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Choosing The Right VoIP Provider

VoIP’s main claim to fame is the remarkable amount of money a small or medium-sized-business can save on its communications bills. So what is the right provider for you?

VoIP has been around of a number of years and is hugely popular amongst the technically minded. However, in the last year or two VoIP is seeing far more widespread adoption at the business and enterprise level.

For a reasonably small outlay of money, individual users can get good quality VoIP services through a number of providers that have sprung up over the last few years. These providers have also branched out into the SMB space, and some of the larger providers, offering enterprise-level VoIP services.

So why go with VoIP now? The main reason is, of course, cost. Most providers offer far cheaper local and international calls than fixed line telephone providers, and in a lot of cases minimal hardware is required – just a VoIP-enabled gateway device and away you go. Issues still remain with call quality for larger businesses looking at multiple lines, but this problem is slowly being ironed out with services which offer increased features to current VoIP users at a low cost, as well as SIP trunking. SIP trunking can be used as an ISDN primary rate replacement for outgoing calls, allowing you to use whichever carrier you like.

For small business looking to get into VoIP, the business case is clear. It can take a huge chunk out of a medium or small business’ communication bill, which is largely phone and mobile. Internet is only a small proportion of most companies’ bills. The ability to have free calls between branches and timed calls will save a bucket of money.

For instance, running everyone’s extensions off the one PBX rather than having discrete landlines scattered around the countryside is key.  That degree of consolidation and allowing people to communicate with each other within the network can be a lot friendlier than doing it over a traditional system. You can’t get much more cost effective.

One of the main problems with VoIP is that it is entirely dependent on the quality of your broadband connection. When voice traffic is high, data traffic can be delayed. On a good day you can’t really notice the difference but on a bad day you might notice the difference in quality. Some providers who own their own network are able to “groom” traffic to ensure disruption is minimized.

Converting to VoIP makes a great deal of sense for small businesses particularly if they are moving into new premises. In addition to traditional PBXs not being required, many providers can offer a free 1-800 toll free number, PSTN porting and pretty much all offer Quality of Service (QoS). Most are now bundling their VoIP products with their broadband offering.

If you are undecided about which provider to use – choose from some of the most popular, like GrnVoip.com.  Some of the best advice is to make a test call using their service to confirm the quality is good, or ask them to provide business references. The good news for small business owners is that you can try out a number of different VoIP services and choose the best one for you.

The IP PBX — For All Your Wholesale VoIP A-Z Termination

By: Larry Stevens

Companies that do a lot of international or domestic calling have selected the IP architecture for their business needs.  This technology most times is referred to as an IP PBX.  An IP PBX is a phone system designed to deliver voice or video over a data network; simultaneously interfacing with the normal Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Part of the IP PBX is the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) gateway.  This usually works in conjunction with traditional PBX functionality enabling businesses to enjoy the benefits of a single network for voice and data and advanced features.  These features include, Unlimited Extensions, Auto Attendants & Voicemail Boxes.   Extension Groups, where you can have desks all over the globe & each phone is just a 4 digit number that can be dialed like the person is in the next office.  Most all systems have Find Me/Follow Me & Time of Day Routing, as well.

Utilizing IP telephony is much less expensive due to the fact it truly is based on packet protocol that lets the user share data, videos and voice by means of a single line. For that reason, regardless of mobility and locality, users are able to communicate over the IP network. The IP-PBX solution delivers all the advanced services, yet cost much less than traditional PSTN PBX’s.  Plus, the IP PBX delivers top voice quality, as well as lower prices.

Probably the most essential selling point of an advanced IP PBX over a conventional PBX is as follows:

1. Simple set-up

2. No complicated wiring is required for VoIP PBX solutions. Plus in the business environment; reliability, security, functionality and scalability are key.  All of this can be accomplished with the emergence of VoIP technology. With the VoIP IP PBX calling infrastructure set-up, users can make in-house and out-house calling by way of IP network at a minimal rate and higher call efficiency.

To reap the benefits of a IP PBX system, the user has to set up the main structure of a PBX server that consists of 1 or numerous SIP phones or VoIP phones along with a VoIP gateway,  Once this simple task is accomplished, the system delivers, less expensive operation expenses for all the international and domestic calls.  Plus, an IP PBX has myriad features, easy usability and far better manageability than a PSTN PBX.

If you have a business, large or small — investing in an IP PBX makes economic sense.