What you need to keep in mind.
Believe it or not price is not the number one issue you should consider. In fact you should be wary of those offering steep discounts. The question you should ask yourself is “what corners are they cutting ordering to deliver a cheap service?”. After all every company needs to turn a profit in order to stay in business.
Infrastructure:
The first question you should be asking is about their infrastructure. Do they have the right pieces in place to protect your business when issues occur? It does not take a degree in Computer Science. Make sure they have two data center that are at least 150 miles apart. Make sure those centers are balanced for fail-over. Lastly, make sure they have redundant upstream providers on both the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) and their internet connections. Every provider should be able to discuss this openly with you.
Local Network:
Next make sure your local network is configured properly for VoIP. Chose a provider that will work with your IT department or one that can configure the network for you. Best practices may include physical or logical separation of the network. If the decision is made that your network can bypass that practice make sure you understand why. Not just that the provider can’t or won’t do the work to groom your network. A LAN that is not implemented properly is one of the top reasons for some VoIP implementations to have call quality issues.
Support:
Determine what support you will receive when setting up and using your new PBX service. Does the provider configure the phones and ship them to you with instructions? Or do they deliver them and set them up on site, making sure you and your staff know how to use them and address any setup issues that come up? Does the provider provide training to your internal staff on how to manage adds, moves, deletes in the Hosted PBX? Do they offer a fully managed solution if that is what your company needs.
Internet:
Next make sure you work with your chosen hosted provider to insure you have the right internet configuration. That may mean you need to upgrade your connection or have some redundant connection in case of outages. You may also want to discuss how SD-WAN can enhance your internet experience
Features:
Now you can discuss features you need. The reality is that unless you have a system that will work the features don’t matter. If the system won’t stand the test of durability price does not matter. Consider carefully your options and ask good questions. A cheap service often cuts corners that will make a difference in your business.
