What Is All the Hype About Hosted PBX/VOIP?

No business in today’s market can survive without internet and phone service so it almost seems unfair to have to pay for two separate services. VOIP solutions for business provide you with an internet connection and uses that same connection to transmit voice to anywhere in the world for much less than you are going to pay for traditional phone service. VOIP does not use telephone lines and so is not subject to the same interference problems one can expect from telephone poles, underwater cables and bad weather. Your in-house PBX /VOIP network is maintained from your host’s location, eliminating fees for equipment and set up.

What About Customer Service?

Customer service seems to have suffered during the technological boom the business world has been enjoying. Mega corporations use a business model that is highly competitive and tends to treat the customer as a bottle in a factory line: fill it up, cap it, and move on to the next one. Telego wants to offer you a refreshingly different take on business. Doing business between companies shouldn’t be a hassle; it should feel like a partnership for success. Telego will work with you to find you a VOIP solution for business that is exactly right for your needs. The research is done for you and the setup you get is tailored for your business. There are no contracts, no hidden fees and no games: Your satisfaction is the number one priority and so there is no need to trap you into a contract or trick you into paying fees for the services Telego feels should be standard. Should there be a problem with your service, you will get to talk to a real person, not navigate a labyrinth of number choices to a machine.

Is Hosted PBX/VOIP Really a Good Value?

VOIP solutions for business use the existing IP connection to route your calls and manage your internet traffic. This means that there is less equipment to maintain and less overhead for VOIP providers than companies offering telephone and internet services, allowing them to pass the savings on to you. The cost savings alone, however, isn’t what makes the value so impressive. Typically, you would expect poorer quality as the trade-off for cheaper service. VOIP solutions for business doesn’t work that way. The sound quality is comparable and often much better than traditional service and the internet connection speeds are outstanding. The extra bells and whistles aren’t “bells and whistles” at all, they are standard services for your convenience.

Take advantage of VOIP solutions for business and give yourself a competitive edge.

The post Why Hosted VoIP is the Perfect Phone Solution for Small Businesses appeared first on Telego.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are deeply involved in a critical business meeting that is taking place via teleconference.  This corroborative effort represents months of work and negotiations with the other company are going well but the stakes are high and tensions are stretched thin.  Then, for no apparent reason, your call is dropped.  When you investigate the cause – after you are finished having a panic attack – you discover it was something preventable: a hardware malfunction.  

Telephones

Telephones are an obvious necessity for any business.  Even with the advent of the internet, video calling and conferencing, much of today’s critical business interactions and collaborations occur over the phone.  Durable, easy to use, mutli-functional phones are a must and Polycom phones are among the best in terms of hosted VoIP equipment.  The company has been providing innovative telephone, conference calling and video phone solutions for more than twenty years.  Polycom VoIP compatible phones are fully integrated into TeleGo’s management solutions, providing your business with crisp, clear sound, regardless of how far away your callers are.

Routers

Routers are, of course, essential to network stability. Routers control the flow of traffic within the network, as well as coordinate network to network messaging.  Essentially, every time you send an e-mail to someone, the router sees the data packet, confirms the address it’s coming from and notes the address it’s going to and directs the information where it is supposed to go.

Of all the hosted VoIP equipment you need, an outstanding router may be the most important in terms of quality.  The larger the business and the more overlapping networks there are, the more important high performance is with regards to router selection. Cisco and Edgewater consistently provide durable, sophisticated routers, capable of managing mutli-layered networks, even for large businesses.

Internet

In order to maximize uptime and reduce any risk to your business from your internet provider going down for any reason, we put both a monitor in place and also provide backup, so if your Internet goes down, your phones keep ringing.

Your business is growing, changing and constantly striving forward. Don’t sacrifice quality in an effort to save money.  Save money by using Hosted PBX/VoIP  and taking advantage of the fully managed network solutions offered by TeleGo.

The post We Use the Best Hosted PBX/VoIP Equipment, So You’ll Get No Surprises appeared first on Telego.

Hosted PBX has become increasingly popular as a communications choice for companies. Executives of small and large businesses alike are looking to save money on overhead costs without sacrificing service quality or package deals typically offered by the major phone companies. You may be considering such a switch yourself and if so, you need to be well aware of both the advantages and potential disadvantages before making the investment in a VoIP-based Hosted PBX business phone system.

The Positives

Without question, the number one advantage to switching to a PBX phone system hosted in the cloud is the cost savings. When making price comparisons between a cloud phone system service package and that offered by more traditional phone companies, you will immediately notice that land-line service costs significantly more. The amount of money you stand to save largely depends on who your current service provider is and which hosted PBX company you choose to go with, but the reality is that regardless, you will be saving money.

A second advantage to Hosted Business VoIP is that you will get more for the money you do spend than you typically would from a landline company. Because of the way VoIP works, you can expect long-distance calling at no extra charge. International rates are less costly through a cloud-based PBX phone system. In addition, you can expect the same services you are getting from your current provider, such as voicemail, conference calls, caller ID and faxing, as well as features you’d typically have to pay extra for. Depending on the service provider, these could include virtual reception, call screening, customizable forwarding and office software integration. A typical VoIP package includes all of these features without charging extra.

A third advantage that wins business owners over is the inherent versatility of the service. Many VoIP service providers offer their consumers a web interface that allows them to make calls from anywhere to anywhere in the world. This is obviously a huge advantage for companies that routinely have employees who work remotely.

Finally, VoIP as properly set up by a reliable provider has better sound quality than traditional landlines. In an environment where the future of business interaction may very well depend upon a well connected phone conversation, this feature is priceless. This where the quality of the service provider makes a big difference. TeleGo works to make sure that we provide call quality that exceeds even landline service.

The Negatives

VoIP works by sending a signal over the internet protocol which means that you have to be sure that your bandwidth can handle it. In most cases, especially in the New York and metropolitan area, this isn’t a problem, but if you have a slow, unreliable or buggy internet connection, sound quality and connection has the potential to be compromised. A hosted PBX business phone system would be less than ideal in a situation where your business has a poor internet connection. To counteract this, TeleGo and others allow you to forward calls to mobile phones in the event that the internet connectivity is down. In order to greatly minimize the risk of downtime, TeleGo provides battery backups and multiple Internet connections. This is indicative of the white glove service we provide.

The Bottom Line

There are situations where a VoIP business phone system would not be an advantage but for most small to medium businesses, the cost savings along with the quality of service you stand to receive from a provider like TeleGo make it an ideal choice. If you have a reliable internet connection, you can immediately start reaping the benefits of a cloud-based Hosted PBX solution.

The post Virtual Hosted PBX Phone Solutions – Pros and Cons appeared first on Telego.

Setting up Telephone Systems For Small Business

Understand Your Auto-Attendant – An auto-attendant provides an automated receptionist to answer your phone with a message personalized by you. Whether you are running a one-man show or your office has all hands are on deck, when you can not answer your phone right away, your auto-attendant will take care of it for you.

Give Your Auto-Attendant a Professional Voice – Your auto-attendant will often be the first interaction a client or prospect has with your business. It will be your first impression. Make sure it is a good one. This is not the time for your 5-year-old to welcome your client, though we are sure they are very cute. Give your narrator a professional voice which represents your business and displays the quality attention you will be giving them moving forward.

Pick Good Hold Music – There is nothing worse than bad hold music. Have you ever been stuck listening to heavy metal so loud it busts your ear drums or the erratic beats of electronic music which make you consider pulling your hair out? When you are setting up a telephone systems for small business think of a good neutral music which has an upbeat feel while not offending your target audience. Who are clients and prospects? In what age demographic are they? Can you identify their specific interests? Perhaps 60s music is their thing or maybe a smooth classical music is more up their alley? No matter what you pick, take a second and consider: Would I want to listen to this while I am on hold?

Establish a Call Queue – A call queue is a first in, first out system for callers. Think of it as your virtual waiting room. It allows you to answer calls in the order in which they were received. The messages and music which callers hear when they are in the call queue can be customized. This customization is important because it can help provide a better user experience for your clients and prospects. You can give them the option of waiting with or without music. You can give them regular updates about where they are in line and how long their expected wait time is. Depending on your call queue setup, you can even allow them to leave a message and wait for call back.

Setting up telephone systems for small business, big business or medium businesses can be confusing. But putting those protocols in place can be the difference between making a sale and losing a sale. Ensuring a quality caller experience is one of the best ways to ensure your success. Whether you need a little jump start with your auto-attendant script or you would like the entire thing drafted for your, the experts in TeleGo’s studio department can help. Their experienced advice will help ensure your company gets the best results possible.

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With VoIP, individuals are able to travel anywhere there is internet access without ever having to miss a call.

Those who utilize VoIP services can take advantage of converting traditional analog audio into digital audio when traveling through a simple, hosted VoIP solution. With these solutions, all a user needs is internet connection to take part in the VoIP experience. Wifi, Ethernet, and even mobile internet like 3G can be used to access VoIP systems.

All a hosted VoIP user has to do to change locations is to have permission to access the VoIP system. Same number, same VoIP service, same call quality. With hosted VoIP services, individuals can travel anywhere and keep their original business or home phone number, area code and all. This allows VoIP users to stay connected even when they are away.

Some services, such as TeleGo, are able to provide free calls between hosted-connected offices and remote workers. This allows individuals to travel outside of the office without worrying about the cost of calls to and from the office. Traveling to and from sales calls, meetings, and meals does not have to mean lack of connection to the office.

All that is required to utilize such a service is a device which has access to the internet. Quality hosting services provide simple to use web applications to manage and monitor accounts and service. These types of applications allow individuals to tap into their VoIP service and take and answer calls from the convenience of their device’s location. Instead of having to stay in the office to stay connected, all that is needed is an internet-enabled device, something that should already be with you on the road.

Since accessing a hosted VoIP service from the internet does not change the number associated with the account, users can travel without hesitation. No matter what geographic location users are in, VoIP services allow users to travel with the same number, call quality, and services that are used in the home office.

There are a variety of ways to take phone calls while traveling through hosted VoIP solutions. With basic analog telephones, however, this capability is simply lost. Converting analog calls into digital packets provides a flexibility that traditional services simply do not provide. In the business world, such flexibility is essential.

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Why can’t this all just be in plain language at all times? As is displayed above, most of the industry jargon is simply shorthand for otherwise complicated ideas. Although there are a range of other terms and definitions used in conjunction with hosted VoIP/PBX services, the above table is a quality introduction to the industry.

With a minimum amount of industry specific terminology, businesses or individuals shopping for hosted VoIP/PBX services are able to make more informed purchasing decisions. Yes, industry specific jargon can be intimidating. Once the terms are boiled down, however, finding a quality hosted VoIP service can be an exciting venture.

The post Making Sense of It All: A Glossary of Common Hosted VoIP/PBX Terms appeared first on Telego.

Managing a phone system includes hardware upkeep, server maintenance, and an array of other services. Small businesses have issues other than phone system management to worry about. Bringing in customers, making sure products are delivered on time, and managing a work force is hard enough without adding on extra work such as phone system hosting. Figuring out how to select a hosted VoIP phone system is essential.

A hosted VoIP phone system provides equipment, servers, and maintenance services which are integrated with a small business’s present telephony design. Think of hosted VoIP phone systems as renting from a limousine service.You already have the passengers procured, the equipment is state of the art, and services are managed for you. The differences between businesses offering hosted VoIP phone systems, however, can be drastic.

At TeleGo, we deal with clients and potential clients everyday who have many questions about how to choose a hosted VoIP phone system. We wrote this post to clarify the 3 major considerations when choosing a Hosted VoIP phone system that meets your specific business need.

Step 1: Consider Size and Scalability
Not all hosted phone systems are equal. Searching for a solution that matches business needs takes time and money. Some quality hosted phone systems are built to match the needs of businesses that range from just a few employees and branches to larger, more corporate settings.

Make sure to check with potential hosted solutions on what level of service they are able to provide. The servers used by such solution to transmit and manage calls over the Internet are sometimes designed for certain types of businesses. Since most hosted VoIP options offer extensive off-site services, quality hosted solutions are able to handle a large work load.

As business grows, so too does the need for quality phone system design and management. Customers interaction, inter-office communication, and a efficient IT department all require upgrading services from time to time. In order to figure out how to select a hosted VoIP phone system, consider searching for a provider that is confident in its ability to provide scalability with their services.

Step 2: Determine Start Up Cost vs. Long Term Cost
Phone systems and VoIP services do require some cost, but the question is whether or not the cost is up-front or distributed over the long term. Many hosted VoIP phone systems use the telephone system and equipment already in use by clients. They then patch incoming calls and manage them through offsite servers and equipment. Since hosted VoIP phone systems require little to no on-site equipment, they often require little to no up-front cost.

As business expands, the management and equipment utilized by hosted solutions grows as well. Monthly and annual costs sometimes multiply as time goes on. Since business growth indicates increased profits, such solutions should be factored into budgets. Make sure to discuss possible long term costs with potential hosted VoIP phone system solutions.

Step 3: Consider Integration Possibilities
When considering how to select a hosted VoIP phone system, factoring in ease of integration to business phone systems is paramount. Those who already have a rather stable phone system are likely to find that most services are compatible. Others, however, should be sure to discuss and research whether or not extra phone system equipment is required. Not all phone systems easily integrate with select hosted VoIP phone system solutions.

Hosted VoIP phone systems are a convenient solution to problem that would otherwise be rather complicated. Remember to question the scalability, long term costs, and integration possibilities before committing to a service. With the right hosted solution, businesses are able to get back to what they do best without worrying about phone system issues.

The post 3 Steps to Selecting a Hosted VoIP Phone System appeared first on Telego.

Not only is the market growing, but the potential for future growth is also bright. Service industries, businesses with consistently increasing telephone operation costs, and even small web-based companies are beginning to understand the power of hosted VoIP telephone systems. With so much potential growth, it is no wonder so many are considering hosted VoIP telephone systems.

Current Hosted VoIP Market Growth
The current hosted VoIP market growth is centered around small businesses which are seeking simpler overall phone management. Hosted VoIP services are able to take over a presently operating system in a small amount of time. Since hosted VoIP requires little to no startup equipment and startup cost, the affordability of such options fits the needs of the small business marketplace.

Hosted VoIP services lend themselves to budget conscious businesses and business managers. These services often have a monthly cost, but one that is much more manageable than options which companies must manage themselves.  In the present economy, nearly every small business is budget conscious, making hosted VoIP phone systems ever more popular.

Businesses Switching to Hosted VoIP
Companies searching for a simpler management option of complex phone systems are switching to hosted VoIP solutions. Keeping VoIP focused staff members and worrying about security and consistency in operation is a thing of the past. Hosted solutions allow businesses to take advantage of advanced services provided by experts in their field.

With such demand, however, comes an intense competition among hosted VoIP provides. Providers of hosted VoIP phone system services offer an array of solutions for nearly any business need. As the market grows, more and more entities enter the hosted VoIP service arena. Such competition is, however, increasing the quality of hosted VoIP solutions.

Current and Projected Market Growth
As it stands, current hosted VoIP market growth does not look to be slowing down. New clients require services that provide professionally managed telephone networks, and hosted VoIP phone systems continually meet such needs. As the global marketplace expands, more and more small businesses will switch to hosted VoIP phone systems as a quality solution.

At TeleGo, we’re happy to report that we’re growing at an even faster rate than this Hosted VoIP bull market. Our emphasis on customer care, the quality of the services we offer and the competitive prices at which we offer them have been the bedrock principles that have allowed us to achieve this growth in 2012 and into 2013.

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Three-Way Conferencing
This feature is being used by almost all our clients, and it’s easy to see why. Three-way conferencing allows employees to add a third party onto an existing call – and it’s so easy to do – which is what I think people like most about it. Once an employee is on a call, a conference is easy to create. Simply press the hook button, dial the second party, then press the hook button again to conference the calls together. Three-way conferencing can save staff tremendous amounts of time. Rather than going back and forth between parties, all parties can communicate in one call and move on with their day.

Call Queues Reporting Feature
The reporting feature, which is part of the Call Queues feature, is one of those features that call centers insist they cannot live without. And the reasons for this are obvious if you’re ever run a call center. The reporting feature allows you to generate very detailed reports for all queues in your system. The report displays a list of everyone who’s called into the call center that day, as well as detailed information about how the call was handled. And, of course, a large number of configurations can be made to customize the behavior of a particular queue. Strategies can be created for handling the queue and dividing calls between members. You can even opt to include music for the caller in queue, as well as provide announcements for callers. There’s a tremendous amount of flexibility with it.

Convergence (or Unified Communications)
When a company uses one communications system to handle phone calls, voicemail, email, instant messages, and faxes, workflow efficiency can be maximized significantly. Employees stay connected regardless of where they are or what time of day or night it is. This can be done through a variety of convergence features: Voicemail to email, voicemail to text message, and presence features. Voicemail can be retrieved from email accounts, or it can be read via text message on smartphones, PDAs, and cell phones. The WAV files can be filed away on the PC for convenient use later on.

Find Me, Follow Me
Find Me-Follow Me is part of unified communications, and it is heralded as a “godsend” by anyone who has to travel. FMFM enables employees to move around and still receive calls as if they’re right there at their desks. This feature is great for executives on the road and technicians on job sites. It also enables companies to offer telecommuting to employees and other flexible arrangements, all of which can result in considerable savings for companies.

Summary
We have touched on only a few features that are in common use with VoIP. Other features include Auto Attendant, Do Not Disturb, and Intercom. For a complete list of TeleGo’s features, see our Features list.

TeleGo is currently working on Outlook integration, as well as a new API that will integrate with CRM. TeleGo is also in the process of developing a console that enables employees to view all calls and use drag and drop functionality. Stay tuned . . .

The post Four VoIP Must-Haves appeared first on Telego.

Bandwidth
Surfing the Internet requires good bandwidth from the Internet Service Provider (ISP), and good bandwidth is required for VoIP calls, too; specifically, business class high-speed Internet is needed. Packet transmission over the Internet also requires a specific set of Internet Protocols. Not all ISPs have them, so it’s critical to make sure your ISP is set up for packet transmission.

Network Infrastructure
Call quality is always compromised with hosted providers who have not adequately invested in network infrastructure. It is critical to choose a hosted VoIP provider who can provide quality network equipment.

Jitter
Jitter is the measure of the variability over time of the latency across a network and is one of the most common VoIP call quality problems. Remember – A VoIP call is chopped into a large number of packets, with each packet traveling solo to its destination. When the packets arrive in a different order, they can become scrambled, resulting in jitter. A jitter buffer solves this problem by temporarily storing arriving packets in order to minimize delay variations. The late packets are discarded!

Delay
When there’s too much time between the time the words leave the speaker’s mouth to the time they reach the listener’s ear, this is known as delay. The solution to this problem lies in prioritizing VoIP traffic over the network, which is the job of a quality VoIP router.

VoIP is still pretty young (less than 10 years old), and many companies do not place adequate emphasis on high-quality communication with VoIP. Here at TeleGo, our call quality is excellent. We work with your ISP to ensure high-quality calling, and we monitor your circuit to prevent any issues from occurring. We also configure your network equipment so that your voice and data traffic are routed over different networks. The best way to determine whether a hosted VoIP provider’s service will satisfy your business needs is to try it out. We invite you to try our 30-day money-back guarantee.

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