| As the business world experiences the biggest | | | | these references a call and ask about the type of |
| phone system migration from the old technology | | | | bandwidth they use and their overall happiness of |
| to the new internet based phone systems, all | | | | the vendor's service. Note while many internet |
| businesses need to be cognizant of a few critical | | | | based phone systems work reasonably well on |
| factors that will determine the success of their | | | | big bandwidth like T1 lines, fewer work well with |
| phone system implementation. While almost all | | | | cable and dsl. Also ask for uptime information. This |
| new phone system vendors trout the benefits of | | | | will give you a gauge on what you can expect for |
| upgrading old business phone systems, it is | | | | yourself. |
| important to verify the reliability, quality, and | | | | Quality |
| scalability of the internet based business phone | | | | SIP based internet phone systems generally work |
| system brands in your area before signing up with | | | | better than the non SIP based. Many phone |
| a vendor. | | | | systems have spotty service across towns and |
| As with any form of technology evolution there | | | | cities. Bad quality of service may be due to call |
| are many competing technologies vying to be the | | | | latency over the internet to the vendor's servers, |
| dominant vendor. Unfortunately due to the | | | | or perhaps because a vendor's service does not |
| newness of the technology many a vendors don't | | | | work with a certain ISP. Examples of bad quality |
| have a comprehensive technology that will work | | | | are phone echo, dropped calls, latency in calls, and |
| well throughout USA. More expensive brands do | | | | poor service uptime. Ask about each aspect when |
| not mean you get a better quality, and cheaper | | | | you talk to vendor's references. |
| brands do not mean you get a better value for | | | | Scalability |
| your money. Having seen many bad phone | | | | There are phone systems that require you to |
| system implementations in my day, I have | | | | have a staff to manage, whilst there are others |
| compiled a list of what I think are the critical | | | | that simply ask you to plug the phone systems |
| factors that will ensure success in your phone | | | | to your internet connection for service. You can |
| system implementation. | | | | easily manage all their features using an internet |
| Reliability | | | | interface. While each system offers its benefits, |
| First, always consider about 4-5 phone system | | | | generally speaking, the costs of plug and use |
| vendors serving your area who can deliver to | | | | phones increase with a larger implementation. Also |
| your feature and budget needs. Ask each of | | | | the plug and go phones have limits of |
| them for references from companies similar in | | | | management if you plan to over 50 lines. |
| size as yours using their system. Give each of | | | | |