Five
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VOIP FEATURES
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Advantages such as cost savings, enhanced mobility
and productivity features, scalability, and ease of
management are driving the demand for cloud-based
voice solutions.
Business VoIP systems were developed with today’s geographically-distributed, highly-mobile workforce in mind; however, all Hosted Voice solutions are not created equal. When shopping for a business VoIP solution, feature functionality is a key consideration. And, with 50 to 100 features per VoIP solution, comparing and contrasting them can seem daunting if you don’t know the right questions to ask.
While most solutions offer a set of standard features – such as Caller ID, Call Forwarding, Call Hold, Call Transfer, Call Waiting, 3-Way Calling, Redial and Speed Dial, just to name a few – providers vary in the features they offer, and how they offer them.
This paper looks at 5 key features to look for when selecting a new phone system, and how to compare them across providers.
Many Hosted VoIP providers offer Voicemail as Email, which delivers voicemail as an audio attachment to your email inbox. Voicemail as Email typically includes the delivery of fax messages as email attachments as well. Providers may also offer Visual Voicemail, which is the combination of two features: Voicemail as Email and Voicemail Transcription.
With Transcription, users receive their voicemails transcribed as text via email. This additional feature, included with MegaPath Hosted Voice, allows users to check their messages instantaneously, when it might not be feasible to listen to an audio file. For example, users can read their voicemail messages while they’re tied up on other phone calls, and immediately reply or forward the message as needed before they would
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Visual Voicemail
With Transcription
get ready
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have had an opportunity to listen to it. Be aware that some providers call their Voicemail as Email feature “Visual Voicemail,” so, in those cases, be sure to confirm that Voicemail Transcription is supported in that feature.
Audio conferencing enables users to conduct meetings between employees, partners and customers over the phone. Invited participants are given a specific number to call to participate in the conversation.
It’s important to note that Conferencing features vary across providers. Be sure to confirm that:
> Conferencing is included as a standard feature
> System administrators can easily enable and disable bridges for users with no fixed charges
> Employees can host audio conferences using their mobile clients, in addition to their desktop client
> Microsoft Outlook integration is included for easy scheduling
> Conference call recording is offered
> A free local access number with very competitive access rates for toll and toll-free usage is available
Today’s high-performing companies are looking to improve efficiencies throughout the entire company including customer support and sales. When Call Recording is enabled, inbound and outbound calls for specified users are automatically recorded.
Supervisors can listen to recordings to assess skill levels and provide coaching and training. Call Recording also helps with compliance and verification, and can help reduce potential liabilities. It captures and stores calls in the cloud for easy playback or download. Typically, administrators can access, download, and listen to recordings via the vendor’s web portal.
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Call Recording varies across providers, typically in terms of file storage allotments and limits, the length of time vendors archive recorded files, and licensing terms. For example, some providers offer flexible licensing that lets voice administrators transfer the Call Recording feature to any seat or line at any time, while others offer more rigid licensing terms.
Find Me/Follow Me lets users define how incoming calls are routed or forwarded to individuals or groups of inbound callers, ensuring that you receive important calls whether you’re at your desk, on the road, or anywhere else. It combines two powerful features:
> Simultaneous Ring – Calls to your business VoIP number can ring simultaneously on multiple phones—such as your alternate business and mobile phones
> Sequential Ring – Calls to your business VoIP number can ring sequentially on multiple phones
With Find Me/Follow Me, users can route calls from specific callers to ring to employees who can help them, or users can route individual callers (or all callers) to ring on multiple devices so they never miss a call. When comparing features, you’ll want to look at the number of devices each feature supports from vendor to vendor. For example, MegaPath’s Simultaneous Ring feature supports up to ten additional devices.
Technically, Unified Communications comprise a set of collaboration features that integrate IP voice telephony capabilities with enhanced collaboration features such as screen sharing, presence, instant messaging, SMS text messaging, and video conferencing. When all UC features are supported, users can make and receive text messages using their business VoIP number, share their screen, IM individuals or groups, and place voice and video calls, all within one simple-to-use application across multiple devices.
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Some Hosted VoIP vendors have yet to introduce UC functionality, while others offer only a limited subset. When shopping for Unified Communications, confirm which specific UC features are supported, and get a clear understanding of the pricing structure and feature details. For example, some providers may offer an entire UC package for a small monthly fee, while others may offer an individual UC feature, like screen sharing, separately for a monthly charge that scales based on the number of participants you’d like to support per session. Additionally, confirm the UC solution includes desktop, smartphone and tablet clients for all major OS platforms.
Hosted Voice solutions offer advantages that businesses can no longer afford to ignore, including lower start-up costs, lower month-over-month costs, increased mobility and productivity, scalability, and far less reliance on in-house IT resources. When shopping for the right fit, ensure the solution you’re choosing supports the features your business needs and that it is designed for multi-device communications. The right solution will support the advanced mobility features that unchain users from their desks, help them collaborate more effectively, and allow them to literally take their business phone system with them anywhere in the world.
