Here at sipVine, we're obviously big believers in hosted VoIP. We know that hosting your business telecommunications service in the cloud is one of the fastest growing trends in the industry because hosted VoIP phone service gives you options, amenities, and service that other providers just can't match. But we also know that switching your phone service is a big decision, and, like with any business decision, timing can be everything. So here are 5 ways to tell if your business is ready to make the switch to hosted VoIP:
1. Your current phone system is out-of-date. Maybe you've got phones that are falling apart, the numbers are wearing off the keypads, wires are fraying, or maybe your phone system itself is getting old and failing, and parts or replacement phones are no longer available. And when you do place a service call, you get hit with a fee. Maybe your current system simply isn't delivering the call quality or range of features that your business demands.
Whatever the problems with your current system, hosted VoIP can solve them, not just today, but down the road. With hosted VoIP, it's incumbent on your provider—rather than you—to keep the system and the handset line-up current. You'll never have to worry about obsolescence again. If your phone goes bad, you just replace it with a current model supported by your VoIP provider, rather than having to replace all the phones, or a whole system.
2. People get excited when they hear you can get caller ID. Difficult as it is to imagine, there are still plenty of phone systems in play that don't deliver caller ID to the phone! In this world of smartphones and mobile devices, that kind of feature seems so basic, but many people are over the moon when they hear that it's available from hosted VoIP. Imagine their excitement when they hear about the other enterprise level features you can get with your VoIP service, such as on-phone corporate directories, automated attendant features, customized on-hold music or messages, voicemail notification to cellphone, and many more!
3. You're ready to replace your on-site system. If it's time to replace your current phone system, you may find price-checking on-site systems to be a daunting prospect. You can pay more for an on-site phone system than you've probably spent on infrastructure for your whole office in the past two years. Not only that, but you'll have to dedicate internal resources to programming and maintaining the system. With hosted VoIP, all you buy are the handsets. Everything else, your dedicated VoIP provider brings to the table, and maintains for the long haul!
4. Your business is relocating. If you're moving your business anyway, there's no better time to leave behind that bulky private branch exchange system and make the transition to hosted VoIP. Try pricing out what it'll cost to move your old phone system—it's probably more than you can sell it for on Craig's List. Instead, try selling it to reseller, or leaving it as an incentive for the next client.
5. You've called your current phone company and had to endure the voice recognition routing process. Everybody's experienced it, and everybody hates it. Calling up, wading through a sea of ever-changing menus that never quite offer what you need. You never talk to the same person twice, and whoever you talk to certainly doesn't know you, your business, or how your phone system is programmed. Luckily for you, hosted VoIP from sipVine is different. Because we combine the phone service and the phone system under one umbrella, we can diagnose and treat any problem you may have in the same call. Additionally,because we put our service to our customers first, when you call us, you'll always be talking to someone who knows you, knows your business, and knows the ins and outs of your VoIP phone system.
Whatever your reasons, if it's time to switch your phone service, then it's time to give hosted VoIP from sipVine a try. We know that once you do, you'll never go back. In fact, we're so confident of it, there are no long-term contracts to sign. We believe that our superior features, service, and call quality will be enough to keep you as a loyal sipVine customer, without having to wave contracts or cancellation fees over your head.
About the author: Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of hosted VoIP phone systems and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments.
