By Tom Clark from Internetproviders.net
Are you considering using a VoIP services for your business, and not sure if it is worth the investment to have it hosted off site? There are many benefits, which you may find help you improve communication in your company.
The Reliability of Hosted VoIP Services
The use of hosted VoIP services is becoming more popular among small businesses. This is due to it being a more reliable VoIP service, with possible 99 percent up-time.
When a VoIP services is hosted, it can rely more on a network of data centers, which can help to increase up-time, and reliable communications that businesses count on every day. If something happens to one data center, the service can route to another data center, and you always have service.
If you have your VoIP service in-house, this can not only cost more in the IT department, it can also be less reliable. This is due to the service being completely reliant on the in-house network. With hosted VoIP this is not an issue, and even if you have a technical issue on your network, your communications will not go down.
Hosted VoIP Solutions Save Businesses Thousands
Another reason that a business may want to switch to hosted VoIP services is that it can potentially save thousands in costs. The use of hosted VoIP can cut IT costs in an instant. There will be no need to invest in costly equipment, services and repairs.
Hosted VoIP services eliminate the need to have costly telephony equipment, which can often break or become outdated shortly after it is installed. The hosting service will be responsible for network equipment, and when something is outdated, it will obviously be replaced with the latest technology to appease customers.
The use of hosted VoIP service can also save on service fees you may acquire from other services. There are a lot of services that allow you to pay as you go, and even per user accounts. This is an advantage for small businesses, which may not need an expensive corporate service.
Hosted VoIP Service Will Always Have the Latest in Communication Technology
For small business owners, it is often difficult to be able to update technology every few months. With hosted VoIP service the technology comes from the company that is hosting the service, and there will always be the latest in communication technology available.
To be competitive in today's business world, small businesses have to stay on top of the technology. This can be hard if a business has to invest in network equipment when it becomes outdated. Hosted services allow the host company to manage equipment that may serve thousands of businesses, and in doing so, they can upgrade systems when it is needed. This saves businesses money on expensive hardware and networking equipment for their VoIP systems.
The use of hosted VoIP systems is becoming a popular VoIP solution among small businesses. It is a reliable money saving solution to the communication needs of small businesses.
By Chris Palermo
Getting the big picture on phone systems is a good idea before attempting to choose or change a system for your business. Even before you get to the phone system options, you first have to evaluate your specific telephone needs. The first aspect to consider before choosing your phone system is the number of employees that you envision having over your planning horizon - the next three years is a good view. Consider the additional extensions or lines needed for fax machines, conference rooms, reception areas, break rooms and other facilities that may utilize a phone line, like credit card machines or security systems. 
If potentially considering a digital system, knowing how many total concurrent calls your business might utilize is also good information to understand. And finally, you need to consider the capabilities and features that you must have (and would like to have) for your business, such as caller ID, voicemail, message notifications, on-hold music, "find-me, follow-me," audio and video conferencing, chat, etc.
Once you understand your needs and preferences, you need to consider what type of architecture might suit your business the best.
Fundamentally, there are four business phone systems you can choose from:
1. KSU-less telephone systems
KSU-less (lacks the central "Key System Unit" of larger systems) phone systems are inexpensive solutions that can be a good option if you plan to grow no larger than ten to twelve employees. You will have some fundamental phone features and this system is easy to install and is portable, so you will be able to pick it up and move it to your next office. However, it does not provide for integrated voicemail so, if that is important, you would need to contract with your phone company at a monthly fee for each voice mailbox desired.
2. Key systems
Key systems use a special central switching device known as the "key system unit." These systems are suitable for businesses with ten to forty employees. A key system has telephones with multiple buttons or "keys" and lights that tell which lines are in use. When you want to place a call, you just press a button to directly select the telephone company's central office to dial out. They offer more features than KSU-less systems like intercoms, paging, speaker-phones and music-on-hold. Compared to PBX systems, Key systems are less customizable but they do offer a good range of features at a more economical price point.
3. PBX solutions
PBX (Public Branch Exchange) systems use programmable dedicated switching devices to handle and route calls - think of it as your own, smaller version of the phone company's central switching office. The systems are usually stored in a telecom cabinet within your premises. And, just like the Key systems, you will be able to use your preexisting wiring for phone setup. If your business has forty or more employees or requires more advanced features than offered by the Key systems, a PBX phone system may be a great choice for you. These systems can really grow, so are easily scalable to thousands of extensions. Due to their complexity, PBX solutions require professional installation and maintenance and are typically the most expensive of the traditional phone system options.
4. VoIP
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is a phone system that uses the Internet, converting analog signals to digital, to send and receive telephone communications. These systems are great for businesses of all sizes. They come with advanced functions, are a great choice for businesses with multiple locations and mobile workforces. They also generally cost less than traditional phone systems to implement and operate. However, VoIP quality of service (QOS) depends on the broadband strength and how the system partitions bandwidth. These systems also require the purchase of IP phones, VoIP phone adapters and, perhaps, some other connectivity hardware.
Please understand that there are also "hybrid" versions of some of the above systems available. So, for some phone systems the definitions are a bit blurred relative to these generalities. But, if you start by fully understanding your needs, you can focus on features, expandability, quality and expense to narrow your choices and make the best decision for your business.
Not sure if you need to upgrade you business phone system? Click here to Download our FREE Business Phone System Assessment Guide
GCN provides businesses, SMB to Enterprise, with voice, data, cloud, colocation and data center services solutions from over 150 partner providers worldwide. Not as the typical telecommunications agency or reseller, but as their technology advisor. We determine and tailor the best solutions to meet our customers' needs world-wide. We save our clients the time and trouble of managing one or more service providers and leverage the best solutions for them at the most cost effective price.
Should you have questions or need assistance on your next project please do not hesitate to contact me here, or via twitter at @SChrisPalermo.
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By Rogers Clawson
Video chat and video conferencing can be exceptionally beneficial to the development of your business, as it relates to your internal collaboration, marketing, sales and networking purposes. Video communication is now readily available, cost effective and easy to implement.
Traditional face-to-face meetings will never go out of fashion because they provide information that no other communication channel can. At the same time, video communication expands the possibilities for every company, including an expansion of your activities into broader geographies with limited cost.
Why are video chat and video conferencing becoming such an important part of business communication today?
- Video communication is available through a number of messaging or unified communication tools. In addition, numerous VoIP telephone systems easily enable "video discussion." Video chat and video conferencing can essentially be available anywhere and anytime.
- It is an effective form of communication for people throughout your business. People who are involved in marketing, sales, public relations, training and development are likely already using (at least as participants) video communication in the form of live or recorded webinars.
- One of the biggest advantages of this form of communication is that it tends to be much more personal than email, traditional chat and audio conferencing. Although information transfer is the most important part of the story, additional visuals can better convey your story and provide better context and visual cues to make your point.
- Video chat and video conferencing obviously enables improved long-distance communication. International calls can be expensive, making video conferencing via the internet easily justifiable. Video communication technologies allow for the establishment of connections across broad geographies, effectively all around the world.
- Video chat can be utilized for improved communication inside the corporation, as well. Keeping connected to colleagues, sharing and collaborating on projects will streamline processes and improve productivity - simply, the result of improved communications!
Fundamentally, people just respond better to seeing a face, rather than only communicating by email or telephone.
GCN provides businesses, SMB to Enterprise, with voice, data, cloud, colocation and data center services solutions from over 150 partner providers worldwide. Not as the typical telecommunications agency or reseller, but as their technology advisor. We determine and tailor the best solutions to meet our customers' needs world-wide. We save our clients the time and trouble of managing one or more service providers and leverage the best solutions for them at the most cost effective price.
By Chris Palermo
Stated simply, SIP Trunking utilizes Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology for telephony services. SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) enables the digital streaming of voice and data and can best be thought of as a way to cost effectively integrate digital telephony with a traditional telephone system.
In essence, SIP Trunking provides interoperability that enables businesses that have a traditional PBX-based phone system to expand and use VoIP through their internet connectivity. Your PBX will need a SIP-enabled trunk side and some other connectivity 
devices to enable it, but the components are inexpensive. You will also want a SIP provider that can offer QoS (Quality of Service) to ensure PSTN-equivalent or better performance.
SIP is a good option for organizations wanting to lower their overall telephony costs by moving to VoIP, but whose previous PBX has not yet reached end-of-life. Telephone system expansions are easily managed by integrating SIP, so your new investments are in VoIP and you can begin achieving the associated financial benefits.
You will need to be sure your internet data connection has sufficient bandwidth to handle your SIP calls. With the use of the internet, PSTN gateways, PRI's and BRI's are no longer needed. Through IP, all the processes are simplified. SIP Trunking is easily scalable, which makes other future expansions and moves easier, while maintaining an architecture that is optimized for efficiency.
Those on SIP Trunks, with the appropriate equipment, will also be able to make video calls, enable video conferences and can take advantage of desktop sharing or shared white board capabilities available through Unified Communications.
SIP Trunking is easy to implement and integrate, it has good scalability, enables the transport of both voice and data and reduces costs.
GCN provides businesses, SMB to Enterprise, with voice, data, cloud, colocation and data center services solutions from over 150 partner providers worldwide. Not as the typical telecommunications agency or reseller, but as their technology advisor. We determine and tailor the best solutions to meet our customers' needs world-wide. We save our clients the time and trouble of managing one or more service providers and leverage the best solutions for them at the most cost effective price.
Should you have questions or need assistance on your next project please do not hesitate to contact me here, or via twitter at @SChrisPalermo.
By Chris Palermo
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone systems have the upper hand over traditional phone systems on several fronts. Aside from centralizing the company’s communication systems onto a single, easy to manage web-based platform, the enterprise will enjoy the benefits of all the advanced features that come with the system. Hosted VoIP systems provide more flexibility, functionality and convenient access to information while maximizing user productivity and reducing costs.
Two approaches to implementing VoIP are available: in-house and hosted. Both tend to give you more when compared to traditional office telephone systems, but a hosted service is even more convenient, scalable and cost-effective. These factors, plus the low to zero on-net (inter-user and inter-location) calling costs gives the hosted VoIP service the advantage over in-house VoIP systems for general business needs.
Some of the key advantages of hosted VoIP over traditional office telephone systems are:
Deployment and Operating Costs
Traditional phone systems rely on having a physical Private Branch Exchange (PBX) system to handle call routing and other call operations. This is not the case when using a hosted VoIP service as all you would need are IP (internet protocol) phones for users and, perhaps, a voice gateway that will link to a router. The sophisticated PBX service and features are provided by the hosting service. You therefore save on the hardware and installation costs vs. physical on-site PBX system.
The operating costs are also significantly reduced. A hosted PBX VoIP service allows you to make local and long-distance calls for a minimal charge and some providers offer the option for unlimited monthly calling for no additional fee - it is included by paying a higher monthly subscription fee. Calls that utilize the system between an organization’s users and across locations are typically no charge.
Convenience
While traditional business phone systems offer little convenience for individuals who are constantly on the move or for those telecommuting; all that’s needed with hosted VoIP is the IP phone and a good internet connection. Mobile staff will benefit from the convenience and flexibility, only having to access an internet connection to be able to work from anywhere around the world. They’ll have access to the company’s telephone system over the Internet, eliminating the need to have a separate phone system. And, with the added convenience of "soft phone" software, a mobile user can actually plug a headset into their laptop and use it as the "voice gateway" to make VoIP calls from their extension on the company's system.
Businesses can also relocate quite easily without having to worry about changing the phone service provider or changing telephone numbers if preferable. And as all operations occur and all data is hosted in the "cloud," (off-site via a robust and redundant, independently managed data center) it provides an effective contingency for disaster avoidance or recovery.
Advanced Feature Set
Hosted VoIP services are integrated with an advanced set of features that will benefit both small and large enterprises. These include powerful voicemail functions, automated attendants, caller ID, message notification, call waiting, audio conferencing, automated forwarding and transferring. The caller ID feature is especially useful in integrating with the firm’s CRM system, as the user is furnished with full information regarding the caller. Armed with such information, companies are better able to serve their customers based on the orders, preferences or needs of each individual. It's also important to understand that video chat and video conferencing are expected to become much more mainstream over the next several months. These capabilities are becoming inexpensive to deliver and the IP telephone manufacturers are beginning to deliver more affordable video-capable handsets.
Managing users is much simpler too – just logging in to the phone system's portal and making a few clicks here and there to add or delete users. It is also possible to track the calls made by them; an asset for improved staff productivity.
Overall, hosted VoIP can add more functionality while driving down the costs of acquiring and operating a business telephone phone system. Internet service providers are becoming more reliable, warding off worries of internet service failure on which the system depends. And, if there is an internet failure, calls are still received by the system and callers can still interact with it and leave messages as if everything is fully operational – no calls are lost.
Global Communication Networks has sourced, negotiated and project managed colocation and telecommunications projects all over the world. Should you have questions or need assistance on your next project please do not hesitate to contact me here, or via twitter at @SChrisPalermo.