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Every day more small businesses convert their phone service to a Hosted VoIP provider, moving away from traditional analog phone service and phone systems.  Common to the conversations with these small businesses are questions regarding the impact a switch to Hosted VoIP phone service will have on their company.

Changing phone providers isn't (and shouldn't be) top of mind for most businesses.  Investing in and managing the core business is always the priority, with infrastructure investments left to wait for the right time.  So, when is the right time?  There are some advantages from a strategic and efficiency standpoint that could make sense to implement at any time, but there are also some clear events that signal that it is time to change phone service providers and move to a VoIP phone system.

The fact is that analog-based business phone systems and service are becoming a dying breed. Many businesses are waking up to the fact that their phone service company has given them little reason to remain a long-term and loyal customer. As businesses have made the switch to VoIP phone service throughout the last decade, traditional phone service providers have been grasping to hold onto their margins and their customers. Let's examine the evidence:

Most small businesses have already made the shift to a Hosted VoIP phone service. Many have been unable to take full advantage of the features and flexibility of these systems due to the inability to navigate the do-it-yourself programming portal pushed by the nationally branded VoIP providers.  This has led to frustration with the technology. The good news is that there are Hosted VoIP providers that can take care of the complexities of the programming and help conform the phone system to the needs of the business.

This week is National Small Business Week, a celebration and recognition of small businesses across the country. Small businesses make up over 99% of the employers in the United States and are responsible for two out of every three jobs. Thus, it is no surprise that nearly all of sipVine's Hosted VoIP customers are also small businesses. We'd like to recognize and thank all of our customers for their loyal support and continuous referrals.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of America and the driving force behind the proliferation of Hosted VoIP phone service.  According to a 2016 report by Babson College, small businesses make up 99% of the employers in the United States and existing businesses account for 60% of the private sector's net new job growth.  This statistic emphasizes the importance of a flexible, scalable phone system for small business and is one of the many reasons small business chooses a Hosted VoIP platform.

Over the years, we've discussed the variety of advanced business phone features that a Hosted VoIP phone service delivers to businesses of all shapes and sizes.  These features have created a new standard for phone service, effectively making analog phone systems and service obsolete.  Moreover, they have transformed the communication practices of the businesses who have deployed them and utilized them to their fullest extent.  So, what is the most important feature of Hosted VoIP?

Now that we have a little longevity to the VoIP for business Marketplace, we can see that the market has evolved quickly with traditional market maturation undertones.  What may have been a surprise to us all is how quickly businesses moved to the new technology, as voice over IP installations are the preferred solution when compared to the old analog phone technology.  Even more surprising was how slow to respond were the traditional large telecommunication companies.  They have effectively ceded the business phone service market to VoIP providers, relegating themselves to wholesale roles.  Let's take a view of how this market has evolved.

When evaluating your company phone system and service, a VoIP comparison is necessary to evaluate the opportunity before you. This VoIP comparison will take you down two separate evaluations: one, to compare your existing system and service with a VoIP alternative and, two, evaluating the differences in VoIP providers.

Leave the talk around building walls to the American political scene.  As a business owner, your business will benefit by figuratively tearing down walls and removing barriers to communication with the help of a Hosted VoIP phone service.  With Hosted VoIP, the walls of your business become translucent, as your phone system is no longer confined to your physical location.  Additionally, as the world becomes more and more "always-on" in terms of communication, your business can adjust communication practices to meet the evolving demands of your customers.