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Evaluations Necessary before Switching to Hosted VoIP

TMCnews Featured Article


April 19, 2011

Evaluations Necessary before Switching to Hosted VoIP

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor


Making the switch to hosted VoIP may seem like the logical choice, but it is one that should not be made lightly. A hosted VoIP solution can only deliver value for an organization if that organization first identifies their needs and selects the hosted VoIP solution that best fits those needs. A failure to follow these steps can cause a misstep on the road to streamlined and cost-effective communications. 


As a result, hosted VoIP provider, Aptela (News - Alert) recommends any organization considering a switch should first carefully evaluate their needs. The company should develop a profile, identifying the number of employees, the number of offices and the number of remote or mobile users that will rely on the hosted VoIP system.

The company should also profile its calling to determine the current mix of internal, local, long-distance and international calls per month. The company should also determine if they make conference calls and the design of the phone system in place before considering the switch. Does the company have several lines; what types of phones are in use; and does the company need to keep any of the existing lines. 

A profile of the current broadband connection is also important for any company considering a move to hosted VoIP. The company should evaluate its bandwidth, the number of lines in place, the current supplier, the network load, the unused bandwidth that is available, and what is needed to upgrade the network. Understanding requirements and expectations where the broadband connection is concerned is important for a successful migration to hosted VoIP.

The company considering hosted VoIP would also do well to design a wish list that will address whether or not the company desires an 800 number, an auto attendant, integration between e-mail and other system, a call center, voice menus, the platform to scale the system as the company grows, anticipated service levels and more. The company also needs to determine its budget and the targeted per user per month cost before switching to hosted VoIP.

It is also important to determine whether or not one person will be responsible for managing the system or if employees need to be able to manage it on their own. The company will need to determine the type of Internet Service Provider (ISP) they will select, whether it will be Cable or DSL. In addition, the company will need a business-grade service for hosted VoIP, one that offers Service Level Agreements and can meet bi-directional bandwidth needs.

Before the hosted VoIP solution can be put in place, the company will also need to determine the right router as a VoIP-friendly router will need to be purchased. The company will have to avoid routers that are geared for VPNs and focus only on those that are VoIP-friendly, support Quality of Service (QoS) and include port triggering. 

Once the company interested in hosted VoIP takes the proper steps for planning, that business will be better suited to make a seamless and successful switch to the hosted VoIP platform. 



Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell







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