CHAMBER

Jason:

VoIP is getting more and more popular in the business environment, especially in situations like yours, in small businesses looking to cut costs.

It can be used in a variety of ways.... To replace traditional dial tone from Verizon or another carrier; to allow remote employees to function from home or from other cities as a part of a regional office; or to link branch offices together allowing "free" communication via the internet.

It sounds like you are looking for a solution similar to the first example, to replace your current dial tone provider. There are a number of companies that will provide you with this type of service, some good, some bad. If your VoIP service is being provided over a standard broadband internet connection you may have problems. As I like to say, you are at the mercy of the internet.... and slow speeds and bandwidth bottlenecks kill VoIP. Some products can be a stable solution for businesses, and others are provide poor quality and no backup plan. How many lost calls (lost business) would you be willing to have in a month? Is one call worth a cheaper phone bill?

Quite honestly with a staff of three you probably have 4-6 telephone lines, so your monthly cost shouldn't be outrageous even with Verizon. Don't get me wrong, going with VoIP could save you some money, but do your homework and make sure that your buying a quality product with a stong company behind it. (see next paragraph) A good small business telephone system may allow your staff to be more efficient, therefore saving money in the long run, without worrying about call quality.

Look to one of the large number of CLEC's that are in the area to provide information on dial tone packages available for the small business, XO, Nuvox, Paetec are just a few. Also look at some of the VOIP based phone system manufacturers in the area to learn about their products (Star2Star or IPotomy).

Jim James
Phone Solutions Inc.