VoIP Based Telephone service for Small Business ?

Edwards Finance > Phones

Q. We are a small business with 5 tel. lines, 1 SDSL connection. I was approached by a VoIP vendor regarding a VoIP based product that would cut our phone bills by 1/2. I haven't looked at it yet. I am just looking for the main advantages/drawbacks. Main worry would be reliability. BTW, is this over the internet?

A. Reliability is really based on your ISP with VoIP. But personally I have no problems using https://www.voicepulse.com/ It has been very reliable for my business. As to cutting cost well, it more then cut over 75% off my phone bill. This isn't enough information to say anything useful. Who is the vendor? What is the product? This could be anything from an IP device at your premises, to a service that your calls get switched to by your existing phone company... or something in between. Each of these has its own advantages and drawbacks. Would you be interested in using a Phone you can plug into your LAN? Each phone can be contacted by an extension number you can set. Each extension can have its own voicemail and you can bring anyone who you call or calls you into a conference room. Would you be interested in using SoftPhones? Each PC running linux or windows can have a software phone you run as an application on your systems for use with a microphone and headset, using your computer as a telephone. Voicemail, PBX, and conferencing still apply here. Are you looking to use your newly acquired LD service remotely? Say you have an IP Phone or Softphone at home you want to register to your business system and use it at home as you would at the office... does this sound like something you could use? Don't be afraid to ask them questions before purchasing. What about Long Distance service? Can you connect the gear to the 'net to use VoIP services and truly benefit from VoIP? Or are they simply offering hardware? When you check your email can you receive your voicemail? I know a lot of systems out there don't quite add up to Asterisk (www.asterisk.org) which includes all of the above features but if you're going to pay for something you should at least be able to ask the vendor how you can use the system or how will it beneift you. If this vendor isn't on point for each question you ask you may want to reconsider and look towards an open source solution with the ability to adapt with the requirements of your business or your clients.

Ask Edwards a Finance Question

Other Questions:

cell phones and driving ?

My view is one of the business professional using the phone for conducting business. I feel this falls under the broader umbrella of a cell phone etiquette issue, but that's a topic for another day. But lets just say cell phone etiquette nee...

I am looking for starting up a business as "Answering Service". I need a good phone system that support following features. (1) 2 DID trunk lines (I will order 200 telephone number w/ the 2 DID lines from B.A.) (2) An operator PC cols...

Well, my two-year contract with Cingular/AT&T finally ran up two weeks ago, and, naturally, my cell phone died today. I'm ready to move to another service.I have T-mobile and have had it for a couple of years. I absolutely love it. They have...

At work we have 2 separate bt accounts and 2 different numbers. All pcs are linked by wifi. Only 1 computer utilises skype to talk to other commercial users of skype, which is on the increase. We would like to keep existing tel nos for incoming...

I am attempting to use the modem in our pc in the office. I believe our phone system is called a PBX system and I am not sure what kind of adapter we need to use, if any. The phones themselves have 5 lines that you can choose from by pressin...

Edwards Finance Menu

Ask a Question
About Us / Me
Contact Me
Privacy Policy

Sitemap

My Favorite Sites

PFBlog
Google Finance
Yahoo Finance
Motley Fool
Nveille's Financial Blog
AllFinanceMatters
Free Money Finance
2MillionBlog
The Terror Finance blog

Q&A Subjects