How to Have a Successful VoIP Implementation

With its cheap cost and advanced functionalities, VoIP can help improve the position of any business. Despite this, some enterprises still hesitate to upgrade their phone systems.

If you are thinking of signing up with the best VoIP service in Columbia, it is important to observe careful consideration, preparation, and planning. Learn about some tips on how to have a successful VoIP implementation by reading this article.

Best VoIP Service Columbia

Create a Project Plan

When setting up a VoIP phone service, you should be ready with a plan. Every business is different and so they have varying requirements. Establish a suitable plan for your organization which includes a project scope, timeline, sufficient budget, specific responsibilities, and potential risks.

  • Project scope – Your plan must set limits regarding the things included and excluded. Will you be simply upgrading your existing phone lines or will be doing a comprehensive overhaul?
  • Schedule – Specify your target date of completion for all the tasks involved. This will help you to rectify mistakes and delays, and finish the project on time.
  • Potential Risks and Issues – List down any possible obstacles and roadblocks along the way. Prepare for the worst and think of solutions that could solve the problem.

Determine the Features You Need

You may get tempted to get every single feature available for VoIP services but you may not have enough budget. What you can do is to make a list of features that are vital for your business processes and find the best VoIP service provider in Columbia that can offer these features.  Some of the things you need to include in your list are voice/video calls, visual voicemail, conference calling, ring groups, virtual numbers, and number porting. These are basic features suitable to companies of any size and industry which can present a professional image to customers.

Test Network for VoIP Readiness

Internet connection is necessary for VoIP to function. However, there are other factors to consider as well. This includes bandwidth, internet speed, and network equipment. Does your network have enough bandwidth for additional voice traffic? Do you have fast internet that could handle voice calls? Are your routers, switches, modems up to date?

 

To determine if your network is ready for VoIP, ask the best VoIP service in Columbia for an assessment. It should focus on factors such as capacity, speed, and equipment readiness. Based on the results, your business may need to get another internet provider or replace your old equipment to handle the requirements of VoIP.

Quality of Service

Service quality is one of the most critical resources you need to manage call efficiency. Voice traffic will have precedence over the network with appropriate service. This reduces the number of dropped calls, increasing reliability and audio efficiency.

Evaluate Providers

The fastest and simplest way to use VoIP is to buy a device from a VoIP service provider. But how are you going to find the one that best fits your business? Before settling on a service provider, remember the following points:

  • Reputation and Expertise – review the track record of your chosen service provider. If they have received good testimonials from their customers, then they probably are a good choice. Focus on providers that cater to your demographic.
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  •  Customer Support – When things go south, a customer support should be there to help you. It is inevitable that something will go wrong sooner or later. Your vendor must  be able to respond to your problems immediately.
  • Pricing and Availability of Features – The features and prices offered by VoIP companies must also be looked at. As mentioned before, you would want a provider that gives you essential features within your budget. 

Get an SLA Before Using VoIP services

A service level agreement is a documentation that outlines the provider’s responsibilities. This holds the service provider accountable in case any issue arises.

Security

As with every Internet-based device, your phones require adequate security. If you use hosted services, certain security measures need to be executed by your provider. Typical security concerns involve unauthorized users hijacking calls, listening to private conversations, or utilizing the phone network to make unwanted long-distance messages. All it takes is one user's compromised password to hack the whole network. Enhanced security training and awareness can go a long way to reduce safety risks.

If you are thinking of switching to the best VoIP service in Columbia, contact Swift Systems. Our company works to meet the requirements of our growing client base by utilizing good quality and cost-effective equipment and software.