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Secure the services of a Hosted VoIP Provider; check.  Select new VoIP phones and replace your antiquated phone system; check.  Transfer your phone number to your new service; check.  Now, how do you make your new service and system really pay dividends for you and your company?  Every company is different, but there are some big time benefits that can be delivered by this new technology.

I was recently asked what it took to be considered among the best business VoIP providers.  Although this list is certainly subject to debate, I chose to answer based upon what sipVine customers indicate what is important to them.  So, in no particular order, here are five qualities of great service providers:

Telecom competition is as hot as it ever has been with the entry of many Hosted VoIP providers.  The major players still dominate market share, but a significant slice of the market is shared by alternative providers.  With nearly an oligopolistic hold on the marketplace by the major telecommunication providers, one is left to ask: “why have alternative business voice providers been able to take meaningful share from the big guys?”

One of the first decisions businesses make when implementing their Hosted VoIP system regards the call flow for their incoming calls.  Good hosted VoIP providers will guide you through the many options and customization now available to your business with the technology.  Where it is possible to match your current call flow, taking advantage of the options afforded to your business through an auto attendant, direct inward dial numbers, and ring groups can help create an edge for your business in a competitive climate.

This is an additional post in a series of hosted VoIP feature spotlights.  Operating remote locations or a work from home employee base under one phone system is one of the great features of a hosted VoIP platform.  Because the phones are registering over the internet to a host site, it views every employee of that company under the same context.  Thus, the location of the employee is irrelevant, and it wouldn’t necessarily be apparent to the callers of the company.

This is an additional post in a series of hosted VoIP feature spotlights.  Parking calls and paging are additional features provided by most hosted VoIP service providers.   The utilization of a park feature is necessitated by the fact that with VoIP service there are no more “lines” in play as there are with traditional analog phone systems.  Thus, when calls come in, they terminate to the phone that answers the call.  To move those calls to another employee, they must be transferred to that employee’s extension or into a park feature.

This is an additional post in a series of hosted VoIP feature spotlights.  An automated attendant is one of the great features delivered by most hosted VoIP service providers.  It can be deployed in a number of ways, depending upon what suites your business the best.

This is an additional post in a series of hosted VoIP feature spotlights.  Utilizing ring group features of a hosted VoIP phone system can help the communication flow and efficiency of your business.  Whether you set these groups up as an answering group for your primary number or for departmental routing, either will provide you with a customer service edge.  Even a small business can take advantage of this advanced feature offered by good hosted VoIP providers.

This is an additional post in a series of hosted VoIP feature spotlights.  Hosted VoIP platforms can provide call history and reporting allowing for increased efficiency and production management.

This is an additional post in a series of hosted VoIP feature spotlights.  Many hosted VoIP providers can deliver call recordings, eliminating expensive options for this feature.  Levels of service, pricing and approach vary widely, so if this service is important to your business, investigate the options carefully.