When considering which VoIP provider to go with you’ll find yourself asking just what the best one is. Unfortunately when it comes to answering this question there are a lot of factors to consider and you can’t pick just the most popular provider. Instead you should consider the following questions and use them to help you choose the right one.
- Which country are you based in?
- How do you plan to use the VoIP service?
- Do you need specific features?
- How many people will have access to the phone system?
- What are you willing to pay for the service?
- How many phones will be connected in the system?
- Are you planning on making international calls? How many?
- VoIP billing software the provider uses (billing software & usage billing)?
Choosing the Right VoIP
There are four main varieties of VoIP services:
- Business VoIP
- Residential VoIP
- Mobile VoIP
- Wholesale VoIP
Pick the service that best fits your own personal calling needs. A residential VoIP plan will often be cheaper than a proper business VoIP plan because there are less features and business phones are used more often than residential ones. You should avoid using a residential VoIP service for a business you’re running from home unless you don’t mind paying overage fees to avoid having the service cancelled. VoIP providers take their Fair Use policies very seriously.
Wholesale VoIP is a good idea if you want to set up a calling card, run your own service provider, or start a call center. Many business VoIP providers will be able to offer call center software.
The Amount of Phones and How Much They’ll Be Used
You should know how many phones will be on the VoIP phone system. With business VoIP services you are often charged by the number of extensions, so you need to know this number in order to find the best deal.
It’s also important to understand how many phones are on the system. If you don’t use the phones in your break room or conference room much you can save money by not having them included as extensions.
