Business VoIP
17 Oct 2008, 2:29 pmBasically explained, traditional Voice over IP (VoIP) technology allows the use of the Internet and or your computer network to transmit your telephone calls, business users would also require phone system hardware to use VoIP in this form. Be aware not all VoIP providers supply business grade VoIP services and there are many sales people out there selling residential grade servcie as badged as business grade. The term business grade can and often does just mean they have sold you a business grade rate plan.
When most people think VoIP and they think free phone calls; this is easily possible at a residential level but only when calling another person using the same VoIP provider. For a business user to get free calls on a traditional VoIP solution you will need to buy a true business grade Internet connection and then spending thousands on the Phone System hardware required to run the service successfully, finally you will most likely need to employ a full time IT professional to manage the hardware and your network as effectively you have created your own telephone network.
If you change to VoIP for all calls you would require a VoIP supplier as well because that will be the only way you can terminate your calls made through the Internet on a traditional network such as Telstra. This solution will normally only suites big business as they have high enough call volumes between their own separate sites to recoup the setup cost of your own VoIP network (free calls are only available when calling sites that are connected to the VoIP network).
Arrow Voice & Data specialise in business grade communications, we dedicate our time to servicing only the business sector.
Arrow has released a group of true business grade VoIP solutions that mean none of the previously mentioned expenses are incurred by the client. With Arrow Voice & Data’s true business grade VoIP there is no confusion you have one single point of contact with Arrow for all your ordering and fault rectification needs which are covered by a full business grade SLA (Service Level Agreement).
We can deliver business grade VoIP using either ISDN (digital) or PSTN (analogue) lines with a subsidised SHDSL Internet connection from well over 350 exchanges Australia wide. You have no confusing hardware to buy, program & manage with Arrow Voice & Data’s business grade VoIP offerings.
Below are a the essential points you must be clear on to ensure you choose a business grade VoIP service. If you do not have these features you have most likely not bought a business grade service.
Important Business Grade VoIP Features:
- Business Grade SLA (service level agreement) with fault rectification within 4 hours. Without this you may never have your faults fixed to your satisfaction.
- Calling Number Display which is essential for many businesses who use call accounting software or contact management systems.
- Quality of service (QoS) guarantee, without this you will not be receiving carrier quality calls. Many non business services will tell you to look after your own QoS which is very involved.
- Standard business features such as ‘Line Hunt’ or ‘Indial’
- 99.95% up-time with a money back guarantee, if they won’t offer this be afraid as it isn’t a true business grade service.
- DTMF tones so you can use push button prompts (i.e. push 1 to talk to customer service or 2 for sales etc.)
- Number portability so you can keep your numbers. Many suppliers let you take your treasured number to their company but they do not let you take it away again should you decide to move to a new supplier.
- Carrier grade voice calls (i.e. good quality calls).
- Can your supplier service all of your business communications needs at a competitive price with an exceptionally high service level (Internet, mobile, fixed wire, hosting, inbound (13/1300/1800 numbers) an even supply phone systems). Arrow Voice & Data can do all of this and bill your you you need
Any business owner looking at moving to VoIP should ask them selves one important question, ‘what effect on my bottom line would it have if my phones and Internet connection did not work for anywhere from 3 days to 2 weeks’? The simple answer is that this would be a crippling blow to any business and in many cases it would send a business broke, so why take the risk to save a few dollars when you can buy a true business grade VoIP service and still save big dollars on your communication.
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