Many "next best thing" technologies see a lot of hype and then fade into IT oblivion. But voice over IP-commonly known as VoIP-as an alternative to traditional landline telephone applications is not going away anytime soon after its commercialization just a few years ago. Following the early-adoption phase of VoIP, IP-based phone systems are now rapidly reaching mainstream-scale adoption as administrators realize cost savings and take advantage of the technology features that VoIP adds to their LANs.
Although in its early days VoIP often involved costly capital outlays and glitches in voice quality, administrators can now expect high quality and low costs on par with traditional landline phones. Here are a few emerging vendors with the experience under their belts to offer a smooth transition to VoIP at an affordable cost for SMEs.
Telesphere
Instead of having to cobble together a VoIP system in bits and pieces, Telesphere offers a single package.
"Telesphere gives businesses everything they need for a complete phone and Internet solution, all with no up-front capital costs," says Telesphere CEO Clark Peterson. "This includes high-definition phones, the data and voice connections, training, and support."
However, many administrators often worry that VoIP poses quality risks and that voice packets will get dropped and phone calls will not work due to slow Internet speeds. But that will not happen with Telesphere’s solutions because Telesphere offers its services with a dedicated T1 line to ensure the connectivity quality of voice calls, Peterson says. "This level of quality cannot be guaranteed by companies who use the public Internet for their VoIP services," Peterson says.
Telesphere’s offerings include PBX services, SIP trunking, and HD phones, as well as integrated toolbars, call centre applications, and CRM integrators, which add up to efficient and cheap voice and data applications. "The days of having separate connections for voice and data connections are gone, and the [benefits] of a combined pipe using VoIP results in substantial savings and efficiencies," Peterson says.
Speakeasy
Speakeasy is a rapidly expanding VoIP provider that offers support services only a small firm can offer. Although most of Speakeasy’s customers are enterprises with 100 or fewer employees, the firm can also scale up to fulfil a level of service for larger firms, says Bruce Chatterley, president and CEO of Speakeasy.
"Combined with the fact that we do not outsource our customer support to call centres abroad, has allowed us to build a reputation around stellar customer service and a personalized approach," Chatterley says. "When customers call Speakeasy for support, the first person they reach is able to answer all their questions, whether technical, administrative, or anything in between."
Larger customers with 250 to 1,000 users, for example, can benefit from Speakeasy’s offerings across the United States. "Our privately managed network provides connectivity and voice service throughout the United States to over 100 major metropolitan markets, and our customers have one contact person for technical and customer support, one bill, predictable pricing, and simple solutions," Chatterley says.
The solutions Speakeasy offers on a national basis include a full-service hosted PBX platform and integrated access services, including delivery of analogue lines, PRI/CAS, and direct SIP trunks. Setting up a Speakeasy VoIP system is also "very easy to do," Chatterley says. "Speakeasy manages the install, maintenance, and any modifications as needed. For those IT managers who also need to train their end users, Speakeasy offers various training tools, including printed quick-reference guides, online videos, and Webinars."
ShoreTel
ShoreTel offers VoIP solutions that are very easy to set up, with a low learning curve for administrators and end users alike. But although essentially plug-and-play VoIP usually comes at a price, the firm says it offers proof of return on investment before you invest in one of its solutions.
Ridley advises administrators to look at the "real cost" of a traditional landline telephony solution and compare it to a VoIP system. "The acquisition check isn’t the whole picture when it comes to voice deployments, and just because you have a legacy system perhaps in place, it doesn’t mean that voice is free," Ridley says. "It’s important that you understand your current maintenance costs for voice and what the upgrade and maintenance cost of a proposed VoIP system will be. Compare the system’s five-year total cost of ownership before making a decision." Ridley says ShoreTel’s pricing is very competitive but that the long-term telecommunications cost savings are also an important benefit to consider.
ShoreTel’s IP phones include its ShoreGear Voice Switches, which can combine communications across several enterprise locations, and its ShoreWare Call Manager, which allows end users to manage communications from their computers and move among video, voice, and instant messaging applications. ShoreTel’s ShoreWare Contact Centre can accommodate many different uses, ranging from call centre needs to distributed multimedia contact centre applications.
Although in its early days VoIP often involved costly capital outlays and glitches in voice quality, administrators can now expect high quality and low costs on par with traditional landline phones. Here are a few emerging vendors with the experience under their belts to offer a smooth transition to VoIP at an affordable cost for SMEs.
Telesphere
Instead of having to cobble together a VoIP system in bits and pieces, Telesphere offers a single package.
"Telesphere gives businesses everything they need for a complete phone and Internet solution, all with no up-front capital costs," says Telesphere CEO Clark Peterson. "This includes high-definition phones, the data and voice connections, training, and support."
However, many administrators often worry that VoIP poses quality risks and that voice packets will get dropped and phone calls will not work due to slow Internet speeds. But that will not happen with Telesphere’s solutions because Telesphere offers its services with a dedicated T1 line to ensure the connectivity quality of voice calls, Peterson says. "This level of quality cannot be guaranteed by companies who use the public Internet for their VoIP services," Peterson says.
Telesphere’s offerings include PBX services, SIP trunking, and HD phones, as well as integrated toolbars, call centre applications, and CRM integrators, which add up to efficient and cheap voice and data applications. "The days of having separate connections for voice and data connections are gone, and the [benefits] of a combined pipe using VoIP results in substantial savings and efficiencies," Peterson says.
Speakeasy
Speakeasy is a rapidly expanding VoIP provider that offers support services only a small firm can offer. Although most of Speakeasy’s customers are enterprises with 100 or fewer employees, the firm can also scale up to fulfil a level of service for larger firms, says Bruce Chatterley, president and CEO of Speakeasy.
"Combined with the fact that we do not outsource our customer support to call centres abroad, has allowed us to build a reputation around stellar customer service and a personalized approach," Chatterley says. "When customers call Speakeasy for support, the first person they reach is able to answer all their questions, whether technical, administrative, or anything in between."
Larger customers with 250 to 1,000 users, for example, can benefit from Speakeasy’s offerings across the United States. "Our privately managed network provides connectivity and voice service throughout the United States to over 100 major metropolitan markets, and our customers have one contact person for technical and customer support, one bill, predictable pricing, and simple solutions," Chatterley says.
The solutions Speakeasy offers on a national basis include a full-service hosted PBX platform and integrated access services, including delivery of analogue lines, PRI/CAS, and direct SIP trunks. Setting up a Speakeasy VoIP system is also "very easy to do," Chatterley says. "Speakeasy manages the install, maintenance, and any modifications as needed. For those IT managers who also need to train their end users, Speakeasy offers various training tools, including printed quick-reference guides, online videos, and Webinars."
ShoreTel
ShoreTel offers VoIP solutions that are very easy to set up, with a low learning curve for administrators and end users alike. But although essentially plug-and-play VoIP usually comes at a price, the firm says it offers proof of return on investment before you invest in one of its solutions.
Ridley advises administrators to look at the "real cost" of a traditional landline telephony solution and compare it to a VoIP system. "The acquisition check isn’t the whole picture when it comes to voice deployments, and just because you have a legacy system perhaps in place, it doesn’t mean that voice is free," Ridley says. "It’s important that you understand your current maintenance costs for voice and what the upgrade and maintenance cost of a proposed VoIP system will be. Compare the system’s five-year total cost of ownership before making a decision." Ridley says ShoreTel’s pricing is very competitive but that the long-term telecommunications cost savings are also an important benefit to consider.
ShoreTel’s IP phones include its ShoreGear Voice Switches, which can combine communications across several enterprise locations, and its ShoreWare Call Manager, which allows end users to manage communications from their computers and move among video, voice, and instant messaging applications. ShoreTel’s ShoreWare Contact Centre can accommodate many different uses, ranging from call centre needs to distributed multimedia contact centre applications.
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