines don’t have. (Cells have many features aside from the comfort of being transportable. However, it is the most expensive among the three.) Some providers can give you an on-screen application that lets you make or receive calls on your computer.

Some have mobile apps for iOS and Android which acts as extensions to your main phone line. They can provide the standard Web access for your voicemail and call history. This is aside from receiving faxes to your email address. Most providers have their own high-end business-grade VoIP for bigger companies.

Most of the providers have the phone hunt feature. This is the service where you have multiple phones or apps ringing until you pick up or have the call transferred to voice mail. There is also the call blocking feature, three-way-calling, and call waiting. (Skype has the video feature and some rich text messaging.)

Quick Tips

Before buying into any service, it is always good policy to ask the providers first. This is the time where you compare the prices, the types of services offered (and if they are useful to you).

Always get your quotes on paper (in their flyers and brochures) and have their sales reps discuss or spell out for you the many services and advantages they have, if any, over those of other companies. VoIP providers would be happy to oblige.