More and more business professionals are exploring the do-it-yourself (DIY) model when it comes to their telephone communications. In many cases, however, a hosted model — where a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider manages your system at a data center location — might make the most sense.
Having a hosted solution may free your business from bearing the responsibility of installing, maintaining and repairing telephony software. In the long run, this could add up to large savings.
When searching for a VoIP provider, Alex Desberg, sales and marketing director at Ohio.net, says you must make sure you are able to find the proper fit.
“It’s important to find a company that works the way that you want to work,” he says. “If service and support is important to you, find a VoIP provider that will support your needs and expectations.”
Smart Business spoke with Desberg about VoIP, the flexibility of a supported, DIY model and the benefits of a hosted model.
How can a good VoIP provider help with the transition to a cloud-based telephone system?
There has been a shift in the VoIP industry toward implementing open-source voice applications. The supported, DIY VoIP approach has gained traction because it can save money by limiting the amount of outsourcing while working with an experienced provider. For example, IT consultants and VoIP companies frequently install solutions such as Asterisk, an open-source telephony software system, and then the company manages the applications internally. However, this DIY approach can present challenges when it’s not well supported by your dial tone provider.
In order to fully realize the benefits of new technologies, it’s best to combine the new software environment with a VoIP provider that is well versed in hosting, hardware and integration to the traditional world of telephony. If the telephone is your primary way to communicate with your customers, it is too important of a matter to leave to chance.
How much control can a company have over the VoIP system?
There are three options. The first is a hosted model where the VoIP provider handles all of the changes, including managing the software. This is a service-based model, so if the business needs support, it can contact the VoIP provider that helps provide solutions to any problems that may be encountered.
With new cloud-based systems, some companies prefer to support their own changes. The supported DIY or Virtual PBX solution provides a stable environment to host the software-based phone system. This would be ideal for a business with capable IT personnel, where executives want to keep control of their technology reins but still have a fall back for technical support.
The final option is to have the end-user handle everything, from setup to tech support in a secure environment with dial tone and trunking available. Essentially, the business may bring its existing software-based phone system into a data center that is focused on VoIP services.
What is the advantage of divvying up responsibility when it comes to phone systems?
In the traditional telephone world, every time a phone system breaks down or there is a need for an upgrade, a call is made to an outside consultant who specializes in that specific phone system.
It stands to reason that the same might ring true in the cloud-based world if you dive in unprepared. Working with an experienced VoIP provider will help future proof your telecommunications by distributing responsibility and having a good support structure. In fact, a solid VoIP provider will have built-in redundancy to protect against downtime.
With a traditional or even VoIP premise-based model, if a system goes down, you’re down until it gets fixed. With a virtual — or host-based model — the system simply doesn’t go down because there is redundancy already in place.
Alex Desberg is sales and marketing director at Ohio.net. Reach him at [email protected].
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