If you want your business to seem larger, then VoIP can help you reach that goal. With the public switched telephone network (PSTN), you and your staff need to remain in one static office location. With VoIP, you can maintain offices scattered worldwide, and all offices could connect to the same VoIP service through the Internet.

As a small business, you can see savings immediately on the front end, since PBX systems, phones, applications, installation, monthly maintenance fees and trunk lines can run into the thousands of dollars. The costs of these necessities often force small businesses to reduce their telecom choices to a basic phone service. VoIP-hosted business phone services nearly eliminate the up-front investment costs and often provide corporate-class PBX functionality over a high speed Internet connection.

If you invest in VoIP technology now before your business expands, you can enjoy significant savings as that system can expand with you easily. All you need is a broadband connection and a VoIP service geared to fit your needs.

What You’ll Need

At the basic level, small business owners will need the use of an Analog Telephone Adapter, an IP telephone, or a computer. While these needs sound simple, they also require power. If the power is shut down, your VoIP service won’t work. PSTN works on power from a central office, so it may continue to be a choice for any business owner who fears a loss of communication during power failures.

Before you adapt to a VoIP system, you’ll need to investigate regulatory development and its impact on IP telephony. IP telephony is unregulated in most countries and regulatory authorities are monitoring the situation closely. Recently, the House passed the 911 Modernization and Public Safety Act, requiring VoIP providers to offer enhanced 911, or E-911, service, which pinpoints the caller’s location.

On the other hand, this bill also requires that the large telecom carriers that own the 911 networks allow VOIP providers to be able to connect to the networks, and it requires the U.S. National Telecommunications and Information Administration to put together a plan for a national IP-based emergency dialing network that can handle video and data traffic. This expansion bodes well for VoIP technology expansion.

On the other hand, power failures would disable the E911 service for a VoIP customer and providing a location is difficult since a person can connect from anywhere. This could curb the capability that makes the office seem larger, as users would need to make their locations known. Despite these challenges, VoIP technology represents an opportunity to grow your business initially.

Features to Look For

If you can find a system that includes an “automated attendant,” you can route incoming calls to the appropriate department or person. This feature eliminates the need for a receptionist as you begin to grow your business. Another feature in some systems, the ‘virtual number,’ allows some individuals to contact you long distance without charge - similar to a toll free number.

Employees can communicate seamlessly with each other and with the outside world under one primary phone number, even if they’re not located in one static location. This is, perhaps, the primary advantage for a business that wants to appear larger as it starts out. And, the more features you can add to the VoIP system, the more sophisticated your business will appear. Call waiting, caller ID, call transfer and toll free numbers are features you’d want initially. As your business grows, you can add more features, but you also want to look for reliability in an expanded service.

VoIP may be a perfect alternative to PSTN for a small business, as your business can grow with the technology and visa versa.

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