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Is Voice Quality and VoIP an oxymoron?  It very much can be, and for business applications it is imperative that your VoIP Service Provider has a solution to address voice quality.

Sharing internet bandwidth for voice and data is a good thing, allowing for the convergence of communication features and the economization of connectivity.  Sharing bandwidth without quality of service protocols, however, is not wise.  This can lead to intermittent silent pauses, which is just one of the voice quality concerns with VoIP.  Delay, due to latency or jitter, or voice echo, due to inferior or lack of noise cancellation equipment, are additional challenges with VoIP.

Some VoIP service providers merely drop ship your pre-configured phones with the instructions to plug them onto your network and all will be fine.  They may have sized your bandwidth correctly and applied compression to your voice packets as their recommended solution.  This is not enough!  An evaluation of the path to their host site is important to ensure latency is within acceptable limits.  Also, your VoIP provider needs to provide some level of traffic management at the router level or an edge device to your network.  This “QoS” solution keeps the voice traffic prioritized and without interruption by data traffic.

Why is this important? Imagine your customer placing an order with you and you hear “I need one       thousand         units by             Thursday.”  When you deliver the thousand units, your customer calls you and indicates that although he appreciated the early delivery of the thousand units, he was looking for “one hundred thousand jumbo units by next Thursday.” 

Don’t let this happen to you.  Make sure your VoIP provider is as focused on voice quality as they may be on features and benefits.  Check out sipVine’s VoIP QoS solution as an example of a provider who places a premium on voice quality for all of the business digital phone service customers.

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at  sipVine , a provider of a variety of  digital phone solutions  and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments. 

 

Many businesses today are making the switch to a VoIP phone service from their traditional analog phone service.  There are many compelling reasons behind this shift, and the benefits are felt by businesses of all sizes.

Convergence of Technology – With voice and data riding over the same internet connection to the business, the opportunity to digitally link communication applications are great. The concept of unified communications includes advanced features such as voicemails to email and faxes to email. Capturing call detail records and call history is no longer just a feature on your wireless phone, as individual users can benefit from this data and companies can easily capture call history for audit and billing purposes.  Finally, the integration of voice and data over the same connection allows for the flexible use of bandwidth which can drive cost savings.

Advanced Communication Features – In addition to unified communications, VoIP phone service brings a host of features that drive efficient and effective production of your company associates.  Such features include hunt, ring, and call center groups and queues, automated attendant options, time of day routing, corporate directories, a host of call forwarding options, and much more.

Flexible Deployment – With most VoIP platforms, especially with a hosted voip service, being bound to a PBX platform unique to your office is a thing of the past. Businesses can operate outside the walls of their office with mobile or work at home employees and branch locations all on the same phone service platform.  To internal staff and external customers, the location of the phones is not prohibitory to effective communications.  With most VoIP providers, the phones can ride any internet connection and still have the appearance that they are on the same phone system housed at the central office.

Disaster Recovery Options – Through the utilization of a hosted VoIP provider, businesses have several alternatives for localized disaster recovery.  Phones can be physically moved to a location where internet is active or invoke remote forwarding to alternative numbers or locations. This provides peace of mind when concerns arise over internet stability or other location related disasters.

Lower Costs – With the economy continuing to provide daily lessons of the need for cost containment and control, the shift to VoIP has accelerated due to the potential for lower costs and stable monthly expenses.  New entrants in the marketplace have delivered direct blows to the traditional, high-margin analog voice providers.  Unlimited local and long-distance calling is just one example of a way these providers have approached delivering a lower cost to their customers.

The time has never been better to evaluate VoIP phone service.  Join the VoIP revolution and call a VoIP provider today!

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at  sipVine , a provider of a variety of  digital phone solutions  and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments. 

 

Many small businesses pay for each time they make adjustments to their phone system.  At sipVine, normal volumes of moves, adds, and changes are included in the monthly phone service charge.

When companies have a need to move phones, add or change employees, or make changes in their call flow or configuration, they typically need to engage the services of their equipment vendor or a phone service vendor to make these changes.  Thus, they enter into service agreements, pay trip charges, or incur per hour charges to implement these basic and sometimes routine adjustments.

sipVine’s Hosted VoIP Service includes the central administration of our customers’ phone system, with up to ten moves, adds, and changes included in our monthly service rate. Rarely does a customer need more than ten changes to be made in a month and most, if not all, changes can be administered without an on-site service call.

One of the inherent benefits of a hosted VoIP platform is that the phone system is centralized in our secure data facility off site.  This allows us to remotely make any changes a customer may need.   Simple things, like moving a phone to another office or location (even an external location), only require the customer to plug the phone into their Ethernet connection or active internet connection and the phone automatically registers. 

More complicated changes, like changes in call flow or the activation of previously unused features, such as call park or paging, can also be administered remotely.  Thus, customers are free to adjust their communication processes to how it best serves their business without any concern over the cost of making such changes.

Finally, major changes, like moving the entire office to a new location, do not generate charges that typically are experienced with the moving of a phone system.  The new location needs to be built out for their LAN needs and the phones simply need to be moved to the new location and plugged in! We are happy to work with our customers to establish a move routine that does not generate any down time associated with their moves.

How refreshing and simple is that?  Call us to find out more!   

 

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at  sipVine , a provider of a variety of  digital phone solutions  and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments. 

There are several reasons why professional service companies have gravitated to sipVine’s Hosted VoIP Phone Service.  sipVine proudly serves many law firms, accounting/finance firms, marketing/public relations companies, and business consulting firms.  sipVine excels in many areas, driving specific benefit to the communication needs of professional service firms:

Full Featured Phone Services - sipVine delivers a robust feature set that is compelling to a professional services office setting.  We customize the call flow with ring groups or queues and set up an auto attendant to fit exactly how these firms would like to do business. Direct dial numbers, call recording options, call detail records, voicemail to email, and many other features drive benefits to the companies  sipVine serves.

Virtual & Highly Mobile Employee Options - One of the beauties of Hosted VoIP is the fact that it can be delivered anywhere and at any time people need to be reached.  Businesses can deploy a remote or flexible staff model as they can have a VoIP phone wherever they are located.  This phone can be a desk phone or a soft phone on their desktop or mobile device.  High contact employees who are on the go can turn on their mobile soft phone when they want to receive or make calls just as if they were at their phone in the office! 

High Quality VoIP Phones - sipVine only certifies top-end VoIP phone manufacturers on our network.  We currently work with Yealink, Polycom and Cisco phones.  We have found that these manufactures have the best phone features and are easy to use.  The quality is demonstrated time and time again for their longevity in service and very few issues resulting in replacement.  

Phone System Support - This is the hallmark of sipVine's service.  We do not outsource or off-shore our support personnel.  Most times, callers into our support department are pleased with the fact that we actually KNOW them!  sipVine handles all phone administration or system program changes for our customers at no additional charge.  Unlike the well-marketed national VoIP providers, we do not expect our customers to navigate a self-service support portal to make changes.  This resonates well with our professional services firm customers, as they don't have the time to develop the expertise required to make these changes or program call flows and auto attendants as needs evolve.  They simply call sipVine by dialing 7HELP from their sipVine phone and they will directly reach a member of our support team, or they can email or submit a ticket.  

The technology deployed in sipVine’s VoIP Phone Solution delivers high quality voice calls and disaster recovery advantages.  All of the functionality and more great features are delivered in a reliable and purposeful solution that allows for the easy addition of users as the firm grows.

Whether you are a professional service firm or a general business, sipVine’s Hosted VoIP Phone Service can be customized to how you do business.  Contact us today to learn how!

The right VoIP phone service provider can configure your business phone traffic patterns for how you do business, thus improving your efficiency and customer communications. There are several options a business can deploy:

·    Incoming Line Options – The first variable in custom programming is determining how incoming calls to a company’s main line are handled.  If an automated attendant is not utilized, phone calls can be directed to a receptionist, ring a group of people simultaneously, enter a call queue, or be programmed to roll from selected individuals as desired.

·   Time of Day Call Schedules – Businesses can choose to program call routing schedules based upon the time of day.  The best example is before and after hours of operation.  Businesses can have their calls directed to alternative phone numbers (answering services, cell phones, etc.) or to an after-hours auto attendant. Businesses with branch locations in multiple time zones can direct incoming calls based upon staff availability for that time of day.

·   Hunt/Ring Groups and Call Queues – You can also designate groups of people to be eligible to take a specific type of call.  For example, you may have a customer service department with multiple representatives. Your receptionist or auto attendant can send new calls into this group list, which can be programmed for simultaneous ring, hunting for the next available attendant, or in an actual queue. These can be as numerous as your business has categories for customer contact and each can be uniquely programmed for the right ring pattern for the situation.

·    Automated Attendant – Customers can be routed directly to the right group of people to meet their needs through an automated attendant.  This eliminates the need for a reception or call screening resource. There are some good guidelines to follow for effectively utilizing an auto attendant, as if it is implemented correctly, it can enhance your customer satisfaction and drive efficiency.

These are just a few of the ways a VoIP phone service provider can streamline your communication patterns.  As you evaluate providers, ensure that as a part of their installation and service that you receive this type of programming customized to how you do business!

Make every interaction with customers count with the help of sipVine's complete business communication solution! sipVine provides Hosted VoIP services to businesses across the United States. A better phone system for your small business with advanced features to match your unique business needs! Make your company's business communications better by engaging better customer experiences at every touchpoint. Want to learn more? Our small business phone service representatives are here to answer any questions you have!

Moving is stressful enough on your business, and you can quit worrying about whether your phone service will be up and running in time by going with Hosted VoIP phone service!  sipVine has helped many new customers ease this tension by implementing Hosted VoIP service prior to their move date.

The previous plan for these prospective customers was to attempt to time their switch over to the new facility with their current carrier.  This involved provisioning their new lines and coordinating their cut over with the provider.  Depending upon the reliability and timeliness of the provider’s service department and the efficiency of moving their existing phone equipment, the business was potentially facing a period where they would be out of service for a period of time.

By choosing sipVine, we counseled these new customers to implement their new Hosted VoIP phone service prior to their move.  The porting of the phone numbers is taken care of in advance of the move and everyone is well trained on all the new features and benefits they receive from the Hosted VoIP phone service.  The new location is provisioned with an internet connection and it is all ready for the move.  On moving day, they simply plug their new VoIP phones into their Ethernet connection, connect the internet to the router, and they’re making and receiving phone calls!

Of course, timing out your business move to coincide with the installation of your new VoIP phones is also a possibility.  There are numerous considerations and sipVine is prepared to assist you in your planning and implement accordingly.

Additionally, these customers are able to save money on their wiring, as they only need to wire for Cat5 or Cat6 Ethernet.  They can also choose to deploy Power over Ethernet switches for their VoIP phones and conserve on the number of outlets in offices they need to wire.

If your business is preparing for a move, consider it to be a time to enhance your phone system’s capabilities and lessen your move anxiety at the same time!  So, why not reach out and experience the sipVine difference. Make every interaction with your customers count with the help of sipVine's complete business communication solution! A better phone system for your small business with advanced features to match your unique business needs! Make your company's business communications better by engaging better customer experiences at every touchpoint. Want to learn more? Our small business phone service representatives are here to answer any questions you have!  Call us!

You don’t need to sign a term contract for your phone service!  Simply put, traditional business telephone providers want to lock you in, and term contracts in exchange for something is how they do it.  It’s all about creating a guaranteed return on their marketing and sales investment. 

Examples of methods utilized to coerce you into signing term agreements are:

1.   Special promotional or advertised pricing is only available with a term agreement

2.   Up-front installation or other “activation” fees are not waived without a term agreement 

Once you’ve signed a term agreement with your phone service provider, you pay penalties for early termination and service downgrades. Additionally, you may face auto-renewal notice requirements that, if missed, can lock you in for another year or longer.   Finally, many of these contracts don’t provide you with price protection.  Check the fine print to see if the rates are subject to change without notice. 

If you are in a contract or are contemplating moving forward with one, be sure to ask for the terms and conditions.  Many times these contracts are essentially a sales order that references terms and conditions in an obscure or difficult to find location on the phone service provider's website!  This is where you'll find the auto renewal provisions, rate change provisions and other n0t-so-customer-friendly terms.  If you signed a contract, you may find that you've already been subject to an auto renewal based upon the notice you are required to give if you are not planning on renewing.

There are business phone providers out there who are willing to earn your business every day without the protection of a term contract.  At sipVine, we believe that our advertised or current price schedule should be uniformly applied and available to everyone who wants to use our service.  We also stand on the principle that customers deserve the right to change providers if the service does not meet their expectations.  It may not be a standard business practice for the telecom industry, but it is a fundamental way of doing business for sipVine. 

So, as you are evaluating a change in your phone providers, suggest that you can receive advertised prices without signing a contract with other providers and see if the providers will match that understanding.  If not, call us!

One of the more frustrating customer service examples comes every month in your business’ phone bill. A common practice among phone provides is to advertise and promote a rate for service, only to tack on surcharges and other “pass through” items as a means to deflect the responsibility for their rates being different. 

This practice is entrenched in the industry, both from the traditional phone service providers as well as the new VoIP phone service entrants in the marketplace.  Items like E911 Service Fee, Regulatory Recovery Fee, Universal Service Fund Surcharge, FCC Fees, and State Telecom Excise Taxes all are nicely tacked onto your bill and easily add 15% to 20% more onto your monthly bill.

At sipVine, we made the decision not to advertise pricing without those surcharges built in.  The only addition you’ll see from us is for local sales taxes.  We wanted our customers to experience satisfaction at all phases of the service, including receiving a simple invoice for service that matches what was promised in our quote.

Additionally, we do not promote pricing adjustments based upon term contracts.  We believe that our customers should receive the best price available and not have to sign a term agreement. 

Contact us to discuss your needs.  Our goal is to deliver a customized configuration at a price that will deliver benefits and be exactly what we proposed! 

About the author:  Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of a variety of digital phone solutions and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments.