The voice over IP (VoIP) revolution is in full swing, and businesses realize that there are substantial benefits to using this contemporary alternative versus traditional analog PBX/PSTN phone systems. VoIP phone systems can help you to reduce overall phone system expenses while adding some great tracking and reporting features. With the growing demand for VoIP there are numerous providers that are eager to get your business on board with their systems and services.
The following are 3 quick tips on how to choose the best VoIP phone systems for your business:
- Take stock of your business needs. Every company has unique requirements for their phone systems, but there are some common questions that should be answered to properly assess your requirements.
- How many phones do you currently have?
- How many will you need in the next one to five years?
- Do you have a voice mail system?
- How many users are set up on voice mail? Be sure to include outside salespeople or other remote users that may not have a physical phone at the office.
- How many inbound calls do you receive each day? It might be good to get several different statistics throughout the month from different days for the most accurate measurement. Also consider seasonal issues, where holiday call volume may increase and then drop. Provide the average and then the peak volume that you experience.
- How many outbound calls are made each day? Try the same techniques as with inbound, but also review your phone bill to determine how many of those calls are long distance or international.
- Do you have a receptionist and/or switchboard operator?
- What are their typical phone-related responsibilities?
- Do you currently utilize features such as an automated directory lookup, caller ID, call forwarding, call routing, and others?
- Consider which VoIP features will benefit your business the most. VoIP has a great deal of flexibility in many areas. Call routing, for example, is very handy to allow inbound calls to automatically route to a specific department or person. Call routing can be turned off or configured on an as needed basis, and can also route calls to cell phones if desired. Outbound calls can be routed as well – for long distance, VoIP phone systems can analyze which carriers are preferred based on the call and route accordingly. Also if the VoIP connection fails for whatever reason, the system can be configured to route the call through the standard PSTN line instead. VoIP also has numerous reporting features to allow you to analyze calls down to the individual call. This can be very handy when determining how many customer service calls you receive compared to sales or administrative calls – which will help you in your growth planning.
- Your VoIP phone systems provider should be your partner. Consider carefully the company that you choose to assist with your VoIP installation. It is best to find a business that has a lot of experience with VoIP and can provide plenty of references. Also the business should be able to offer unbiased comparisons to different VoIP products such as Adtran, and others. Finally, the provider should take a keen interest in your business goals to make sure the right system is utilized.
In conclusion, choose the right VoIP system, discuss the correct configuration, go over detailed installation proceedures, and choose the right vendor partner that has the skills and knowledge to make sure your business selects the right VoIP phone system that will meet your current and future business needs – and will fit within your business budget. Contact Hummingbird Networks for more information on their VoIP phone systems selection and services.
