I don’t envy being a small business looking to make the switch to a hosted VoIP solution. After all there are at least 200 hosted VoIP providers that I know of, let alone the hundreds of smaller ones that I don’t know of. That’s why I stand up and applaud when I read posts like this from customer, fellow blogger and Vocalocity President Phil Hill, about what customers should be concerned with when considering a hosted VoIP provider.
My take? Hosted VoIP, like any other VoIP service comes down to three things I have harped on before; quality, reliability and price. As Phil states,
“Over the past two years, many companies have entered the hosted VoIP market. And many have left. Setting up a reliable network, offering knowledgeable and attentive support, and keeping the attention of origination/termination providers is a tall order that only the committed and focused hosted VoIP providers are prepared to fulfill. Small businesses would do well to look beyond simply comparing monthly fees and determine the true value of finding a partner who’s here to stay in the VoIP market.”
Quality and reliability. That’s what separates the wheat from the chaff; in the hosted VoIP marketplace and business in general.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Garrett,
One of the main things customers should look for in a VoIP Provider is a Service Level Agreement, or SLA. An SLA guarantees uptime and response time. If a VoIP provider describes their service as “best effort”, that means your business is out of luck if the VoIP service goes down.
I agree, the ability to offer SLA is vital for service providers to flourish in this space. Any SP’s that are reselling Level 3 services should be able to offer an SLA.
Scott:
Welcome aboard!
I agree 100% with your sentiments above, I just find it funny that more customers do not ask for them from their providers…
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