VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone services has become very popular in recent years because they’re easy to use, require little or no hardware, and allow you to talk with people all over the world for as long as you need to. A business VoIP call provides the same features as a residential VoIP call, such as unlimited calling and conference calls, toll free numbers, and even anonymous call forwarding. Business VoIP services are usually provided by telecom companies as part of a bundle of services to businesses. They may be referred to as Business Phone Systems. Some VoIP service providers charge a fee for their services.
The good news is that the cost of VoIP Phone Services has dropped to lows that are affordable for smaller businesses and individuals. That means there’s a better than average chance that you can find the best VoIP phone systems at prices most reasonable to you. But the question still remains. Which is the best VoIP Phone System for your purposes? What will fit your needs?
For small businesses and individual consumers, the answer to this question will vary depending on your own needs. Small businesses typically don’t need much more than the basic features offered by any VoIP Phone System. You probably don’t need unlimited calling, although it’s a nice addition if available. And unless you have a major customer service crisis, I don’t see why you would need superior customer service. In fact, customer service in the VoIP world probably isn’t as important as it is in traditional phone markets where you’re dealing with a brick-and-mortar business. With VoIP, there’s no one to talk to – it’s all online.
When you’re planning your VoIP Phone System,
make sure you consider how you’re going to integrate your new hardware into your existing infrastructure. There is some great VoIP Phone Systems that allows you to simply add on an extension to your current tax system, but those tend to be expensive. For smaller offices, or when you’re just getting started with VoIP, a simple plug-in extension might work well. If you’re not concerned about adding hardware and simply want to be able to make unlimited phone calls, consider a standard VoIP PBX system and then add on an extension that lets you make unlimited phone calls.
If you’re considering the best VoIP phone services for your business or personal needs, you may also want to consider network hardware. Broadband has really taken off, and it’s easy to see why. Virtually everyone now has a high-speed internet connection. And in some cases, broadband is even faster than DSL or other less-preferred connections. So by adding a broadband Ethernet card to your existing structure, you’ll be able to take advantage of all that high-speed internet access has to offer.
Higher latencies will negatively affect your VoIP service.
Latency is the amount of time that it takes to send a call from one computer to another over the same internet connection. Higher latency means that your call can take longer to get to the other party, which can seriously affect both the quality and quantity of your calls.
Some businesses and homes use their VoIP phones system as part of a remote-work solution. In this case, they benefit most from using a low-latency solution, since most of their communications are conducted over the internet anyway. But if your calls are made over a slow or dial-up connection, you can significantly reduce your call quality and increase your wait times. To protect against this, many businesses have chosen to incorporate a dedicated VoIP PBX system that is dedicated to their specific needs.
VoIP phone plans are flexible solutions for your business needs. Different companies provide different features, so you’ll want to find a plan that is right for your business.
- There are two basic types of VoIP services: standard voice over IP (or STD) calls and hosted VoIP phone plans.
- If your business requires a higher quality call, you’ll likely need to go with a higher-end service with a greater delay.
- For example, Vonage provides the fastest and strongest connection, but it’s also the most expensive out of the two.
