Dedicated business line from home

[a-okadmin]

Hi All,

I am currently running my business from home. I currently have all my calls coming through my home phone line which is rented from BT with calls and Broadband coming from Tiscali.
I feel that it would be beneficial to have a dedicated line for my business calls, particularly incoming calls. I have looked at VOIP, Skype and Vonage but am getting a bit confused about how it all works. Is it necessary to get an additional line from BT or would one of these other options work with my current set-up?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as it is giving me a headache.

Thanks.

[creative-keyrings]

Hi,

Basically you do not need another phone line, just log on to www.skype.com and buy a skype number (about £8 every 3 months)

You then need to buy a Skype USB phone which you can get here for about £30

http://play.com/play247.asp?pa=srmr&page=title&r=ELEC&title=615520

You then plug this into your computer and bobs your uncle you have your own dedicated business number via your computer!

I run skype as my business number and it works very effectivley.

Anymore questions just pm me.

Callum

[a-okadmin]

Thanks Callum.

So I can do this without making any changes to my existing providers? Just add the Skype through my PC?

Sounds easy enough!

Cheers.

[creative-keyrings]

Yeah its as simple as that, no mess and no fuss!

Also play.com has the best price for that usb phone, i own one and its quality!

:):):)

Callum

[ebonybailey]

but what are the call charges?

[coxadmin]

but what are the call charges?

Rates list is here:

http://www.skype.com/products/skypeout/rates/all_rates.html?currency=GBP

[a-okadmin]

I take it you can only receive calls when you are connected to the Internet?

Or, can you divert calls to a mobile and can you get voicemail?

Thanks again.

[ebonybailey]

and what number do u use, do you get an 0845 number or can you transfer your existing n0845 number

[coxadmin]

I take it you can only receive calls when you are connected to the Internet?

That's right.

Or, can you divert calls to a mobile and can you get voicemail?

Thanks again.

You can divert and you do get voicemail.

[coxadmin]

and what number do u use, do you get an 0845 number or can you transfer your existing n0845 number

You can choose from a variety of numbers in dialling codes 0121, 0131, 0141, 0161 and 020 and then direct your 0845 to it as you do for any non-geographic number.

Also if you have lots of customers in other countries you can choose a number from Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Sweden, Switzerland and, of course, USA, so your customer doesn't make an international call.

[a-okadmin]

I take it you would recommend it then Lynn?!! :D

[thekitchendesigner]

i just wish skype would introduce more area codes - and theres no way of finding out when this is going to happen!

I'm in a similar situation, and think i'm going to use Skype for outgoing calls, and another VOIP provider for incoming as they offer the geographical number.

I dont suppose anyone knows the answer to the code situation & Skype?

[coxadmin]

I take it you would recommend it then Lynn?!! :D

I don't know what gives you that impression :lol:.

I must admit I'm a big fan of Skype and have been for a while now. They recently introduced free Skype to Skype video calling, which means, with the benefit of webcams, my sister who lives in Germay can see and speak to her nephew and he can see and speak to her. So Skype has private uses, too.

[a-okadmin]

Lynn,

That could be useful too as we have family all over the UK.

Thanks for the tip. I think I'll definatley give it a go as hubby is getting a little bit fed up acting as Secretary when I'm not there.

Cheers!

[cjd]

Skype is excellent, lots of people use it now and it's really booted the industry into action but for business it can be limiting (and strangely expensive when you start taking traditional services from them like telephone numbers or making calls to ordinary telephones).

In the end you will want to be doing more, like adding extensions, using proper telephones and conference calling etc etc. For that you need a standards based VoIP telephone service.

And surprise surprise I can recommend mine :-)

There's a manual about it all here - if you just look at page 35 to 39 you can get an idea what this stuff is all about.

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/Voipfone_User_Manual_v1.0.pdf