VoIP providers in Australia: 4 things you should look for

Anyone who has tried googling VoIP providers in Australia will know that it can be overwhelming to choose from all the options available. While price is undeniably a big factor for startups and small businesses, it doesn’t always equate with quality. If you’re looking to upgrade to VoIP or want a new provider for your service, here are a couple of things you should look for to get the best deal.

Set-up and Installation

Adopting new technology can be a stressful task for small businesses, especially for those who aren’t tech savvy. The best VoIP provider will hold your hand through the entire process, making it easy for you to understand your phone system. They don’t talk over your head and use telco jargon to get you to agree to unnecessary equipment and upgrades. Instead, they use layman’s terms and always make sure you have all the needed information to make sound decisions about your service.

Before anything else, they should check your current connection to see if it meets their VoIP requirements. If you have multiple staff sharing one connection doing data-heavy tasks, it may be best to have a dedicated connection for your phone system. What’s great about VoIP services is that you can transfer your existing numbers to your new service. All you need to do is provide your account details and your provider should do all the heavy lifting for you. They will coordinate with your old telco and port your numbers over without any down time and interruption.

Unlike legacy phone systems, IP phones don’t need lines to be connected to your local exchange. Your service is delivered over the internet-- through a remote server that connects your calls to the public network, maintained by your provider. Installation and setup should be as simple as getting your VoIP phone shipped to you and plugging it in.

Choosing the best VoIP plans & features

Lower call costs is what makes IP telephony a great option for SMEs. Most telcos typically charge a flat rate for every phone or user. Determine what kind of calls you typically make, and find out which plan has the most competitive rates. Benefit from free VoIP calls within your account and make calls within your office, between sites, including remote workers at no added cost.

Aside from basic telephony, there are a lot of features that can work with your service. Instead of spending more on each of these add-ons, opt for a plan that throws in these extras for free. Voip providers like Alltel offer features like voicemail to email, call forwarding, call overflow, and missed call notification included with your service at no added cost.

No matter how good a telco is on paper, it helps to know that you have the option to walk away if they fail to deliver on promises. Before signing, make sure that you know of any break fees or that may apply in case choose to cancel your service. If they are giving you a new number, make sure that you can transfer and take it with you if you wish.

Maintenance and Updates

Why drain cash for a maintenance contract that you almost never use? A hosted service lifts this service off your shoulders and your pockets—forever. Any updates and upgrades to your service is done remotely. Cloud phone services make it easy for SMEs to scale and grow rapidly. Adding staff to your roster should be as easy as getting a new VoIP phone. Any change to your service is done online, making it easy for you to access the latest in technology without clearing out your schedule to accommodate downtimes and technicians.

Business Continuity Measures

Moving to IP telephony is part of most disaster recovery and business continuity plans. Make sure that your provider has redundant servers at multiple sites so your service remains up 24/7. Going hosted lets you route calls to alternate phones in the event your office becomes inaccessible or you lose power and internet. Stand out and make a mark by giving constant support when everyone else can’t.

To get the best for your business, choose VoIP providers in Australia that specialise in SMEs like Alltel. For any questions about getting an Alltel VoIP service, give our expert consultants a call at 1 300 ALLTEL or visit our official website at www.alltel.com.au.