How to choose a Business VoIP Provider?

What is the best way to find a VoIP provider that you can afford? is the question always in our mind, when selecting VoIP provider.

I know as well as anyone this can be a very daunting task. There are a number of VoIP providers to choose from, so the task of deciding should be based on which VoIP Provider offers the most real value for your money.

5 things to consider when choosing your VoIP provider

First: Make accurate price comparisons

As with anything, you should consider price. Monthly VoIP fees for a single user can vary from $24.95 to $59.95 depending on the VoIP provider you are considering and the VoIP Features included. The lower the monthly fee, the less likely you are to get extra features and support from the VoIP Service Provider.

For instance, some of the less expensive VoIP plans may not allow you to place calls outside of their network or your minutes may be capped at a certain amount every month. If you exceed your monthly cap, your calls are metered and you will be billed on a per minute basis for calls that exceed your monthly cap . This is certainly something you want to keep in mind as you consider your options.

Small Business VoIP Benefits

Prior to the introduction of Voice over IP, businesses had few choices and were generally paying too much for business phone service. The only option was the local phone company. 

Along came VoIP and suddenly businesses had another option. However, businesses soon learned this new VoIP technology was not quite as reliable as traditional phone service.  That was 5-7 years ago when VoIP was in its infancy.

VoIP technology has matured to the point where the call quality and reliability is comparable to traditional phone service.  The real benefit to the small businesses is the PBX Features that VoIP technology delivers.

Most Hosted Business VoIP Phone systems offer a feature rich package of PBX functions that include Auto-Attendants, Hunt Groups, Voice Mail, Call Transfer, etc (see a full list of VoIP PBX Features) without requiring you to purchase expensive telecommunications hardware. 

Hosted VoIP makes it easy to incorporate a geographically distributed group of employees, even remote works that work out of a home office can be incorporated into your business phone system.  With a Hosted VoIP Phone system the only hardware your business needs are the IP Phones and a VoIP router. 

A Business VoIP Phone System allows businesses to only pay for the PBX services actually used. Upgrading a Hosted VoIP Phone system is a simple process from a technical perspective and generally does not require additional telecommunications hardware.

Creating a multi-location system is no different then adding a phone to your current office system. Hosted VoIP Phone systems simplify adding additional geographic locations, including home based employees. New office locations can be added in any location that has a high speed internet connection.

What’s the best way to score VoIP offers?

Posted By AVAD Business VoIP Editor

Focus.com is a business website that brings together experts in various industries to answer questions posted by other Focus.com members.

I recently came across an interesting discussion on Focus.com entitled “What’s the best way to score VoIP Offers” that has responses from various industry experts about the criteria they would use to select a Business VoIP Provider.

What is the Best Way to Score VoIP Offers?

"Our company is going to implement a VoIP system, and we’re at the point now where we’re just trying to find the best offer. Are the advertised bundles the best way to go, or can you negotiate & haggle with vendors? How did you get the best offer on your VoIP phone system?"

You can read all the responses from the various experts by click on this link. For your convenience, a copy of my response is below.

5 Ways to Improve Your VoIP Network

Posted By AVAD Business VoIP Editor

Nadeem Unruth manages the VoIP section at About.com.  I have been reading Nadeem’s blog for over a year now, (which I would not do if the information was not valuable) and have found that his posts are written for the average business person that is not an expert in VoIP Telecommunications, but who needs information about this technology. 

I would recommend that any business considering VoIP should read his latest post 5 Ways To Improve Your VoIP Network.


Nadeem lists 5 important points in his article;


1. Make sure your network can handle voice as well as data.

2. Get management tools ready before you start your service.

3. Give voice traffic priority by configuring QoS.

4. Train all of your staff.

5. Make sure your network is secure before deploying VoIP.

A Successful VoIP Implementation Requires Staff Training

While all of these points are extremely important, all but Item 4 can be accomplished by your IT staff. Item 4, Train all of your staff, while this seems obvious, should be an area that small business owners should spend a lot of time on. Believe it or not, this is where many VoIP migrations run into a lot of trouble.


A VoIP phone system generally has many more features and functions than is typically found in a small business phone system. In addition, a VoIP phone system works differently than a traditional analog PBX phone system. The way calls are transferred, transferring calls to voice mail, placing calls on hold as do most of the  work differently on a VoIP system and can often lead to staff frustration and anxiety, especially on those employees that are heavy phone users such as receptionists.

Business VoIP - Do the Research First

Posted By AVAD Business VoIP Editor

Like any other product, Businesses considering VoIP should do the research first. More importantly, they should first determine what their own businesses needs are.

If your goal is only to save money choosing the lowest price provider could end up costing you money. How? If your company is not prepared for VoIP i.e. you do not have a stable internet connection or a router that is capable of handling VoIP traffic, you could end up with a phone system that is totally unacceptable.

Business VoIP - Click & Dial from any web page

Internet Explorer/Firefox Call Control Tool Bar

View On-Line Demo

The AVAD Assistant-Enterprise automatically includes a web-based account for managing incoming & outgoing calls. For advanced features, users may upgrade to the Premium Assistant Enterprise.
The telephony toolbar enables users to make and accept telephone calls and change telephone settings from within Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer and Firefox.

End User Benefits
Web-based Call Management

• Advanced call control capabilities include a pop-up notification when a call comes in, and enables the user to answer the call, place it on hold, send it to voice mail, or transfer it to another party, without leaving the Microsoft application they are using.

Centralized Contact Directory

• Click-to-dial capability from the Outlook contact directory and Internet Explorer Web pages.

Advanced Call Features

• Three-way conferencing and caller identification.

Posted By AVAD Hosted VoIP PBX Business Editor

Commonly Asked Business VoIP Questions

Business VoIP FAQ

What is VoIP?

• VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a technology that allows you to make and receive phone calls and faxes over the Internet instead of through the telephone network.

Why should my business use AVAD VoIP service?

• Integrate voice and data over a single network
• Leverage your IT investment
• Flexible telephony solutions
• Savings are often 30% or more
• Efficient use of capital expenditures

Can I still keep my existing phone numbers?

• Yes, in virtually every case.

Small Businesses Are Saving Money With VoIP

Posted By AVAD Hosted VoIP PBX Business Editor

Business VoIP Saves Money
by trycmcw

The nation 's small businesses are always looking for cost-effective ways to manage their operations. Many of these organizations are abandoning traditional office phone systems in favor of small business VoIP networks.

What Is VoIP? 
Most people have heard of small business VoIP but may not know exactly what it is. They know it 's some kind of digital phone system but don't understand the mechanics.

A small business VoIP uses an organization 's existing internet connection to transmit voice the same way the network transmits data. The call is routed through VoIP service providers to get to the destination just like traditional telephone calls are routed through the phone company central offices. VoIP is often less expensive than standard office phone systems, especially for long distance calls, and has a lot more flexibility. The VoIP handset carries the same telephone number regardless of location, so users can plug into the system from any location to make or receive phone calls. This portability is not just limited to the office building. An employee on travel can plug the handset into the hotel 's internet connection and automatically have calls routed to that phone.

Addding a business downturn claus is good business

Ask your VoIP Provider to Add a "Business Down Turn Claus" to your telecom contract.

If you have ever entered into a long term contract with your telecommunications provider, you are probably thinking "I wish I had asked for a business downturn clause". You are also probably thinking that when the contract comes up for renewal, that you will ask for the clause at that time.

You don't have to wait, most telecom companies know that your business is not locked in forever. It does not make economic sense for a telecom company to "hold your feet to the fire" until your current contract expires. If they do, what is the likelihood you will re-sign with them when the current contract expires. NONE!!

If your business, like most others, is affected by current economic conditions, call your telecom provider and ask to renegotiate the terms on the remainder of the contract. You have nothing to loose.

Here is a link to a great article about Adding a "business downturn clause" to your telecom contract.

AVAD Technologies is a provider of Hosted Business Voice over IP.

Is my company too small to benefit from VoIP

Definitely Not, even the smallest companies can take advantage of VoIP.

VoIP technology has developed to the point that business of any size can benefit from the technology. The Hosted VoIP Telephony solution allows even the smallest companies to have the features and functionality of the most sophisticated PBX systems without the cost of purchasing telecommunications hardware.

A Hosted VoIP solution allows companies with as little as 5 employees to have a state-of-art telecommunication system. A Hosted VoIP systems offers all of the features and functionality of the most sophisticated PBX system without the expense of purchasing and maintaining the telecom equipment.

AVAD Technologies can can customize a Hosted VoIP PBX phone system around your company's unique business requirements. Please call (800) 733-4136 to speak with a Business VoIP Specialist.