Genuine feedback requested on New Service

[peter@CDN]

Hello all,

First off, THIS IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO SELL YOU AYTHING!

My company has recently launched a new service providing business VOIP phone services and I would like some honest feedback about our offer and prices to see whether they stack up.

We provide phone extensions (and phones) that connect via a broadband connection to a centrally hosted PBX giving users access to a number of business features. The service is reliable and good quality speech and provides for calls to and from normal uk telephone numbers e.g. 01243 210... (more info on the web site if you want)

Prices are as follows:

£50 per extension one time set up

£17.50 per month basic phone included
£20 per month mid-range phone included
£22.50 per month top range display phone included

There are no other costs

My questions are:

1. would you use such a service
2. what do you think of the prices (good, ok, way too high, etc)
3. any other comments

All feedback greatfully received and I promise that you will not be contacted by any one trying to sell you anything. I just want to know whether we have got it right or not.

[GaryReid]

My personal opinion, for what it's worth, is that at present you maybe have a bit of a difficult task.

Big business is catching onto VOIP in a big way, it seems every 'big' company I go into has VOIP now, the geeks of this world, such as me :) are using Skype and Gizmo, we use both and have call-in numbers in both the UK and USA for arounf $50 a year each, calls out cost a few cents a minute.

So, I'm guesssing those who will go for your offer are the smaller companies who are not so technically aware to setup Skype or Gizmo and don't have the cash to splash out on a full SIP answer.

And if these guys have any contracts with the 'big boys' then they will have seen those flashy cisco handsets in their offices and may, and I repeat may, want to get in on the action.

But, I would imagine you have a big task in getting the message out, you could probably do with getting a couple of companies set up using your system and get them evangelising.

[peter@CDN]

Gary thanks for your feedback. Comments noted.

[Bev]

HI Peter
There is a growing market voip. We currently use Vonage which is good but some of the time it keeps saying lines are temporary busy. The calls are free and a about 3p to mobiles for 29.00 per month.

[HC-Martin]

We use voipfone.co.uk - a member here. Prices and service is great. Take a look at his site to see how you compare!

[Gavin Harris]

All I would say is that those prices are comparable to BT.

If I had the choice of BT or VOIP, both at the same price, I'd go with BT everytime. It's purely the low price of VOIP that makes it attractive.

voipfone.co.uk as has been mentioned costs virtually nothing to have - you just pay for your calls, and any extra services you want.

For many, VOIP is new "fandagled" technology, that they'll be hesitant to move to - after all, BT "works".

Companies such as voipfone.co.uk provide a service which is pretty risk free to try out - you can give it a go, and if you don't like it, it wont have cost much. But your service is going to cost me £67.50 for one month. Why would I want to pay that much for something that still is inferior to BT?

[KM-Tiger]

Your prices are way too high.

Anyone can buy a basic IP phone in the £50-70 range, and PBX extensions from voipfone are only £1-99/month. Anyone with a little IT nous can install Trixbox on a Sunday afternoon and get the PBX facilities for zilch, and most importantly be able to integrate existing PSTN lines.