Are you a business owner who is in need of putting in a phone line for your office or building? If you are, you have more options than previous business owners did years ago. While we all love the use of social media to promote our business services, most customers still use the phone to call in orders, ask questions and voice concerns, to name just a few reasons. You will need a reliable, dependable phone service provider when you own or operate a business in Avenal, CA, so understanding your choices is important before you make your final decision. You can choose between a VoIP or analog phone service when you are looking for a phone company that will work with your company. Understanding the differences and similarities first will help you make an informed and educated decision that will benefit your company for years to come.
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VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is one of the most recent types of phone service that can be used as an alternative to traditional analog lines in Avenal, CA. Many business owners do not realize that VoIP service has been in existence for more than a decade and is becoming more and more popular with business owners. Many companies are letting go of their analog PSTN service in favor of making the switch to a product that will help them save time and money, as well as a large initial investment. Many newer, start-up companies, especially smaller ones who are looking to save money but get the most out of their phone service, are looking at VoIP phone services for their businesses.
The call quality of VoIP is just as good as the traditional analog system. The big difference is that the calls are made through your existing Internet system instead of the traditional phone and cable lines. Because of this, you must make sure that your Internet signal is strong so that you don't have problems making and receiving calls. The Wirefly Internet Speed Test can help determine if your current Internet connection will support VoIP.
The biggest difference between the traditional PSTN and VoIP is the way that calls are carried. An analog signal is used to carry PSTN service, while the Internet carries VoIP calls. All calls made through VoIP are digitized. When you use your Internet connection to make and receive telephone calls, you will pay a lot less for your service, as sending data this way is much cheaper. This is great for companies that need to make many long distance or international calls and don't want to pay high fees. VoIP service providers usually offer long distance packages that will allow you to pay a flat rate for unlimited long distance and international calls. This is one less worry for you when you are operating a busy company.
You can also request a number of different features with VoIP services, as they offer the same ones that PSTN service does. This will include Caller ID, call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, remote access to voicemail, ring groups and much more. If you need to install multiple extensions within your company, VoIP service has you covered.
Nowadays, VoIP service providers in Avenal, CA offer their customers many different plans that will suit the needs of various businesses, regardless of their size. For example, you may only need three lines within your small office space, or your large corporation could use thousands of extensions. No matter what, there is a VoIP phone service that can provide you with whatever you need.
When you start your search for the best phone provider, you'll see that there are many VoIP service suppliers battling to do business with you. While you may be overwhelmed at first, you can actually use this to your advantage.
Consider what you need before you choose a company. You will want to know how many lines you will need, whether you will utilize the special features enough to be worth buying them and if your business has the potential to grow down the road. How much the companies charge for service will also be a factor. If you are a smaller company, you won't want a company that overcharges.
Compare all of the features between the companies to see who offers the most for the best rate. Look into the actual reputation of the company, as well. Finding a cheap VoIP service isn't beneficial if the company has poor customer service and a bad reputation. Remember that your company needs to have a reliable phone service to make and receive calls, so choosing a cheap company can actually lose you money if they do not offer reliable service.
A traditional phone service carries all calls over the PSTN. This stands for public switched telephone network and is generally what most consumers think of when they think phone service providers. This system has been around for nearly 100 years and is made up of cables, telephone lines, satellites and mobile networks. This was the very first type of phone network to ever be used.
However, the PSTN actually is more expensive than VoIP, because of how old and large the PSTN infrastructure is. It requires very regular maintenance and that cost gets passed onto consumers. PSTN is analog, so it is harder sending data over longer distances.
When someone makes a long distance call to or from a Avenal, CA business using the PSTN, the data stops at different places along its journey. The equipment that is in use is also owned by various companies, making these types of calls more expensive. While most of the infrastructure that carries and routes these calls has become digital, the “last mile' is not. The connection between the caller and the local central office is still analog.
Most enterprises in Avenal, CA use PBX (private branch exchange) service, which directs the calls that come into their office to certain departments. PBX is what enables the usage of different professional communications functions like extra lines, live meetings, call redirecting, voice messaging, and others.
With a conventional POTS telephone line, the PBX may be housed either at the customer's location or on a remote server. Regardless of which solution you go with, analog PBX systems have one major disadvantage: They are quite pricey. Configuring a comprehensive company phone network that runs a PBX requires the purchase of different kinds of machinery, which means making an investment of roughly $1,000 at minimum - and that doesn't include installing, setting up, and maintaining the system. For that reason, you'll have to either assign the chore to an on-site worker with technical skills or hire an expert, which could cost upwards of $100 per hour.
In case you do opt for a standard PBX system for your company's communications needs, it's important to remember that updating or growing it might be problematic and cost a lot of money. A lot of PBX circuits in Avenal, CA have limitations on how many lines they can accommodate. If your company expands and requires you to add extra lines, you'll have to buy even more equipment to support this expansion.
Similar to other pieces of digital machinery, a PBX can encounter issues and malfunctions. You might have to spend a lot of money out-of-pocket to repair and replace hardware if some component in your PBX fails. In addition, it could grow to be outdated and require replacement every couple of years.
