As a business owner one of the toughest decisions you have to make is choosing the right business phone system provider for your business. The sheer number of service providers in the market today is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Advantage because the competition will lead to better prices and disadvantage because it may lead to confusion.

To avoid any mishaps in choosing the right business phone system provider for your business it is advisable to take a little more time in deciding and be guided by the following criteria:

Business phone type – The first decision that you have to make is what type of business phone system will be suited for your business. There is the traditional PBX and a hosted PBX however with the today’s market more and more businesses are opting for a hosted solution rather than a conventional platform. This is due to the savings and unparalleled features that the latter has. It is best that you weigh both options and decide based on the benefits and steer away from the lesser of the two.

After you have decided what system type will be best for you, then that’s the only time you can begin the hunt for a service provider.

System quality – One of your top priorities should be the system’s quality. This includes all actual servers and network that makes the phone system running. You can easily determine this by making a series of phone calls to the provider. If no single phone call drops out or faces jitters during the call then you can assume that their system is of quality however the best way to determine the quality is to ask around.

You can log on to forums and blogs that give unbiased evaluation which you can easily find over the internet.

Cost – Obviously one of the strongest dictating factors is the cost; make sure that you compare various quotes before you settle with a provider. However it doesn’t mean that it is wise to settle for the cheapest. Gauge the value for the money with what you will be getting for every buck that you spend with a certain provider.

Customer service – It is quite impossible that you find a business phone solution that will never face any downtime or problem so it is best that you choose a provider is able give provide a decent customer support. Again asking around and logging on to forums can help you determine the quality of support a service provider is giving.

Lock in contracts – It is best that you choose a provider that doesn’t oblige you to sign a lock in contract. This will allow you to switch telcos if you are not happy with their service and don’t you think that if they provide good service customers will stay with them even without a contract right?

In the end the decision all comes down to you, you can seek advice and suggestion but neve let anyone dictate you what to do because as a business owner you know what is best for your company.

You hear always hear it from business meetings, conventions and seminars how important it is to move your business to the cloud. Technologies like Google drive, Skydrive, dropbox and the like are all cloud based solutions that offer the convenience of accessibility. Apart from moving your files online one of the most debated topic about the Cloud is phone systems. VoIP business phone systems are now becoming very popular amongst business owners in all industries because of the advantages that it have over traditional analog phones. The question is, will you move your business phone system in the Cloud?

As a business owner only you can decide whether cloud telephone systems is better for you or not. To help you decide here are the advantages and disadvantages of the technology.

Advantages of Cloud Phone Systems

More affordable call rates - Probably the strongest advantage of the Cloud phones or VoIP is the fact that call are significantly cheaper compared to traditional analog lines. On average you could be saving about 70% on calls across local, national, mobile and International calls.

Cheaper upkeep cost - You probably notice in your bill that there is a monthly charge for each number that you have. On average these charges ranges from $25 to $40 per month depending on your provider. With VoIP lines are about 50% cheaper because it is cheaper to maintain and to run.

Convenience - Since your phones will be in the cloud, you can literally take it anywhere you are provided that you can connect it to the Internet. This will allow you to work virtually anywhere. On top of that your Android or iPhones can serve as an extension simply by downloading an application from your mobile’s app store.

Can be customised - Unlike traditional phone system that will require you to upgrade the hardware or buy a top end PBX just to run the features you want, VoIP can be fully customised without any hardware or upgrade needed. So you can have the features of a top end PBX without even touching at the baseline of its cost.

Merge all your Cloud Systems - A handful of providers can merge your VoIP phones with other Cloud based solutions like a CRM, tracking systems, booking software and websites.

Disadvantages of Cloud Phone Systems

Dependent on the Internet - Call quality will be directly dictated by your Internet. If you have a good Internet then you can expect exceptional call quality but if you have bad Internet connection then you will have problems in call quality. It is then advisable to secure a good and reliable Internet before you use VoIP.

Many unreliable providers - VoIP is easier and cheaper to start as a business compared to an analog telecommunications company. As such, not all providers are reliable and will offer you good service. It is then ideal to take your time and find as much information as you can before signing up with any provider.

You do not have the system in your office - With a traditional PBX the system that runs everything is easily accessible for your IT personnel or contractor to troubleshoot. With VoIP the system is in the Cloud and you do not have access to it. This means that if there are any problems you will rely on your provider to fix it. So, it is again a matter of choosing who ti sign up with. Choose a provider that is known to give exceptional customer service and technical support so if in case of a problem you can be sure that they will fix it in a timely fashion.

Despite the high level of reliability a cloud PBX office telephone system may need some troubleshooting and server upgrade from time to time. But the main difference between a cloud phone and a traditional telephone system is that the latter means dollars whilst a cloud PBX doesn’t. Server upgrades and major maintenance transpire over your service provider which means the cost is shouldered by the provider. Basic troubleshooting on the other hand means you just need to do basic check and tweaking of your phones.

Basic Troubleshooting Guide

Since a cloud PBX office telephone system uses the internet it is best that you check your connection first during a down time before fiddling with any of the settings. Make sure that your ISP is not conducting any repairs and or maintenance. Be sure to also check the Ethernet wires across your network and make sure that there are no kinks or folds. Make it also a habit to check your modem or router if it is working properly.

If problems of quality arise with you cloud PBX office telephone system and you are sure that you have a decent internet connection then it is likely that your modem is causing it. You can have your VoIP service provider tweak the settings to prioritize VoIP traffic than other data to ensure enough bandwidth allocation. If it still doesn’t do the trick then it is advisable that replace it with a brand and model that your provider will recommend.

Another common problem is the NR or not registered state, this means that your phones cannot connect to the server thus your account can’t be accessed. All you need to do in this case is to restart your IP phone or softphone along with your internet connection to re-establish the connection between your phones and your service provider’s network. If you are leaving your phone on 24/7 it is also advisable to restart it from time to time, once a week will do. This will allow your phones to download and update the firmware automatically to remove any glitches or bugs that the previous firmware might have. This will also let the application reboot for better performance.

Lastly, if you feel that the quality is being affected by computer usage in a shared internet connection then using an audio codec that uses less bandwidth like the g729 is advisable. However if your computer usage involves video streaming, file upload and download or any task with massive bandwidth usage then you might to look into acquiring a dedicated internet connection for your cloud PBX office telephone system.

Many Australian companies have been keen to invest on VoIP phone system but not all are convinced with the technology. A great number of business owners are still skeptical and a little bit worried to make the switch to VoIP phone systems because the technology is relatively new to the communications industry when compared to the well established analog telephone lines.

Doing a search for VoIP benefits would reveal thousands of results. But generally all these can be summarized into 3 benefits that will give you an idea why you should switch to VoIP phone systems.

1. Setup and monthly fees - Obviously savings will be on top of the list. Being VoIP hardware are all optional and you can literally run the system in a virtual setting or through software that you install into an existing computer of yours. This will undoubtedly reduce your switch cost. On average you can get a system with 3 phones running in just less than $100 dollars. However the biggest chunk of savings would come from the monthly fees. being VoIP call rates are far less than what you are used to paying your telco. The average rate to mobiles are around 20 cents per minute compared to the 80 cents per minute of the latter.

2. Mobility - Since the system is not tied up to any hardware or a dedicated physical lines you can literally take the phones anywhere you go. Say for an instance, IP phone users can take home the handsets home if they need to work from home for a couple days. All they need to do is plug it into their home Internet connection and the phone will work like it never left the office. PC based user can do the same, if you can bring your laptop then you can bring your phone. You can also install multiple phones to all your computers and just log in accordingly.

To further extend the mobility and convenience the technology offers applications for various smartphones and tablets has been developed so you can use VoIP on your mobile anywhere you are provided that you connect to Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G services.

3. Features - One of the determining factors in a phone system are the features. VoIP is known for offering flexible and innovative features to the market. Before you can only have a good set of features if you are willing to spend a fortune but today VoIP offers all the features of traditional PBX systems in a more affordable manner on top of features that is unique to the technology like software integration, multiple business integration and website integration.

4. Flexibility - Last but not the least is the level of flexibility the system offers. Since you are no longer restricted by the hardware that you have on site the system can easily be adapt to how you run your business without spending a dollar in upgrading the system. So if you need more phones add more extensions, if you need more lines then secure one, if you no to minimize costs even further then scale the system down without any costs.

A must have for small businesses is good and reliable business phone system. As such business owners like you spend a considerable amount of time to find the best phone system that will meet their requirements and fit in their budget. However the reality is it is easier said than done. Obviously sales representatives will say that their business phone system is the best in the market and will not fill you in with the limitations and downside of what they are selling.

To assist small business owners like you find the ideal business phone system here are the things that you need to watch out for in determining the which is the best for you.

Price vs value - Obviously the price is an important factor for small businesses. It is important that you set a strict budget on what you can spend and make the most out of it. However, this does not imply that the cheapest phone system out there is the most cost effective. On top of the price what you need to give more attention is the value that you will get from your money. Choose the phone system that offers you more over the other whilst still sticking to your budget.

Scalability and flexibility - Avoid spending business money on phones over and over again. It is ideal that you choose a phone that lets you scale it as you need to and is flexible enough so that you do not need to spend on hardware or system upgrades when you need to add more extensions or telephone lines.

Features - Another important aspect of a phone system is the features and the capacity that it offers. It is then ideal to choose a phone system that offers you as many features for free and as many available options so when the time comes that you need that certain features it is readily available and you no longer need to do any upgrades.

Capacity that it offers you - The capacity of the phone system will dictate the number of calling customers your business accommodate. The last thing that you would want is to spend a considerable amount of time and money only to find out that your leads are getting the engaged tone when they call you and goes to another company because of it.

It is ideal that you make a spreadsheet or a simple checklist from a scratch paper about this points and make sure that the phone system that you will purchase will meet it and meet your requirements.

Every month business owners are faced with a daunting decision whether to open their phone bill or not. Having to pay hundreds of dollars if not thousands can really take its toll on any business but the reality is no business can run without any phones. So do you have no choice but to pay that ridiculous amount each month? Well, you do have a choice, technology today are now offering clever and more affordable solution to business owners in terms of communication.

VoIP phone systems are now becoming the number 1 option for many businesses worldwide because of its benefits with savings being on top of the list. By using VoIP instead of your traditional lines you can now say goodbye to that expensive business phone plans that you used to pay and welcome a better yet more affordable business communication system. To give you an idea how much you could be saving just take a look at the breakdown below and you will realize that yes it is possible to save money on telecommunications.

Line rental or service charges - If you open up a bill you will notice that telecommunication companies are charging you somewhere within the likelihood of $40 for a line and you will need multiple lines to accommodate your incoming and outgoing usage. On average a business with 5 phones would need at least 3 lines which equates to $120 for line rental alone. With VoIP line rentals or service charges are cheaper at an average of $15 per month. Some service providers even offer outgoing lines for free so you only need to pay for the incoming ones.

Cheaper call costs - How much does your current telco charge you for a call? 10 cents per minute to local calls? Some additional charges if it exceeds 25 kilometers? And even more for interstate calls? Not to mention the blood pressure rising mobile charges and connection fees! With VoIP calls to landline are fixed and untimed averaging at 15 cents per call and for mobiles calls are somewhere between 16 to 25 cents a mile cheaper compared to the 70 cents per minute you are now paying. To put it into better perspective if you are paying $100 on calls with VoIp you will only be paying somewhere between $20 to $40.

Free features - If you will notice your telco is charging you even for a basic feature like caller ID. With VoIP there these features and a whole lot more are absolutely free of charge.

So if you think that saving money on telecommunication is just a dream then take a look into VoIP phone systems and you will realize that it is possible and dreams do come true.

Every business owner’s dream is to have the best business phone system so they can effectively manage their business and customers. However, not many knows what the best business phone system is like and unfortunately many companies and organisation are now stucked with phones that does half the job they want it to do.

To help you avoid such costly mistakes here are the points that you need to bear in mind in shopping for the best business phone system:

No universal system - A contrary to the popular belief that a one size fits all system will the needs of any business there is really no such thing as a one size fits all system. Because one way or the other there is a variation on what 1 business would need from the other. It may be the business phone plans that comes with it, the features or the Interoperability. So it is you who will define what is the best business phone system for you.

Flexibility - The best business phone system should be flexible so it can accommodate all your needs now and in two years time. It should be like an open source platform wherein you can scale the system as you need it so it will do all the job that you need it to do in a timely manner.

Feature rich - The best phones should also be rigged by countless of call handling features by default and for free. On top of that an array of optional extras should also be available so one way or the other you can acquire everything that you need from one system.

Savings without being cheap - For it to be considered the best it should be cost effective whilst not giving you less or being cheap on you. This means that you should have more features, more lines and better call rates at a significantly lower price than what you are currently paying now otherwise the whole idea of changing it will be useless.

Reliable - Obviously no one wants to have a phone system that is down when you need it. The best business phone system should be up and running 99.9% of the time and if problems occur the support personnel of the provider should easily be contactable and should be able to address the problem within the same day not 24 to 48 hours which is the usual turnaround time for various telecommunications provider.

Softphones are becoming really popular in the world of telecommunications since the dawning of VoIP. Call centers primarily uses it because of its convenience and many small businesses are now starting to use it as well. Using a softphone with your VoIP business phone system is fairly easy you just need to follow these 5 simple instructions and you can try first hand if the solution is for you or not.

1. Choose your softphone - There are many free and paid softphones available in the internet. Choose which one is suitable for your needs and for your operating system. Make sure the you download the compatible version for your computer or mobile device for optimum user experience to avoid any glitches. All softphones will have its own pros and cons so be sure to read the review first before downloading especially if you will using the paid version.

2. Installation - Install the phone just like any other software in your computer or just like any other application to your mobile device. Some antivirus may block the installation so make sure that you disable it whilst installing and enable it once it is completed.

3. Register your account - Call your VoIP business phone system provider and ask them the login details for your extension. Or have them create a new extension for you. Remember what you will need are the following:

●     Username

●     Password

●     Domain or server

Just remember some VoIP providers do not allow to users over a single extension so make sure that you use one endpoint at a time. Otherwise you will just receive an error.

4. Optimize the settings - Tweak the settings of the softphone for optimum VoIP experience. Make sure that you use the audio codec that your VoIP provider supports and leave all other settings in auto so the softphone can use a certain configuration when needed or disable it when not needed.

5. Connect your headset - If you are using a computer you obviously need to connect a headset. A USB headset is advisable with noise cancellation feature is advisable to prevent static interference and to avoid picking up any background noises. For mobile devices such as smartphones headsets are optional the factory headset will be ideal for use but bluetooth headsets are also compatible.

There are also some considerations that you need to take into account. You obviously need to have your computer turned on to make and receive phone calls and for mobile devices you need to keep the application turned on or minimized to receive phone calls at any given time. Additionally, if you plan to use 3G services you need to have full reception to avoid call dropping and it may incur data charges depending on your data plan.

Customizing a business phone system seems a dream for many business owners. Having a phone that does all the job for you according to your specification will indeed be helpful in managing and growing your business. Fortunately with the aid of VoIP business phone system you can now make your dream come true and design a phone system that will suit all your needs without costing a fortune.

If you think you can only customize the ringtone then you are mistaken. A VoIP business phone system can literally be designed from the ground up based on your preferences. To remove your doubts here are the things that you can customize with a VoIP business phone system:

Interactive voice response (IVR) - With a VoIP business phone system you will have the option to record your own or have a voice actor record all your IVR needs like, greeting messages and menu options. Furthermore, since everything will be in the cloud you literally do not have any limit as to how long and how many recordings you can have for your phones.

IVR Switch - With the system you can have a different recordings for different times of the day so you can greet your customers accordingly and have system adapt to what you are doing on different times of the day.

Telephone ring sequence - Literally design how you would like the phones to ring, you can either have all the phones ring at the same time. Have the receptionist’s phone ring first then if she doesn’t answer another extension, a certain group of extension  or all phones in the office. This will depend on you you run your business.

Features - Only use the features that you really need to save on cost. Remember the system is in the cloud so all features are offered as a standard setup or as an optional extra unlike in a traditional system that you are limited to what your hardware can do.

Customize ring diversion - Do you have multiple telephone numbers? You can choose which phones to ring for a specific number or have it ring as per normal but customize a caller ID so you will know which number the call is coming from.

Finding ways to reduce overhead cost without compromising the business is the aim of almost all business owners especially with today’s economic problems. Monthly bills are a business killer and often times office telephone bills are on the top end of the pile. However, you cannot just trash it away because communication is essential for any business to succeed. To help reduce your burden here are some friendly tips on how to reduce your phone bills.

Choosing a phone plan – Office telephone systems often have two plans to choose from the untimed and timed plans. Do some creative calculations using your old bill and take an average on how long your calls last. For an instance, the plans to choose from are timed 3 cents per minute and untimed 10 cents per call, if your calls last about 1 to 2 minutes then you are better off with the timed plan, on the other hand if your calls last more than 4 minutes then the untimed rate is best for you.

Minimizing line rentals – Most businesses have more line than they need, you can reduce your cost by disconnecting unnecessary lines out of your service. However, just make sure that the lines and or numbers that you will remove is really not used for anything like, fax, EFTPOS, security, Internet and so on. Your office telephone service provider or your IT department should be able to tell you this.

Using a SIP line – SIP is a communication protocol from VoIP, if you do not want to use VoIP 100% then you can use it to make outgoing calls. This will significantly reduce your phone call charges by as much as 70%. A SIP line can easily be integrated to almost any IP PBX and can be programmed to automatically switch on if you place an outgoing call or by punching in an override code before dialing the number you wish to call.

Switching providers – If you current provider does not give you the room for options to reduce cost then you might want to consider replacing them. There are numerous telecommunications provider in the market today that offers very competitive rates. Shop around and find the best possible deal for your business, however, you must be very careful as cheap and quality does not always coincide with each other. It is advisable that you request for a trial period to test the overall quality of the system and lines before signing up with a new provider.

Consider using other solutions – We have different modes of communication today thanks to the continuous evolution of technology. We have email, SMS, VoIP and instant messaging. Conduct a survey and or research on how you can capitalize on these solutions to remedy your expensive phone bills.