uk voip provider

What you should look for from your UK VoIP provider.

What should you be considering when picking the best solution.
Catagory: Guide

Things to consider when picking your VoIP provider

There are lots of different VoIP solutions from lots of different providers all offering cheap calls and exciting features, but what should you really be looking for when picking your UK VoIP service?

We’ve put together this essential list based on the same list we use when running a FREE COMPARISON for you to ensure you get the best solution possible.

Cut monthly service costs with VoIP

Look at one of your most recent phone bills and work out how much you are paying for calls and additional services such as Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Caller ID and International Calls. Also consider the monthly line rental you are paying for having a physical phone line connected to your property.

Be sure you know what features you need and find a provider that can offer these and ensure reduced calls for you.

What is the contract length for the VoIP solution?

Pay careful attention to the details of any VoIP provider solutions that tie you into a contract with little flexibility. Look at the terms of service and understand the contract’s length and any early cancellation fees.

Also consider your usage and business needs. If you are a growing company and will need more users, extensions, numbers or features in the future, make sure you are able to update these services without extending the contract.

Lastly, compare call costs, call plans and services offered.

How easy is it to setup your new VoIP solution?

After choosing your solution how quickly can you start making VoIP calls after sign-up? Look for VoIP providers that can offer a smooth and simple setup. One that doesn’t need an additional engineer, additional switchboard hardware, or their associated added costs.

If you need to get calling as soon as possible, a good service can be configured with a VoIP softphone and be easily available online. Setting up on a softphone app will enable calls to be made and received via your smartphone, tablet or desktop computer.

uk voip provider

Does your VoIP provider offer Phone Number Portability?

You may have a phone number specific to your geographic location or familiar to your customer-base which you may not want to change.

Find out how easy it is to keep your existing number when moving to your new provider. Transferring your number is often known as ‘porting’. Talk to the VoIP provider before starting the service with them and be sure you are confident in their capability to deal with your phone number.

How reliable is your connection and how good is the call quality?

Make sure to valuate the quality of calls and reliability of the service. You need to be sure inbound callers experience the clearest calls when speaking to you. A good VoIP provider will offer the chance to try before you purchase any call plan or package.

Very importantly ensure your internet connection is up to speed too. As a rough guide you will need at least 80 KBPs of upload and download speed per concurrent UK phone call. With an upload speed of 11 MBs you could potentially make around 137 concurrent calls.

If your internet connection is not up to task it might be a good idea to look for a dedicated leased line solution which offers many benefits.

What is the scalability of your solution, how easy is it to implement?

If you are a growing UK business, it is vitally important that it is as easy as possible to add new devices or users to your phone service, which you should be able to do via an online dashboard. Long gone are the days when an engineer was needed to fit a new phone line or extension.

Having a configurable online dashboard, means you won’t require a physical PBX (Private Branch Exchange) taking up space in the office. Look for a service that lets you add users at the click of a button and allows call plans to grow as your business does.

VoIP phones and PBX compatability

If you already have a VoIP desk phone or on-premise PBX in your office check that these can be used with a new service. If you need to purchase VoIP hardware, check to see if there are any recommended brands that you should look to use.

Popular brands of IP phones include Poly and Cisco.  Some brands may have been officially tested with the service so you can be confident they will work in partnership without issue.

Support and satisfaction

With any business service it is important to be happy with the level of support offered to you. The best business VoIP providers will deliver amazing customer support whether you are a growing startup, an established SME or large multinational corporation.

Look for reviews of your chosen VoIP service provider online, drop them an email to see how fast their response times are or give them a call and see if they’re knowledgeable and friendly!

We hope you found this article useful

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