It all comes down to your two things: your internal network, and the bandwidth coming into your place of business. If you do not have enough bandwidth available, your voice traffic can be severely compromised, and ultimately call quality will suffer – not great if you are a business that relies heavily on voice communication with clients and suppliers.
There is no way around this. Any Telecoms provider that is implementing a VOIP or Hosted phone system for your business should do a thorough evaluation of your bandwidth connectivity. It is very possible that you may have to bring in additional bandwidth to handle the voice traffic properly. Next Communications conduct a comprehensive Free Telecoms Review before proposing the ideal system for a business. It’s a critical part of the process of choosing the perfect solution, and there are important things to consider before purchasing.
As I mentioned above, with a VOIP phone system, your data and voice traffic are now travelling over the same connection. There are three major issues that can occur if your VOIP system is not implemented properly.
First, if your bandwidth is insufficient to support both data and voice you will have very poor call quality, dropped calls, jitter, static, etc, and it can be a very frustrating experience for you and your customers.
Secondly, if your internal network is not configured properly to handle the VOIP system, complications arise.
Third and final, a VOIP system needs a Quality of Service (QoS) device or feature. This throttles back your data download/upload and gives preference to voice traffic at peak times, to maintain superior voice quality during those all-important calls. Voice traffic is more sensitive to slow downs and disruptions than data traffic. If your data traffic slows down it simply takes a little longer to download a file. If your voice traffic is slowed down, however, it can disconnect altogether (drop the call).
VoIP systems clearly have a whole set of advantages that put the technology streets ahead versus On-site Systems, which means the reasons for answering the question ‘Is a VoIP system the right solution for my business?’ are very compelling.
When contemplating a VoIP system for your business, there are a number of considerations and questions that you should be asking your potential provider. Here are just a few of them:
If you see blank stares or hear stammering, run for the hills - This is not a guessing game!
The obvious answer is they address the questions above with certainty and explain each step and what’s assessed, and more importantly, why.
So, when pondering the possibilities of upgrading your businesses communications, make sure you are receiving the level of service that your concerns, worries, or questions warrant from the very first enquiry, to the after sales support.
Click here to view our Quality Provider Checklist.
If you need a professional, local service that looks after your interests for the long-term then get in touch. Benefit from the best value, most reliable options available to suit your requirements. Receive honest and expert advice so that you can make informed decisions. Established in Southampton in 1988, we have built trusted relationships with hundreds of clients across Hampshire and the South, who value our honesty and integrity.
Next Communications are unsurpassed in our industry for both service and implementation and therefore we will only work with suppliers that match our own high standards. We are proud to be a Vodafone Partner, and a fully authorised reseller for O2, EE, NEC, Gamma, Wildix, Apple and many more technologies. Working with these manufacturers we can deliver the very best that telecommunications technology can offer.
We’re passionate about delivering the best value for money to our clients, always offering competitive prices ensuring you benefit from the most cost-effective solutions. To achieve that, we consistently review the marketplace to find the best value options to suit your needs. And this is our lifetime commitment to you. Building long-term relationships relies on trust, and we will regularly check that you’re receiving exceptional value.
Click to book your FREE Telecoms Review with one of our Solution Specialists and learn how we can help to enhance your business communications and reduce costs.
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