| Internet voice offers plenty of potential savings | | | | they can't be transferred - some political, some |
| and productivity for small businesses. You can pay | | | | technical - but if you need to keep your existing |
| a fixed fee for monthly calling plans that include | | | | numbers you may have to continue to pay your |
| unlimited long distance coverage of North America | | | | local phone company for minimal service for these |
| and have the ability to program your phone to | | | | lines. |
| follow your movements without ever having to | | | | 2. How many different offices will you want to tie |
| talk to a phone company representative ever | | | | together under a single plan? |
| again. | | | | If you are just buying service for a single location, |
| As an example, you have access to a wide range | | | | start with the simplest plans and see if they will |
| of business services that previously were only | | | | meet your calling needs. Things get complicated |
| available to larger corporate users, including: call | | | | quickly as you involve having multiple, |
| forwarding, multiple simultaneous rings (where an | | | | geographically distant offices that can be |
| incoming call can be answered wherever it is | | | | connected via one central office number. Do you |
| more convenient), follow me (where incoming calls | | | | want everyone in these offices to have their own |
| are routed to particular numbers at particular | | | | extension, to give the impression that they are all |
| times of the day), and do-not-disturb. All are now | | | | working out of the same "office?" |
| part of most Internet voice service plans at no | | | | That is what providers such as are geared |
| extra charge. | | | | toward. |
| The downside is that your phone is more closely | | | | 3. What kind of high-speed Internet service do |
| tied to your Internet service, which is less reliable | | | | you presently have to your office? |
| than standard land-line phones. If your connection | | | | The type of connection is critically important to |
| goes south, so does your phone service. | | | | your experience with Internet voice business |
| There are three basic different types of business | | | | service. Voice quality is directly related to things |
| Internet voice service. Most providers offer | | | | such as network latency and packet delays that |
| monthly plans that start at $50 per line including | | | | can cause drop-outs and degrade the overall audio |
| Verizon's VoiceWing for Business, AT&T's | | | | of your calls. You will need to hire someone who |
| CallVantage, Packet8.com's Virtual Office and | | | | specializes in Internet voice applications or spend |
| various business phone plans from other | | | | some time understanding these issues and testing |
| high-speed Internet providers that are basically a | | | | your existing connection. If you hire an Internet |
| two-line version of their consumer service. All of | | | | voice consultant, he or she should be able to do |
| those offer minimal features and are designed for | | | | that for you. |
| a single office location. They also make use of | | | | Before you attempt anything, a good place to |
| standard or analog telephones that you buy in any | | | | start is with TestYourVOIP.com, a free service |
| office supply store. | | | | that can indicate whether your connection is fast |
| The next step up from these plans are ones | | | | enough to support voice applications. Ideally, you |
| from what is called a "hosted service" | | | | want to purchase what is called a T-1 line for an |
| that is provided by VirtualPBX.com, M5Net.com, | | | | office that has more than five people. |
| and numerous others. Basically, those providers | | | | 4. Do you need to upgrade your office wiring and |
| rent you space on their systems and connect up | | | | network? |
| your offices via high-speed Internet lines. They | | | | If you are working out of a home office or a |
| typically start at several hundred dollars a month | | | | place where you can wire up your phones, then |
| but also include a high-speed Internet connection | | | | you are in better shape for Internet voice, |
| that you can use for other applications such as | | | | because you will probably need to do some wiring. |
| Web and email. | | | | Internet phones require more recent and higher |
| The most expensive level is buying your own | | | | quality network wiring than your average |
| Internet voice PBX, or phone switch. That can | | | | computer. Again, your voice consultant should be |
| cost more than $1,000 for the switch, and more | | | | able to make the appropriate recommendations, |
| than $500 a month for the various plans, and is | | | | but realize that this could be part of the cost of |
| designed for larger offices. Both Linksys and | | | | the overall job, and it could get pricey if you have |
| D-Link offer less expensive switches but require | | | | to replace switches, routers and other network |
| configuration and help from a consultant. | | | | gear. |
| Here are some questions to ask before you | | | | A second issue is whether you want to deploy |
| decide on which business plan is the right one for | | | | Power over Ethernet switches to power your |
| you. | | | | new digital phones. Sure, you can plug the new |
| 1. How many incoming phone numbers do you | | | | phone into a standard AC wall socket, but that |
| need? | | | | might not be convenient or as reliable as having |
| If you have inbound fax lines and analog | | | | them get their power from a central wiring closet |
| answering machines that you can't or won't get | | | | that has battery backup in case of power failures. |
| rid of, you need to figure out a plan for either | | | | Here again, you may be looking at buying new |
| keeping these lines or substituting work-arounds | | | | switches to handle that. |
| to continue using these phones. The various | | | | 5. Do you want to make or receive calls from |
| Internet voice services also vary in their support | | | | your laptop? |
| for inbound analog lines, something that is also | | | | One of the big advantages of Internet voice is |
| worth investigating. | | | | being able to take a phone and connect it |
| This is also a good time to calculate how many | | | | anywhere on the Internet and have it work as if |
| new digital phones you'll need to buy. Given that | | | | it is sitting in your office. But to get to this point, |
| prices are rapidly dropping on phones, it doesn't | | | | you need equipment that can support remote |
| make much sense to buy any more than what | | | | users. In some cases, you will need a phone that |
| you need at first. | | | | has a built-in Virtual Private Network client sells |
| Also, you will want to investigate whether you | | | | such IP phones, for example) to connect to your |
| can keep your existing inbound office number(s) | | | | corporate network, just like a remote PC user |
| when you move to the new Internet voice | | | | uses. You'll also need a good quality USB headset |
| system. Some of the providers can move your | | | | to make the calls and have software that works |
| numbers in some locations, and some can't. It is | | | | with your Internet Service voice provider. |
| worth checking: There are many reasons why | | | | |