There are many things to consider when moving your phone service to a hosted VoIP system. The right VoIP service provider will answer “yes” to all of these!
- Does the provider custom provision the phones and call flow to match your business requirements? If they drop ship and expect you to program your set up via a web interface, you may miss the mark on what a VoIP platform can do for you.
- Does the hosted platform reside in a secure data facility with redundant servers, internet connections, and telephone network connections?
- Are the phones provided from top end manufacturers of VoIP phones and are they delivered in an “unlocked” manner? This provides you with flexibility if the provider does not meet your needs.
- Does the provider offer a no-contract policy? Good providers believe in their service and do not coerce you into signing term contracts.
- Are you able to port your existing local numbers to all of your locations and potential locations? And, make sure they can deliver e911 service locally.
- Are the features offered robust and comprehensive? The phones themselves deliver many standard features, such as call forwarding, transferring, and three way conferencing. But, does the provider offer ring groups and queues, custom auto attendants with time of day routing, remote forwarding, meet-me conferencing, voicemail to email, fax to email, simultaneous ring to cell phone and other more robust features? They should!
- Do they provide a network device at your location to manage call quality? Some providers only suggest you add more bandwidth to remove data/voice contention. Good providers deliver packet prioritization devices to ensure your voice quality is optimal and your use of bandwidth is efficient.
Moving to a hosted VoIP phone service will enhance your business in many ways. Choosing the right provider will ensure you get the most from your system and improve your communication flow.
