Comparing and Contrasting Business Phones

Selecting the right business phone solution can be a real challenge for a company of any size. With the myriad of options on the market, it can be difficult to determine what the optimal setup should look like. First, the company will have to choose the right technology. This requires an understanding of what the different options are. Is it most cost-effective to go with a traditional landline, hosted VoIP, or regular cell-phone service? Next, to narrow down the search within a given technology, the company will have to be able to distinguish between what are necessary features and what are useful add-ons. Is VoiceMail-to-Email a useful feature that will increase productivity or just a cool new toy? How about call-routing?

If you are finding yourself in the position of having to compare different technologies, or if you simply want to understand what phone solutions are available, be prepared to get a little overwhelmed. But, don’t get discouraged, there are plenty of resources and guides to learn about VoIP online, including the following infographic from WhichVoIP that helps match phone system features and common business needs to several common telephony setups.

VoIP Systems

Out of all the different phone solutions on the market, VoIP is emerging as the most innovative. Many businesses are finding VoIP technology more flexible and cost effective. This is not to suggest that landlines and cellphones aren’t viable options, however, VoIP has some significant advantages over its competition. For companies that have chosen VoIP as their business phone solution, the final step is to find a provider that best fits the needs of the business. When narrowing down your choices, make sure to take the time to understand termination policies. For instance, will it be possible to end the contract at any time without incurring a fee and, if not, how expensive would switching providers be? Another useful question to ask a potential VoIP provider is whether there are any day-to-day usage costs not covered by the plan.

Like with any service, call costs add up. Make sure the pricing details are provided and explained for all types of calls – conference, international, emergency, etc. And, most importantly, keep in mind the unique characteristics of your company and exactly what type of value and capabilities you’d like to see from a telephony system.