Technology has provided the ability for business VoIP providers to locate their hosting facilities centrally and create a national presence.
This is great for those providers’ business model because they can centrally control their operations but sometimes it’s not so good for their customers.
Here’s three reasons why you should use a local business VoIP provider for your phone system:
1. Local Installation Services
If you choose a national provider, you’ll have to install your own VoIP equipment and configure your own network for VoIP. Are you ready to deal with the jungle of acronyms such as POE, LNP, DiffServ, DHCP, 802.1pq, VLAN’s, etc.?
While national providers will boast of many successful remote business voip installations, there are many times where the remote installation just doesn’t work and the equipment returned. That doesn’t make them evil, it just illustrates the limitations of selling a product from a thousand miles away with no ability to service it.
On the other hand, a local VoiP provider can provide:
- On-site sales consultation
- A site inspection to determine your network’s suitability to VoiP
- Coordination with your data personnel
- Actual equipment installation
- On-site technical and user training
2. Total Communications Solution
A national business VoiP provider typically only offers SIP trunking and hosted PBX.
But creating a reliable, high voice quality system requires far more than just these basic services.
First, you’ll need data cabling at each phone location. Do you have to connect to a paging or external ringing device? Do you have the proper internet circuit? Has your router been set up to be “voice ready”?
These are only a few of the hurdles to be overcome for a proper installation.
Using a national provider, means that you’ll coordinating the VoiP provider, cabling company, internet provider and data vendor. You become the project manager responsible for coordinating the vendors and making sure it all works together.
A local business communication solution provider, on the other hand, is a one-stop telecommunications value-added vendor that provides all of the above elements with one phone call.
3. Ongoing Service
What happens when your CEO’s phone dies when he’s expecting an important phone call? With a national provider you call them and they’ll ship out a phone that you’ll receive in a couple of days.
But when you call your local hosted VoIP provider, they can respond immediately with repair or replacement of the defective VoiP component.
Also, local service providers offer around-the-clock on-premise service to their customers and maintain a stock of spare parts.
In addition, you’ll find that your local hosted PBX provider employs people who have been in the telecom business for years and can provide a level of service that the typical national provider just can’t do.
These are just some of the great advantages you get by going with a local business VoIP provider.
If you’re in Northern California and are interested in what a Bay Area Business VoIP provider can do for you, contact us at (800) 729-2310.
