Evaluating VoIP Service Providers

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone services have taken off in the past twelve months and is now service by several major companies and many smaller companies. It is often confusing as to which provider is the best for your situation. Follow these tips and find a solution.

For those that have no idea what VoIP is, it is basically a method of making calls via your broadband internet connection. This allows you to by pass your standard phone provider and make substantial call savings.

Once you decide you want to use a VoIP phone system, you need to decide do you want a service provider to supply you with VoIP long distance and overseas calls only? Or do you want to move your entire phone service to residential VoIP?

First let’s examine VoIP as a low-priced solution to your long distance and international calls. You will maintain your current phone arrangement, but use VoIP for making long distance calls. One of the chief players in this market is Skype, which is recognized for its value, accessibility, and free usage plans.

In contrast, if you decide you want to switch to residential VOIP, there are several main providers including Comcast, Sunrocket, and Vonage, with many other telephony companies coming on line each week.

In appraising a service provider for your residential VOIP desires, you should think about several things:

1. Web site uptime: If you cannot access the service provider's web site, you should consider that a ‘red flag’ that their service and support might have similar quality issues.

2. Support: By searching online, you can get heaps of information about a company's support history. You can also see how significant support is to them by examining their hours of support availability. If they don't offer weekend and evening support, maybe you should consider another provider.

3. Installation costs: If you have good impressions of two providers, one determinant is installation cost. It might be beneficial to go with the one with the lower installation cost, as they may value your business more and treat you as a more important customer.

4. Required equipment: Are you happy to get new VoIP phones? Or would you prefer to keep the ones, you already have? Ensure you know what the provider phone requirements are. Can you use your existing phones? If not, will they provide enough new phones?

And, maybe even more important as knowing what to look for in a VoIP provider is knowing what to avoid.

The first tip, though this may appear undue, is to stay away from small, startup VOIP providers. Let someone else try them out first. Telephony is not a market where the small fry are going to win, certainly not in the short term. The best idea is to find an established, stable provider for your phone service. You can always change later.

Resellers and middlemen should also be avoided. You will find advertisements for these everywhere, offering "VOIP in Your Area", with little in the way of identifying themselves. The key here is to realize that they will not be providing or supporting your service, but will be making a commission for referring you to a provider.

Changing to VoIP can be a major decision. However, it is possible to make a sensible comparison between the major providers and pick one you'll be happy with.

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