Once you have made the decision to get rid of your traditional PBX and adopt the advantages of VoIP telephony you will realize that one of the greatest benefits is the possibility of using a VoIP provider to reduce the cost of telephone calls.
But, in recent years, a large number of VoIP providers have emerged following the boom in the IP PBX market and the huge growth of VoIP. So, which VoIP provider should you choose? A useful tip, is to base your choice of VoIP provider exclusively on the needs of your company.
This is a list that will help you choose the optimal VoIP provider for your business:
- Verify the international call rates of the VoIP provider with your real needs in mind
While VoIP providers offer lower rates than most conventional telephone companies, it is important to choose the most appropriate Voice over IP service for your specific needs and calling pattern. Rates vary from one provider to another depending on the destination of the call. Be sure to take into consideration not only your general rank as an expensive or cheap supplier, study the individual rates by country. For example, if your business has partners only in Sweden, France and Italy, then it is not important if the rates of a VoIP provider are the cheapest for office phone system or Far East. Focus on your real needs!
- Make sure the quality of calls is the one your company needs
Many VoIP providers offer minimum rates but the quality of the calls is terrible. If your business is based on customer service through the telephone, then it will be better to pay a little more to ensure that the voice quality is good. On the contrary, if the telephone communication in your company is almost exclusively between employees, then it may be that voice quality has a less important role than saving expenses.
- Consider the SIP trunking option
Some VoIP providers offer the option to contract a SIP trunk. These SIP trunks converge the local, long-distance and broadband internet network into a single conduit. SIP trunks are the modern equivalent of trunk T1. While in the past companies bought T1 trunks from a telecommunications provider to connect their proprietary PBX system, today you can buy SIP trunks from VoIP providers to connect your IP PBX. In this case, it is necessary to use a telephone system based on the SIP standard and that supports SIP trunks.
- Hire a reliable VoIP provider
Not a week goes by without a new VoIP provider emerging in the market. Most of these promote their services as the most economical, reliable and with the best voice quality. But, with the same ease that these suppliers enter, they also exit the market. Do a simple market study to find out which are established and reputable VoIP providers. The last thing you want for your business is to run out of the ability to make and receive phone calls from one day to the next.
- Be sure to use an IP PBX that works well with VoIP providers
The most important element when adopting IP telephony in your company is that of IP PBX software. Be sure to choose one that is easy to install, configure and manage; that has enterprise-class features and functionality and works well with the most popular VoIP Gateways and SIP providers.
- Reputation of the operator VoIP
The reliability of VoIP carriers is one of the key factors that should help in your choice. One of the ways to stay on top of the providers’ success stories is by reading online reviews and reviews of the VoIP services that are offered by the providers, or by observing if the operator provides Case Studies or success stories of using the service with other companies, even better if they are recognized companies in the market.You can also look for recommendations from coworkers, friends, family, or anyone else who already has a VoIP.
You can also confirm if a VoIP carrier is trusted through testimonials. Once you find a VoIP phone that you think would be perfect for your business, find other similar companies that depend on the same provider. Testimonials and comments from current customers provide insight into the quality of service and reliability of a VoIP carrier.The VoIP provider must have a clean history and a good reputation. They must be financially well structured and have no history in court proceedings. In addition, they need to have good technology and good reviews on the internet.
- Customer service
It is important to find out what kind of technical support is offered by each carrier as this will help you choose the best VoIP carrier for your business. If you like being served by chat, email or other channel, see if the operator offers the most convenient and effective service for your company.
Observe the promptness and technical quality of customer service responses. Judge if it is satisfactory for your business, after all, a telephone operator will usually offer you a service that will stretch for months, years; and so, it is important to choose correctly not to go on an endless search for this type of service.
- Quality of service
The audio quality of the calls should be as good as a cell phone. Many VoIP carriers include Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Blocking, Call Forwarding, Voicemail, Conference Calling and more. So, find out about the latest technologies and choose the best VoIP carrier, which will meet all your needs.
It is logical that in VoIP telephony the quality of the call depends a lot on the connection to the internet, so make sure you have a reliable connection and support the voice over IP service. Make as many calls as necessary and make sure the good quality of the service. If you were satisfied with the calls you made, all right, now just hire the service and start saving with VoIP telephony.
Conclusion
Choosing a VoIP Service Provider is like choosing a cell phone service provider you need to do a research first by visiting the websites of the service providers and learning about the service they offer and what the rates are involved. Searching for information on the internet about the reputation of the VoIP carrier is also very important. Customer support service is also very important because if the service provider cannot answer your questions about your product, this sounds like an indication of what problems are to come.
Author Bio:
Kimbrely Stewart is a technical content write and currently working for office phone system dubai company PBX Systems. She loves to learn and share technical news and updates.