There are many Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers out there, some large and some small. In the case of telecommunications, bigger is not necessarily better. Small providers tend to be more nimble and are able to customize and innovate in order to help their clients grow.
Also, independent VoIP providers can lend a personal touch, says Alex Desberg, sales and marketing director at Ohio.net.
“Most small and medium-sized businesses want to work with a local company. Companies don’t want offshore support,” he says. “They want someone who is in their backyard. Someone who is in the same time zone and easy to relate to.”
Smart Business spoke with Desberg about changes in the VoIP landscape, the differences between providers, and the importance of customer service and support.
How has the VoIP landscape changed in recent years?
In recent years, the marketplace has changed. AT&T and some of the other big players are now offering VoIP services. While the corporate giants have marketing dollars behind them to push their products, it is the smaller, more flexible companies who are pioneering new technologies.
Companies looking for an apples-to-apples replacement for traditional phone systems might be satisfied with a traditional provider.
However, business leaders that want to make a change to VoIP typically prefer working with agile companies that are trailblazers and provide service at the local level.
What are some of the differences between VoIP providers?
Companies interested in VoIP services have two options: They can either choose a big provider with pre-set packages or work with a small, innovative company that is willing to invent solutions from scratch.
For example, many organizations want to integrate their customer relationship management system with their phone system. Unless you work with a provider willing to break the mold and try new technology, it’s likely that you’ll receive a one-size-fits-all model that might or might not be a good fit.
How important is customer service and support?
The service standpoint is what truly makes VoIP providers stand out. Either they are readily available, hands-on and willing to help navigate technological challenges, or they take the stance of expecting a business to be the one that makes accommodations, fitting the company’s telecommunications needs into inflexible packages.
The majority of small and midsize businesses have a telephone system that they set up years ago and haven’t made any changes to since. Such a system might work fine and it serves their purposes — they don’t need anything special.
However, there are other organizations that want to streamline their data and communications in order to be more efficient. That’s when it’s important to have a more dynamic provider that is pushing the envelope and striving to offer new services.
How should a business go about evaluating its telecommunication needs?
Businesses tend to have an IT manager or communications director put together an annual plan for servers, software, licensing, etc., but telecommunications companies will often wait until the contract is set to expire or there are budget cuts.
Under this scenario there is not enough time to investigate what services are out there that might be beneficial. Businesses tend to shoehorn themselves into what they find at the last minute within the budget, rather than figuring out what makes the most sense from an operational perspective, which may not be the best way to approach your telecommunication needs.
Alex Desberg is sales and marketing director at Ohio.net. Reach him at [email protected].
To find out more about Ohio.net’s VoIP solutions, visit www.ohio.net.
Insights Telecommunications is brought to you by Ohio.net
