Cheap VoIP Service Lodi

For many SMBs, VoIP is a dream technology. It makes it possible to reduce costs without sacrificing the quality of service. For this to work in practice, however, you need to have the right VoIP service provider on your side. With that in mind, here is a quick guide to finding a cheap VoIP service in Lodi.

Assume you’ll just be replacing what you have already 

VoIP makes it possible for SMBs to have affordable access to what was once strictly enterprise-grade functionality. If, however, you rush ahead to implement this, then you’ll increase the complexity of your implementation project and reduce your choice of VoIP service vendors (to those who can support this advanced functionality). This means that usually, the most sensible approach by far is just to replace what you have already, possibly with a few easy enhancements and save further developments for later.

There are, however, a few additional functions which may well be worth including at first pass. These are Fax over IP, conference-calling, and video-calling.

If you need to keep a fax service, then switching to Fax over IP (efax) is by far the most sensible option for most companies. It not only allows you to get rid of your remaining phone lines, but it’s also more secure, cheaper, more convenient, and more space-effective. Even though it’s technically different from VoIP, most VoIP service vendors will support it. If you find yourself working with one who doesn’t, you could look for a specialist Fax over IP vendor to plug the gap.

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Conference-calling and video-calling may both be worth including at the first pass, or as soon as possible thereafter, if they could reduce the need for business travel. It’s generally best to stick with conference-calling if you can as it’s less demanding of bandwidth. Video-calling needs anything between three- and twelve-times the bandwidth of regular audio-calling.

Set your minimum service standards 

This may be the single most important step in the selection process. In the world of consumer-focused VoIP, quality standards are often up for negotiation, and security is not necessarily an issue at all. In the world of business-focused VoIP, both matter a great deal. Be clear about what you need from your VoIP service vendor. Once you have set that minimum standard then stick to it rigidly. Never compromise on it, not even a little and not even for a superb deal on price. It’s false economy.

For completeness, minimum standards only have real-world meaning if they are backed by contractual guarantees. Contractual guarantees only have real-world meaning if they can be backed by real-world enforcement. This is a strong argument in favor of sticking with cheap VoIP service vendors in Lodi (or at least near Lodi).

Decide what equipment you will need and how to source it 

If you aim to keep spending to a minimum, then you probably want to use softphones as much as you can. These are provided by your VoIP service vendor and are usually free (or at a nominal cost). That said, you usually need headsets for them so you’ll need to budget for these.

You’re also going to need to think about whether or not you’re just going to issue the same headset to all staff members (which can get you the lowest prices) or if some staff members at least will need headsets to suit their job function. For example, customer-service staff who use the phone a lot may benefit from the best headsets you can afford.

The other hardware you will need will depend on what you plan to implement. For example, if you want to implement conference-calling then you will generally benefit from speaker-phones. If you want to implement video-calling, then you will need webcams and so forth.

Once you know what equipment you need, you’ll have to decide whether to source it yourself or whether to look for it to be bundled as part of your VoIP service contract (or a combination of both).

Similarly, if you haven’t done so already, you’ll need to decide how you’re going to manage the increased traffic VoIP will generate. It will almost certainly require extra bandwidth. For most SMBs, the choice is between organizing bandwidth themselves and having a separate VoIP service contract and having a VoIP service contract which includes hosting.

The former may produce better headline figures, but remember to think about the staff time needed to manage the two arrangements. Sometimes convenience and simplicity are, overall, the more cost-effective options.

If you’d like to speak to one of the best cheap VoIP service partners in Lodi, please click here now to contact Salient IT.