By John E Lincoln
Here are some important items to consider when choosing a phone system to support your business.
Is it Scalable?
Scalability is very important. Make sure that the phone system allows you to easily add and remove users. Companies add and remove employees all the time, make sure your phone system can easily adapt to this change.
Is it VoIP Based?
Business VoIP phone systems are all the rage these days. They offer more features and are less expensive than analogue phone systems. In this writer's opinion, stay away from buying a non-VoIP phone system. The technology is outdated and the VoIP options available today are far superior.
Hosted VoIP or Premise Based
Say you decide to go with a VoIP service. You can either choose a hosted VoIP service or a premise based service. If you get a hosted VoIP service you just plug your VoIP phone into the Internet and wallah! You are good to go. The service is then managed by a third party service provider. If you go the premise based route it's a little bit different. You have to buy a piece of equipment called a PBX along with your VoIP phones. A PBX (Private Branch Exchange) is really expensive. It can cost a few thousand to tens of thousands to get started. Also, once you have purchased the PBX you have to maintain it, update it and manage the system for your company. Usually companies with 500 employees or less, that are not tech companies, go the hosted VoIP route automatically. But explore your options and pick the right solution for you.
Equipment Costs
What are the equipment costs for the phone system? Not just for the VoIP phones or regular phones, but also for the PBX? If you go the hosted VoIP route you do not need to buy a PBX. If you go the premise based route then you have to purchase a PBX which can get expensive. You can buy a used one for a little cheaper that may have software already installed. But you still need to get someone to set it up for you. Be wary here if you are buying a new PBX, often salesmen want to sell you the most expensive PBX on the market for that big commission check.
Monthly Service Cost
Make sure that the provider you choose has competitive pricing. While this is true, you don't want anything too cheap. If you go the low end route you are probably going to get a really poor phone service. You do not want that. You'll get dropped calls and have to call customer support all of the time. It's definitely worth your money to spend a little more and get a middle of the road service as far as pricing is concerned.
Long Distance
Check the service provider's long distance policy and make sure it works with your business model. If you are constantly dialing long distance, get a service with free long distance.
Specific Features
Business phone systems are getting really advanced. Some allow for call recording, call reporting, automatic call distribution, advanced auto attendant. First, think about the feature you really need. Make a list. Then when evaluating services check out the extra stuff they offer. When considering the bells and whistles decide whether it will help you improve productivity. If it is just a wasted feature in your case, make sure you are not being charged extra for it.
How long has the Company Been Around?
VoIP service providers have been going out of business left and right. Make sure you choose a company that will not be going out of business any time soon. The last thing you want is to sign up for a service, get all setup, and then have your phones turned off and not be able to contact your carrier. Make sure you do a brief background check on the company online.
Good for Telecommuters?
Telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular these days. Some phone systems allow workers to seamlessly connect to the rest of the office while working at home or offsite. This is a big advantage and a nice option for any business owner to have. In addition, most times choosing a service which is compatible with this request does not mean extra costs.
Unified Communications
Unified communications is currently a hot topic in the telecom industry. Basically, it means that you have a device (hopefully not devices) that allows you to aggregate your communications data. If you can find a business phone system with unified communications abilities then you are in luck. It will save you time and increase productivity. There are some great hosted VoIP options out there if you look around.
As a Marketing Communications Manager at FreedomVoice, John E Lincoln is responsible for educating consumers about the tremendous benefits that hosted VoIP PBX has to offer. This includes cost savings, productivity increasing features, unique support for remote workers, and more. Find out more about FreedomVoice and the FreedomIQ Hosted VoIP PBX at http://www.freedomiq.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_E_Lincoln/321719
Here are some important items to consider when choosing a phone system to support your business.
Is it Scalable?
Scalability is very important. Make sure that the phone system allows you to easily add and remove users. Companies add and remove employees all the time, make sure your phone system can easily adapt to this change.
Is it VoIP Based?
Business VoIP phone systems are all the rage these days. They offer more features and are less expensive than analogue phone systems. In this writer's opinion, stay away from buying a non-VoIP phone system. The technology is outdated and the VoIP options available today are far superior.
Hosted VoIP or Premise Based
Say you decide to go with a VoIP service. You can either choose a hosted VoIP service or a premise based service. If you get a hosted VoIP service you just plug your VoIP phone into the Internet and wallah! You are good to go. The service is then managed by a third party service provider. If you go the premise based route it's a little bit different. You have to buy a piece of equipment called a PBX along with your VoIP phones. A PBX (Private Branch Exchange) is really expensive. It can cost a few thousand to tens of thousands to get started. Also, once you have purchased the PBX you have to maintain it, update it and manage the system for your company. Usually companies with 500 employees or less, that are not tech companies, go the hosted VoIP route automatically. But explore your options and pick the right solution for you.
Equipment Costs
What are the equipment costs for the phone system? Not just for the VoIP phones or regular phones, but also for the PBX? If you go the hosted VoIP route you do not need to buy a PBX. If you go the premise based route then you have to purchase a PBX which can get expensive. You can buy a used one for a little cheaper that may have software already installed. But you still need to get someone to set it up for you. Be wary here if you are buying a new PBX, often salesmen want to sell you the most expensive PBX on the market for that big commission check.
Monthly Service Cost
Make sure that the provider you choose has competitive pricing. While this is true, you don't want anything too cheap. If you go the low end route you are probably going to get a really poor phone service. You do not want that. You'll get dropped calls and have to call customer support all of the time. It's definitely worth your money to spend a little more and get a middle of the road service as far as pricing is concerned.
Long Distance
Check the service provider's long distance policy and make sure it works with your business model. If you are constantly dialing long distance, get a service with free long distance.
Specific Features
Business phone systems are getting really advanced. Some allow for call recording, call reporting, automatic call distribution, advanced auto attendant. First, think about the feature you really need. Make a list. Then when evaluating services check out the extra stuff they offer. When considering the bells and whistles decide whether it will help you improve productivity. If it is just a wasted feature in your case, make sure you are not being charged extra for it.
How long has the Company Been Around?
VoIP service providers have been going out of business left and right. Make sure you choose a company that will not be going out of business any time soon. The last thing you want is to sign up for a service, get all setup, and then have your phones turned off and not be able to contact your carrier. Make sure you do a brief background check on the company online.
Good for Telecommuters?
Telecommuting is becoming increasingly popular these days. Some phone systems allow workers to seamlessly connect to the rest of the office while working at home or offsite. This is a big advantage and a nice option for any business owner to have. In addition, most times choosing a service which is compatible with this request does not mean extra costs.
Unified Communications
Unified communications is currently a hot topic in the telecom industry. Basically, it means that you have a device (hopefully not devices) that allows you to aggregate your communications data. If you can find a business phone system with unified communications abilities then you are in luck. It will save you time and increase productivity. There are some great hosted VoIP options out there if you look around.
As a Marketing Communications Manager at FreedomVoice, John E Lincoln is responsible for educating consumers about the tremendous benefits that hosted VoIP PBX has to offer. This includes cost savings, productivity increasing features, unique support for remote workers, and more. Find out more about FreedomVoice and the FreedomIQ Hosted VoIP PBX at http://www.freedomiq.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_E_Lincoln/321719