Author Topic: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?  (Read 3678 times)

spookini

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Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« on: May 29, 2015, 09:41:34 AM »
If anyone out there has experience w/ these systems, what're the pros/cons?
Any systems to AVOID?

Interested in the potential benefits, but the idea of cutting the cord and cancelling the phone contrac just seems SCARY.
If the internet's down, we can still do business.  If the phone's down...  (crickets chirping)
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Subber

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2015, 10:40:46 AM »
The cheapest by far is......Magic Jack - only about $35 per year,
after buying the device which costs I'm not sure how much now
- maybe $45 for the device and six months of service.

(((I have the old one which requires a computer...the newer
ones I think you can plug directly into a router and/or a computer)

I downsized my company over the past few years
down to just me, but my ATT phone bill was still large -
in fact, ridiculous how they ding you for this and this
and it really adds up.

So I "ported" my main number to magic jack and cancelled
that line and 3 others.  I'm remembering I had to pay something like
$20 to port the number.  I was concerned about porting
a business line to magic jack but it was no problem, you
just have to give it a week or so.

Currently, I have magic jack's answering machine pick up
after my number rings couple of times (this is at magic
jack - I just configure the "answering machine" on my account on the
magic jack website) - so, it takes a message and emails it
to me.  I just open my email and click the .wav file it to hear the message.
The reality is my business gets few calls nowadays...most
of my daily interaction now is messaging rather than talking
on the phone.

Usually, I call back using my cell phone; however, if I want
to make a call that is going to take a long time, I will plug my
magic jack into any computer (you have to install the magic jack
software) and make the call.  All you need is a fairly decent speed.
Ha...my ATT U-verse is only 3 Mbps download and 0.4 Mbps  -
lol - so pretty slow...and the magic jack works good enough.
I would say the clarity is better than a cell phone and almost
as good as a land line; however, sometimes there can be a delay
depending upon your internet speed, but I've never had a
problem using it.

The thing I like about magic jack is that it lets me be very mobile.
They have some "apps" for cell phones, but I've not used them
and don't know exactly what they do.  You can use it on any
computer.

Perfect for my now one man operation.
If I ever have employees again, I would probably get another magic
jack line;however, not sure how you would forward calls back
and forth if you have lots of employees.

Their documentation is not the greatest but other people
have posted information on the internet that is pretty useful.

I've not tried it for faxing - I've seen a few videos where it
works but apparently not the greatest....but nowadays
most people scan and then email, rather than fax.

Ha! if your internet is down...the magic jack answering machine
(if you have it setup) will take a message and email it to you...
...ah but then you wouldn't be able to get your message
(since your internet is down) unless your email goes to your cell phone!

Many many people have regular voip....over the internet...
the reliability seems to have increased a lot over the years.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2015, 10:52:01 AM by Subber »
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maxsonic

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2015, 09:32:06 AM »
Cut my home land line phone service about two years ago, replaced with an Obihai OBi 202 VoiP device from Amazon. First used Google Voice for free and then went with a PhonePower plan to keep local 911 service.

I've saved hundreds of dollars over the past two years...highly recommended

http://www.obitalk.com/obinet/

http://www.amazon.com/OBi202-Phone-Adapter-Router-2-Phone/dp/B007D930YO/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1433003089&sr=1-3&keywords=obi

SupPadre

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2015, 12:35:26 PM »
Spookini,

Are you asking about the phone equipment or the carrier. We have an esi phone system and it works very well. We have about 30 extensions at our main office, and I can't tell any difference in quality or service compared to the old land line phones. The best feature of this system is their remote IP phone. I can take the phone anywhere, plug it into the internet, and it works just like another extension in our office. I can intercom other extensions or dial out from our phone system anywhere in the world. I know it works in the US and Spain, but I haven't tried it anywhere else.

I would avoid Time Warner Business Class as your carrier. They left us without service for an entire day four separate times during the peak of our season. We currently use AT&T, and their service is much better. Any time the service has gone out, AT&T has gotten it restored very quickly.

Hope this helps.

eastbound

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2015, 05:24:15 AM »
i use shoretel, and have found it excellent. I have 20 guys who work for me, some in a central office, most in multiple remote locations--so we port to 30+ lines. Works very well, and the bills are very light compared to pots. once we got it config'ed, it just works. (knock wood)
 does VM, forwarding, and a ton of cool shit we never use.
buy all this shit used--it's like gym equipment--there's tons out there, barely used.

I have used these guys for odds and ends, and key pieces also:

http://www.metrolinedirect.com/shoretel.html

If you buy from a certified Shoretel dealer, you will pay 3x what surplus grear trades, but youve got to have some knowhow to config, and shoretel is not so easy to get support from, if one hasnt bought new from an authorized dealer. Thk goodness for my tech partner!
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supdiscobay

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2015, 07:00:15 AM »
I went from a $325 AT&T bill to a $110 8x8 voip phone system.  Also dropped two lines.  Haven't had a fax line since then and its been 4 years.  Bought two phones directly from 8x8 to start and then found the same phones used reselling on ebay and craiglist for pennies on the dollar.  The best part is when we go to Maui for extended vacation, I take a headset with a mic and can make calls from my laptop and retrieve voicemails instantly.  I also have the 8x8 app on my android phone and get calls automatically directed to my cell, all the time.  I usually don't answer those as the connection is not as good as the cell phone, so I just check the message and call them back on my cell.
With the app, every call that comes to the office is routed to my cell, so I can see quickly who is calling and keep tabs on the employees.  I can listen to any message from any line, as I get sent a wav file.   
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surfcowboy

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2015, 07:24:25 AM »
All my clients are on them. We use an asterisk system ourselves and it's fine.

I personally have used Grasshopper for a really tiny 3 person biz and we use our cell phones and have it forward to us. That's a great system for a startup.

Know that if your biz depends on phones, you can add a second, cheap internet connection from another provider and cut over if you have issues, or, in a pinch, just forward the system to your cells. That's most common.

Board Stiff

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2015, 06:23:15 AM »
Ooma has worked well for my home voip, and we use Cisco gear at work for hundreds of users. I haven't used anything in between.

spookini

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2015, 06:00:24 AM »
Thanks for all the input.  Good food for thought.

I had someone recommend Ooma, based on their home-service experience.  But their biz service gets mixed reviews.  And something like 8x8 is way too big for our needs.  We are just a small biz w/ a main line and a rollover line. No internal extensions, no call-routing/directory, no call-conferencing needs, etc.  Total overkill for our situation.

Had an IT guy recommend ringcentral to us.  So I called for a demo.  The ONE service we need is on-hold music.  Seems simple, but there is no easy way to do this w/o a pbx/cloud pbx system...  So I tell the salesguy our scenario and what we need.  He arranges a demo later in the week.  I call in, he goes into the weeds about the bells/whistles of his system's auto-call routing, internal extensions, directory, call conferencing.  I say, "ok, now tell me about on-hold music". They guy can't even find the feature, has no idea how it works.."  Good job buddy!

Think we're going to stick w/ good ole phone service for now.  Did go to online fax service though.  Had to change our 2nd number due to all the junk fax calls clogging the line.  I think there's a special place in hell for ppl who junk fax for a living.  ::)
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PonoBill

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2015, 07:37:43 AM »
People still junk fax??  For that matter, people still fax??  Hello, 1986.

You're going to give up because some idiot doesn't know how to configure music on hold? I hate music on hold. Does anyone like that? It generally makes me want to kill someone.

Did you look at RingCentral. I've considered them. I don't really have a need now--we're purely cell except for a VOIP "land line" in Maui, but we probably will set up a VOIP service sometime soon to use for international travel. If you do this you'll want SIP phones (cheap--don't go with adapters, they limit the services available), and you'll want to configure your router to give QOS priority to the VOIP traffic--most modern (a few years old) routers can do this. Most VOIP systems don't provide 911 service and those that do charge more. Most offer automatic forwarding to your cell if your IP is not available (power or service outage) which makes the service potentially more reliable than POTS. Incidentally, there really isn't any POTS anymore, except maybe some isolated towns.  At the very least you're actually being served by PSTN, and even that is being supplanted with new IP-based tech.

The small business services are a lot more expensive than the home services but still a lot cheaper than POTS. Most VOIP companies ignore business use for small users, but some are militant about it since the service is for unlimited calls for individuals. Businesses get a LOT more calls than home users do.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2015, 08:38:03 AM by PonoBill »
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PonoBill

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2015, 08:39:48 AM »
People still junk fax??  For that matter, people still fax??  Hello, 1986.

You're going to give up because some idiot doesn't know how to configure music on hold? I hate music on hold. Does anyone like that? It generally makes me want to kill someone.

RingCentral looks pretty good. I've considered them. I don't really have a need now--we're purely cell except for a VOIP "land line" in Maui, but we probably will set up a VOIP service sometime soon to use for international travel. If you do this you'll want SIP phones (cheap--don't go with adapters, they limit the services available), and you'll want to configure your router to give QOS priority to the VOIP traffic--most modern (a few years old) routers can do this. Most VOIP systems don't provide 911 service and those that do charge more. Most offer automatic forwarding to your cell if your IP is not available (power or service outage) which makes the service potentially more reliable than POTS. Incidentally, there really isn't any POTS anymore, except maybe some isolated towns.  At the very least you're actually being served by PSTN, and even that is being supplanted with new IP-based tech.

The small business services are a lot more expensive than the home services but still a lot cheaper than POTS. Most VOIP companies ignore business use for small users, but some are militant about it since the service is for unlimited calls for individuals. Businesses get a LOT more calls than home users do.

I tried to edit since on re-reading I saw you were talking about ringcentral. Somehow I quoted myself instead. Oh well, you get the picture. I shouldn't really say more reliable than POTS, since POTS is five nines service in the US. The phone system is infinitely interesting. It's amazing that we still have 24 gauge copper wire coming to our homes carrying dinky bandwidth duplex voice. But that's what happens to the early adopters.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2015, 08:47:54 AM by PonoBill »
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spookini

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Re: Anyone w/ experience using VoIP small biz systems?
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2015, 09:53:53 AM »
The on-hold call music was recommended by a colleague, so I was tasked w/ looking into it.  My conclusion is, the hassle absolutely ain't worth the very limite/questinable benefit.  If we lose customers b/c they're upset we didn't pipe in hold music?, we probably don't want those folks anyways.

Yes, there still are robo-faxes.  The worst is when they get your # and auto-redial you nonstop.  When was the last time ANYBODY got a funk fax and said, "Yeah, what the hell -- I think I would like to buy that!"  ::)

Our phone service is FIOS, so technically IP-based anyways.  Interestingly, the Verizon battery backup is hard-wired to only backup the phone though.  Verizon figures if you lose power, you'd rather have phone service than internet.  It's a great system until you realize the install tech plugged the backup into a hidden GFI in the basement.  ;D
-- My doctor says I suffer from low kook --
Do sharks attack?  Hope not
Do flying fish hate us?  Hells yes

 


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