Cheap VoIP Service Folsom

Finding a cheap VoIP service in Folsom

If you’re looking to trim the fat from your business, then switching to VoIP is an obvious move. It will, however, only work successfully if you strike the right combination of affordability and quality. With that in mind, here is a quick guide to finding a cheap VoIP service in Folsom.

Consider the below things while choosing the best VoIP service

Keep your VoIP service requirements to a minimum

As a rule of thumb, your VoIP implementation should result in a fairly close copy of what you already have. This means that, for the most part, it’s probably going to have very little more than standard calling and some basic call-management features. This will give you the simplest VoIP implementation and hence keep time and upfront costs to a minimum. It will also give you the widest choice of VoIP service vendors as you will only need entry-level, mainstream services.

Once your initial investment has paid for itself and you have started to enjoy active cost-savings, you may then want to think about developing your VoIP service further (or you may not). The one exception to this guideline is if a value-add service could significantly reduce your costs. Then you might want to consider implementing it at the first pass or very shortly thereafter. The obvious examples of this are conference-calling and video-calling, both of which can be used to reduce the need for business travel.

For completeness, if you’re still using fax machines then it’s generally best to switch to Fax over IP. Although this is, technically, separate from VoIP, most VoIP service vendors will support it. If you want to work with one which doesn’t then you can plug the gap with a specialist Fax over IP vendor.

Never compromise on your minimum service standards

Looking for a cheap VoIP service for a business is very different from looking for a cheap VoIP service as a consumer. Businesses have to set minimum quality thresholds which are far higher than would usually be considered necessary for a budget-end consumer service.  

They also have to ensure that appropriate data-security standards are maintained. Remember that VoIP systems will almost certainly be used to carry personal data. This means that the need for data protection has to be kept front and center at all times.

Be realistic about your bandwidth requirements

You are almost certainly going to need to arrange extra bandwidth, quite possibly more than you might initially have thought. Once you have worked out how much you need, you’re then going to have to choose between organizing the necessary connectivity separately from your VoIP service contract or looking for a VoIP service vendor who can also manage your hosting for you. In principle, the former approach could reduce costs, but you’d have to think about the extra time it would take to organize and manage to decide if it was really the best overall deal.

Think about what equipment you’ll need and how to get it

If you’re on a tight budget, then you generally want to use softphones as much as possible. These are provided by your VoIP service vendor and are typically free (or very low-cost). You will, however, still have some hardware requirements. You’ll almost certainly need headsets to go with the softphones, possibly some VoIP handsets, even if only speakerphones for conference-calls and potentially some cameras for video-calling. You’ll often have a choice between buying these independently or having them bundled with your VoIP service contract.

Generally, you’ll get the broadest range of options buying your equipment independently. You may also be able to negotiate a good deal, especially if you’re prepared to look at reconditioned equipment, although you do have to be careful here. If you’re going down the pre-used route, you’ll need to stick with reputable suppliers and make sure that the items come with a warranty you can trust. On the other hand, getting equipment from your VoIP service vendor can allow you to spread the cost.

Analyze your call usage carefully so you know what you need from a VoIP calling plan

Your historic telephone bills should let you break out your outbound calls by destination and also by landline and cell phone numbers. This (and any future plans you have) should give you a good basis for working out what you need from a call plan. As with the initial implementation, resist any temptation to add services just because they look good and appear to be priced reasonably. Stick with what you need and any compelling wants and see how it goes. You can always upgrade later if you decide that an extra service really would add value to your business.

If you’d like to speak to one of the best cheap VoIP service partners in Folsom, please click here now to contact Aperio.IT.