6 Hosted VoIP Best Practices for a Successful Implementation

As  noted by the market research firm Infonetics, demand for VoIP and unified communication (UC) services is skyrocketing, and the worldwide poised to top a whopping $88 billion by 2018. Indeed, it is only a matter of time before the question that businesses must ask is not “should we make the switch to VoIP”, but rather “how can we afford not to make the switch so we can serve our customers, and keep up with our competitors?”

If you are thinking of joining the thousands of businesses each year that evolve from a traditional phone system to a feature-rich, leading-edge VoIP phone system, here are 6 best practices for a successful implementation:

1. Steer clear of “plug and play” installations – which neither plug nor play.

Mass market companies that exist to sell as much VoIP hardware as possible – and provide as little service and support as possible – are notorious for promising “plug and play” installations that “can be easily be done in matter of minutes”. This is categorically untrue. A VoIP phone system is a sophisticated business tool that needs to be customized and configured. Ensure that you choose a specialist that will come on-site and handle all aspects of the implementation. Plug and play is OK for USB drives and smartphones -- not for business-grade VoIP phone systems!

2. Ensure that you have a managed router.   

Setting up and testing a managed router must be a core part of your implementation, because it allows your VoIP solutions provider to remotely handle key technical tasks, and basically manage the entire system. Essentially, it is like having your own team of VoIP engineers available 24/7/365, but without having to pay for them.

3. Take advantage of on-site redundancy.

When implementing your VoIP phone system, it is wise to leverage two data connections from different carriers. The secondary voice connection can function as your primary data connection, which gives you enhanced value and maximum ROI.

4. Use POE switches

Do not be persuaded to rely on conventional power supplies to run your VoIP phone system – because this is invariably going to become an annoying and costly problem very soon. POE switches are a must for a successful implementation and ongoing usage.

5. Use the right grade of wire.

If you do not want to be unpleasantly surprised by a big bill for wiring at the end of your implementation, then be sure that your installer uses CAT4e or better wire. Otherwise, while the system may be able to handle data, it will be unable to pass voice and you will have to dip into your budget to solve this problem.

6. Test for bandwidth ahead of time.

Last but not least, well before your implementation it is important to test your available bandwidth, and if necessary, increase it to support a VoIP phone system.

Learn More

At Votacall, we integrate all of these best practices into each implementation, so that our customers do not have to worry about surprise costs or setbacks. We understand that our customers want the shortest and safest path to value – and we deliver!

To learn more, contact us today and schedule your free consultation. Our experience is your advantage.

For more information on hosted VoIP phone systems and the trust behind common myths, download our FREE eBook: