VoIP - What 9 things should you consider when choosing a Service Provider?

Effective Communication plays a crucial aspect in every business. Even though it's one of a company's most important success components, a communication system doesn't always get the attention it needs. Owners of businesses frequently focus on hiring employees, purchasing computers, equipment, and advertising, while the phone system is more of an afterthought.

An ineffective business  phone system can have a detrimental effect on your business and bottom line, no matter how well everything else in your organization is functioning. In a world where the geographical boundaries for trade have expanded globally, and the lines have become blurred in terms of employee location due to the growth of remote and hybrid working, it’s become even more important to ensure your phone system is up to date.

As the future has gone digital, given the well-publicised BT 2025 switch-off, most businesses are switching towards a virtual phone system. But with a myriad of vendors and choice available, it's not easy to select the best virtual phone system.

Keep reading to find out factors to consider before buying a phone system.

What is a Virtual Phone System?

You might be unsure what a virtual phone system is and how it functions if you already use a conventional landline system.

Virtual phone systems function similarly to regular phones, except that you place and receive calls via a Cloud-based system. You can make and receive calls using a handheld IP Phone, your Mobile Phone, your PC, Mac, Laptop, Tablet or even your Web Browser.

You need a good Internet service to use a virtual phone system. The migration from a traditional telephone system to a virtual phone system should be simple if your company already has a reliable Internet plan.

Here are some things to consider while selecting a system for your organisation.

1.   Quality

Call quality is the most important factor in any business-grade VoIP service. You should not accept any VoIP service that provides you with low-quality audio. Previously, VoIP calls could be choppy, or users wouldn't be able to hear certain words. Calls may be disconnected or abruptly dropped. That era has long since passed.

VoIP Service providers of today provide HD-quality audio same as traditional landlines. Many people are unable to differentiate between analogue and VoIP calls.

2.   Types of Virtual Phone System

As traditional PSTN and ISDN based phone services are being phased out, most organisations have already ruled these out as part of their communications strategy. BT will announce a STOP SELL notice in September 2023, and this has already been issued in some locations in the UK. After this date, BT will not accept any new orders for traditional phone services.

For most organisations, deciding on the type of virtual phone system is one of the primary factors to consider.

VoIP refers to short over Internet Protocol; in simpler words, it uses an Internet connection to manage calls. There are three major types of VoIP available:

●     Hosted VoIP: This solution offers a high degree of functionality at a reasonable price, making it the ideal choice for small organizations. With hosted VoIP, the phone system services are delivered from the provider’s cloud-based infrastructure and the provider is responsible for managing all services, updates and optionally the maintenance of all of your telephone hardware on-site.

●     Hybrid: A hybrid solution allows organisations to maintain their existing traditional phone system, but enable it for VoIP with the addition of an on-premises hybrid device which enables the system to use SIP services in addition to any existing analogue and ISDN services. This allows them greater control over their connectivity, so businesses concerned about uptime may choose this option. This can be a more costly (in terms of capital investment) and complicated option for the majority of small businesses however.

●     On-Premises VoIP: This approach requires organisations to purchase all infrastructure and hardware and install all the equipment in their building. They are then ultimately responsible themselves for the upkeep, repairs, and upgrades necessary for the smooth operation of their business phone service. This can be costly, both in terms of capital investment and human resources. Phone services are also typically limited to the office locations, making them unsuitable for accommodating remote workers.

3.   Features of Virtual Phone System

Professional features, including automated attendants, hold music, call forwarding, call transfer, caller ID, do not disturb, call recording, three-way calling, voicemail, and directories, are standard on most business phone systems.

Making a list of essential and nice-to-have features is advised if you require more than that fundamental capability. Thenit is recommended that you order the list to determine which features are necessary before you proceed with a system. Some of the fundamental features include:

●     Call Tracking

●     Internet Faxing

●     Voicemail to Email

●     Time of Day Routing

●     Video Conferencing

●     In-office paging

●     Mobile Capability

●     Mobile App Preferences

4.   Subscription Packages

The majority of virtual phone systems provide several subscription plans. Organisations select appropriate plans according to your business requirements. It’s important to check whether or not the features that you require are available in the payment plans, when comparing services from different vendors. In this way you’re aware if you need to pay extra fees for your requirements, when comparing like-for-like services.

It’s also a good idea to check if the service provider offers third-party systems. And also see if the VoIP system can work with your existing tools such as your CRM, email and calendar services. Finally, ask if the VoIP service would be compatible with future advanced services. Although you may not need them instantly, you may need them in the future.

5.   Reliability

With virtual phone services becoming a preferred choice for small business owners, reliability is a big consideration when making a decision to contract services with a particular vendor. Reliable vendors will have multiple hosted data centres with diverse routing and failover circuits between them in the case of a major Internet outage causing disruption to their service. So it’s a good idea to ask vendors if they have a backup plan for emergencies. You should ask them If they have any plan B when the phone lines stop working.

Organisations also need to consider how employees can keep working effectively in case of any disruption in calls and how the service provider can help solve this problem. It is recommended that you ask the vendor if they have the necessary equipment and infrastructure as a backup plan.

6.   Security

For small businesses in particular, data security is an essential consideration that cannot be ignored. With the ever-present threat of data breaches and other security incidents, it is vital to have the right tools and protocols in place to protect your business. VoIP services are no different, and require specific security measures to safeguard against risks. By taking the necessary precautions, you can help ensure that your business remains safe and secure.

There are a few key considerations when it comes to securing your VoIP system. Firstly, you'll need to make sure that your network is secure and properly configured. This means ensuring that only authorized users have access to the system, and that all data is properly encrypted. You can also consider using a VPN service to secure your VoIP connection. Additionally, you'll need to have a robust disaster recovery plan in place in case of any incidents. By taking these precautions, you can help ensure that your VoIP system is secure and running smoothly.

7.   Customer Support

The tragedy of customer support is nobody cares about it until something goes wrong. When incidents do occur it’s important that your service provider is responsive and efficient in resuming normal service operation.

Your VoIP service provider should be committed to delivering excellent customer support. You should expect them to be responsive to your needs, and to provide helpful and knowledgeable staff who can assist you with any issues you may have, and where possible, to provide an estimate of when the service will resume working.

In addition to email and chat, a good service provider should always offer telephone customer support and provide out-of-hours support options so that you can always get the help you need, when you need it.

8.   Budget

As a general rule of thumb, providers with more experience tend to provide better service, although there are always exceptions. However, providers who remain in business tend to offer high-quality services. When considering new startups, experience in the industry and knowledge of a broad range of IT and Telecoms service considerations is important. Given your reliance on the smooth running of your business communications, it could cause you service downtime should your startup vendor suddenly go out of business unexpectedly.

In addition, it’s worth thinking about the vendor's expertise in your industry. Some industries are highly regulated and have strict compliance requirements. Some examples include healthcare, education, and finance. Businesses in such industries can access various vendors that cater to their needs. They may offer tailored features that will meet your needs better than a more generalized service.

9.   Unified Communications

Unified communications (UC) is a term used in business and technology to describe the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging (chat), presence information, telephony (including IP telephony), video conferencing, call control, desktop sharing, and data sharing into a single interface that can be accessed from any device.

The goal of unified communications is to simplify communication and collaboration between employees, partners, and customers to improve communication efficiency and business productivity. The integration of these various communication tools into a single interface makes it easier for users to find and connect with the people and information they need, when they need it.

Several businesses use VoIP as a unified communications platform. Many service providers already offer conference calls, video calls, instant messaging and presence etc. It eliminates the need for employees to switch between multiple apps if you add other channels.

Ask your vendor about how their service offering delivers unified communications capabilities.

Wrap Up

Virtual Phone systems boost organizational productivity. An effective phone system ensures improved communication with employees and customers, and helps organisations achieve their business objectives with improved communications to resolve queries and deliver professional sales and support.

At Omni Communications , we have the industry experience, knowledge and support to help design and deliver the appropriate virtual phone system solution for your organisation. Our experts analyse your business model, make recommendations and and help you to deliver a communications service specific to your business requirements. 

Contact us to discuss your requirements and request a FREE TRIAL of our service.