VOIP Solutions Provider Companies have witnessed a huge communication shift as they made a transition from traditional phone systems using CDMA and GSM technology and turned to internet-enabled VoIP technology, to avail the diverse features of this powerful business phone system.
VoIP is creating waves across the telecommunication sector, with the global VoIP service market projected to reach $95 billion by 2027. VoIP services are known for the reliability, security, and cost-effectiveness they offer to businesses.
Searching for the right VoIP business phone solution is critical to modernizing the way your team communicates. With the right VoIP solutions provider, it is easier to scale your VoIP solution as your business grows and expands into new markets. You can upgrade your existing plans for deploying multiple extensions without any IT-related hassles. With efficient features like Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Call Recording, Caller ID, Call Transfer, Call Flipping/ Barging, and Call Monitoring, organizations can access real-time information and create better customer service experiences.
VoIP also drastically reduces calling expenses when compared to on-premise PBX and is, therefore, a great cost-saving opportunity. Most VoIP business solution providers offer cloud-based hosting PBX that provides tough competition to SIP trunk and in-house PBX.
Different types of VoIP Providers
The VoIP service market can feel like a sea of acronyms if you are in the early stages of research. There are many large companies in the market offering VoIP services. They can be categorized into three types:
● VoIP only providers
VoIP Solutions providers focus only on providing telephony functions that include basic features like voice mail, call forwarding, and caller ID. Functions like call management are usually not included in this. These business VoIP providers are a great fit for companies that are only looking for phone calling functionalities.
● VoIP with cloud phone system providers
These business VoIP providers leverage the cloud by integrating VoIP with cloud PBX technology. These are cloud-based phone systems with VoIP at the core of their telephony component along with the advanced routing capabilities of a hosted PBX. Apart from the basic calling features, these providers offer business call management features like auto attendance, virtual extensions, and answering rules.
● VoIP with unified communication solution providers
These VoIP solutions providers are similar to VoIP with cloud phone system providers but they take it to the next level by combining different communication tools like VoIP, cloud PBX, online meetings, and team messaging, into a unified platform. This provides businesses a unified hub for communication instead of having to use different tools.
Some necessary factors to consider while deciding on a VoIP Solutions provider
If you are on the road to upgrading to VoIP and are decoding what to look for while zeroing in on a VoIP solutions provider, here is a list of imperatives that you need to focus on.
● Know your business communication needs
Before picking out a VoIP provider it is crucial to understand your communication needs. Some of the questions you need to ask are –
1. What kind of phone number does your business need? Is it a toll-free number, an International or local number, or a combination of all three?
2. Does your business have multiple locations?
3. Do you have remote workers?
4. Does your team communicate a lot?
5. Do you want your communication platform to be integrated with business tools?
6. Do you receive lots of inbound calls or make outbound calls?
These are some questions that you can ask yourself when you start off. Once you are clear about your operational needs, the search for a VoIP provider who meets your requirements becomes much easier.
● Features
VoIP systems offer a plethora of features at a minimal cost. Ensure that your business VoIP provider offers a comprehensive capsule of useful features that are necessary for your business communication needs. Some of these must-have features include-
● Call forwarding
● Auto-attendant
● Voice mail and call transcription
● Team conferencing
● Call barging
● Do Not Disturb Mode
● Multi-device call routing
● VoIP Interactive Voice Responses (IVR)
● Call queuing for call centres.
● Call reports
With features like these in your VoIP kitty, day-to-day communication can be streamlined and it becomes easy for managers and employees to track and receive real-time analysis of every call made and received. This, in turn, makes it easier to get insights for systematic analysis of business performance. Confirm with your VoIP provider about the extra charges for upgrades or when new features are deployed.
● Call quality
The quality of audio and video provided by your VoIP provider play a significant role in determining customer experience. Ensuring superior call quality depends on several factors such as the internet speed, QoS configuration, the provider’s voice codecs, and also on the protocol system used for your service. Some VoIP service providers focus on the speed of calling to prevent call lags while some providers ensure better audio quality preventing drops, missed words, echoes, and line disturbances. While clarity of call ensures a better understanding of your customer’s problems, proper call syncing ensures a quick response. Both factors affect customer experience and therefore, you must choose a VoIP provider who can strike a balance between the quality and speed of calls.
● Compatibility with hardware and platforms
Business VoIP providers use specific hardware and platforms to make calls through internet-enabled devices. While the choice of hardware and platform options depends solely on the VoIP provider, it is always better to choose a VoIP provider who uses hardware and platform options that best suit your business requirements.
● Cost efficiency
Business VoIP was initially introduced as an alternative to traditional phone services. VoIP systems offered greater competitive and economic benefits and streamlined communication and collaboration. As a result of this, a growing number of global companies are adopting VoIP technology from pilot to deployment. The investment made in VoIP can become a part of an extensive digital transformation strategy. Also, implementing VoIP can have a substantial impact on an organization’s overall revenue and profitability. Make sure to discuss VoIP packages with your provider. Some details that need to be taken into account include:
● Installation and setup fee
● Feature up-gradation
● International and local phone costs
● Staff training and support fee
● Maintenance charges
While price should not be a determining factor when choosing a VoIP provider make sure to check the features offered to get the best deal.
● Security
When partnering with a hosted VoIP provider, it is usually their technical team that handles your system security. This makes security a prime concern while picking a suitable VoIP provider, particularly when you are dealing with client data. Invest in a credible provider who implements stringent security protocols. Some of the top security measures and practices that your VoIP providers must have on their list include:
● Regular data center audits
● Support of multi-factor authentication
● Secure account management and administration
● Reliable and secure networks
You must also ensure that your VoIP phone system is not accessed through a public network, in order to prevent data security breaches.
Read our another blog on Enhanced VoIP security: What to expect in 2022
● Scalability
As a business owner, you might want to expand in size and location. So, you must invest in a scalable VoIP system that offers the flexibility to cater to additional users. Most VoIP business solution today is highly scalable with service providers allowing users to add new functionalities and modules at a minimal cost. It is always better to discuss scalability with your provider to make sure that your communication framework can expand seamlessly as your business grows.
● Customer service
Great customer service lies at the core of any well-oiled VoIP communication system. If your enterprise has business operations across the globe you will have round-the-clock communication needs. This makes it imperative that you partner with a provider who can guarantee that your queries will be answered promptly. Most VoIP providers offer technical support free of cost so that you do not need to spend extra money every time any issue comes up. You must ensure the agreement terms for customer service are mentioned in the Service Level Agreement in order to avoid conflicts at a later stage.
● Online reviews and reputation
Reliability, creditability, and customer support are best judged by existing clients. If you have already shortlisted a business VoIP provider, just go through their online reviews to know more about their service quality. You may also check the number of subscribers to know how many companies have worked with the provider. If you find a top brand endorsing the service provider, then treat it as a good sign that shows you have chosen a reliable VoIP service provider, as brands do not endorse providers until they have fetched high ROI from the service.
● Collaboration features
Business VoIP service providers offer integration options with other operations of your business such as CRM software, email marketing, and other APIs. These third-party integrations enable you to streamline business operations and promote efficiency. As most businesses are moving towards cloud ecosystems, you may opt for cloud services as an essential collaboration feature to make your business future-ready.
Tick every relevant box while choosing a business VoIP provider
A laundry list of features, maximum security, a good bandwidth to generate traffic, cost-effectiveness, and reliability, are some of the intrinsic features that enterprises must look out for while deciding on a VoIP service provider. Companies that want to facilitate seamless communication and collaboration for their employees and customers must follow strict quality protocols while finding a VoIP provider that suits their business like a hand in a glove.
In case you need any further assistance feel free to contact us at sales@ecosmob.com
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