Need to think about phone lines, etc

[Comspec]

I currently have a single phone line (landline from BT) coming into my office. I also have a single mobile phone number. I don't tend to divert calls to my mobile, and simply use an Answering machine on my landline which tells the caller my mobile or allows them to leave a message.

I have 8Mb Broadband from BT too (the best I can get in my area tbh), which runs at almost full speed, and I always have PC's on the bench downloading etc on this.

I'm thinking about a little change in business, and a whole new website for some added services. This new site I would like to put an 0845 number or the likes onto, but I'd need to be able to divert this to my mobile or my landline very easily. I'd want to leave my existing number as it is if I could, with the Answering machine, etc (people here are used to it, and anything new pisses them off).

Oh, forgot to say, Mobile is about to be a new Blackberry from T-Mobile.

Should I be looking at VOIP, and if so, what options could I get from this? If not, what else could I be using?

The new side to the business will eventually have a member of staff devoted to it, but in the initial stages I'll handle it, with a little help from a colleague/trainee.

There is potential to have 2 or 3 numbers eventually for the new business and it will require all of these to have their own diverts if needs be.

All advice welcome, and I'll pm CJD to ask him for his VOIP advice (seeing as he is the VOIP guru here).

[Calibre Designs]

Talk to Colin aka CJD.

Here is my testimonial for his company : http://www.voipfone.co.uk/Testimonials.php

Our design studio is mainly kitted out with his stuff.

Ensure that your broadband fast! :)

[florenceij]

Hi I helped set up this for a charity using http://www.switchboardfree.co.uk/index.asp?rid=188. Diversions to landlines are FREE but you have to pay for diversions to a mobile number at 13ppmin. This gives you a free 0844 number rather than a 0845 number.

Check the FAQ to see if this is for you http://www.switchboardfree.co.uk/questions.asp#14. If it isn't you could try other recommended services like voipfone, they have good deals from what I could see.

[cjd]

That's all very straightforward and cheap easy to do. There's a fairly full description of it here:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/Call_Forwarding_And_Divert.php

A couple of points to note. Unless you have a really good reason to want an 0845 (or 0844) you are best advised not to use them - they are expensive to call from mobiles and the majority of people think they are from landlines too. If you doubt this please see:

http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=46850

Far better to use a normal geographic number or, if you actively want people to call you ie a sales line, use an 0800. (Although, I'm happy to sell you any type of number you want :-)

A number costs £1.99 per month and the divert costs 1p pm to a landline and 12p pm to a mobile.

If you answer the call using a VoIP phone it's free and you get all the other things that come with the number too - call hold, all conferencing, music on hold, call divert etc etc

The number can be diverted to any telephone and you can change the divert any time, in real time, just by going into your on line account.

This is not using VoIP, the calls are handle in our core network so your own bandwidth is not used at all.

The difference between what we do and what - for example - the switchboard services people do - is that if you wish, the new number can also make outgoing calls too; not just incoming and incoming calls can be answered on independent telephones. If you need more phones in your office you just plug a VoIP phone in and make and receive the calls as you wish.

VoIP is the only way you can have more than one call at a time without buying more exchange lines from BT.

If this service is for websites, you may want to have a look at the 'call me back' website button.

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/PB_Call_Me_Back.php

It's a small tool that allows your customers to call you for free by clicking on your website.

You can call us on Monday - 020 7043 5555 - if you need to talk it through.

[KM-Tiger]

VoIP is the only way you can have more than one call at a time without buying more exchange lines from BT.

Which is point of great interest to a business that might expand - the marginal costs of expansion are small.

Comspec: If you are frequently downloading the same stuff over again, have you considered a proxy server of your own? Might help if bandwidth is an issue.

[estwig]

Simple choice, gotta be Voipfone, had it for a couple of years now with Snom phones and we luv it!!

:)

[Comspec]

Which is point of great interest to a business that might expand - the marginal costs of expansion are small.

Comspec: If you are frequently downloading the same stuff over again, have you considered a proxy server of your own? Might help if bandwidth is an issue.

I have been monitoring this tbh KM, but a lot of what I download is drivers, etc, and tends to be different a lot of the time (although I am forever downloading Windows Updates, etc too). I'll keep an eye on it, and might have to move that direction eventually.

Thanks to all, I had a feeling that VOIP was gonna have to be for me. Just a little frightened that my 8Mb might not be good enough for it, but i'll give it a go anyway.

I'll read up on what you have given me Colin (thanks for that), and I'll try to get my exact needs established, then I'll be calling on you for all of this. I think you may be right about the geographical numbers, though one of our proposed new services will not only be local, it'll cover the whole of the UK & Ireland (might actually consider a freephone number for it tbh).

I guess I need to work ou my exact needs, and future potential needs, then I'll know best what'll suit.

Cheers

[Gavin Harris]

Thanks to all, I had a feeling that VOIP was gonna have to be for me. Just a little frightened that my 8Mb might not be good enough for it, but i'll give it a go anyway.


I'm suprised no one has brought that up - it's all very easy to rave about VOIP, but it does have its limitations - and I personally find that the call quality can vary when the connection is being used.

Personally, if your connection is being maxed out, I'd be very wary of going with VOIP - whenever I receive a call I always try to stop any audio streaming/downloads, else I get the comment of "you're breaking up" when I'm talking to them.

The 8mb is more than enough (after all, you're sending as much info as you are receiving - and I doubt your upload speed is more than 1mb). But if you're serious about going with VOIP you might want to look at getting a dedicated internet connection just for the VOIP.

It's also worth checking on www.gradwell.net (http://www.gradwell.net) which is the company I use - one single payment per month, and you can pretty much use whatever features you like for that. Great customer service too (phone based).