I want to switch to VOIP - who are others using?

[movietub]

Hey all,

I've been reading up on VOIP and decided its time to switch the business phones to VOIP.

Main reasons are:

- Paperless send/recieve faxes, cheaper, greener

- Cheaper calls!

- I currently pay for two BT lines, I could pay for just one, have two 0800 numbers and a free fax number

- I can divert calls to the right persons phone from a menu (at last).

- As more businesses are adopting a growing number of my B2B calls will cost nothing.


I'm sure I'm not the only one on here keen to swap to VOIP but a little unsure. Most of the info I find online is very easy to understand but lacks detail, its also hard to compare prices quickly from different providers.

What I need to know is who do other use, who is best value?

And also while I know VOIP 2 VOIP is free what if I call another business that appears to have a geographical (01 / 02) number but is actually linked to their VOIP. Is it still free or do I get charged as if Im calling a landline? I ask because for a good while I expect new adopters to feel they need to keep their geo number even when they switch to VOIP...

 

[credit control service]

We've been using blueface for a couple of years and they've been very reliable. They have a service where you pay a monthly fee for up to 5 lines and all UK/Ireland calls are included. I think it's approx 40 euro per month. They do provide a good service and I would recommend them. You also get a fax number and you can add foreign numbers if you wish (e.g. if you want to have a US number to make calls to you from the US cheap).

Our business has grown and we're now too big for this service as we need more lines. For some reason Blueface doesn't have a 'calls included' service at our level so we have to pay call charges. Hence I'm also looking at competitors right now.

Anyone using a service where calls are included and you can have a large number of lines?

Jeremy
TAK-Credit Management Ltd
Credit Control and Debt Recovery

 

[cjd]

What I need to know is who do other use, who is best value?

I use Voipfone and can recommend them highly

And also while I know VOIP 2 VOIP is free what if I call another business that appears to have a geographical (01 / 02) number but is actually linked to their VOIP. Is it still free or do I get charged as if Im calling a landline? I ask because for a good while I expect new adopters to feel they need to keep their geo number even when they switch to VOIP...

Calls to own network VoIP numbers are free ie from a Voipfone to a Voipfone customer. But calls to another network's VoIP service are charged like a normal call.

However, there are exceptions where a comapny peers with another, then calls between them are free. Decent companies peer with each other. In a while a thing called eNum will make this more prevalent.

You don't need to worry about numbers, they can be moved between providers - we can port BT numbers (and a lot of others) onto our network. Check that the provider is a member of ITSPA though - otherwise you might get stuck.

 

[cjd]

Anyone using a service where calls are included and you can have a large number of lines?

You can have an unlimited number of 'lines' with us. We also do minutes packages. Prices here:

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

 

[movietub]

However, there are exceptions where a comapny peers with another, then calls between them are free. Decent companies peer with each other. In a while a thing called eNum will make this more prevalent.

This is the interesting bit. It seems that currently the prices are higher than they need to be. For example I can send and receive audio over the net to any other net user for free. So is it fair to assume that in the near future any one calling from one VOIP phone to another will not pay? It seems as though charges exist purely because no system exists to identify to one provider if the number being called is really a land line or in fact going through to another VOIP phone.

 

[cjd]

So is it fair to assume that in the near future any one calling from one VOIP phone to another will not pay?

Not so sure about very near future but yes, it is inevitable. There will be some pressure to keep some charges though - most VoIP companies have only call revenue to pay their bills

 

[movietub]

Not so sure about very near future but yes, it is inevitable. There will be some pressure to keep some charges though - most VoIP companies have only call revenue to pay their bills

Great - that makes complete sense. But still worth going VOIP even at the current cost savings and functionality.

Surely when we all use VOIP (or whatever the final evolution of digital telephony may be) it will be totally free regardless of features? Surely all the advanced functionality can be handled by software/hubs and all the phones need are IP addresses?

 

[InvestInCzech]

I doubt it. You need to decide whether you want a 'home' voip service or a business voip service. If you want it all for free then go for a home service and see what you get. Compression used to be a problem (less so now) but i hated getting intermittent problems when calling clients so i switched to a business service and the results were miles better. Whichever service you opt for all break out calls are charged for at their termination rate card. Although some international calls are now VOIP virtually all the way and therefore free. I suggest giving the above guys a punt and negotiating a fair and flexible rate card. Look at the features and funtionality of their service and see if that suits your business. Often what you pay for will reaps more rewards down the line like flexible working (home office /work office); find me anytime; voice mail; online instant configuration changes; instant call stats; music or message on hold etc.

Personally i use Pennycom.