How to buy business VoIP systems

The rapidly maturing business VoIP phone system industry means that there are many manufacturers with feature-rich systems that may be enticing to small firms.

Sales channels
Buying VoIP for business from a local reseller is the best choice for most buyers. Licensed, certified resellers have proven expertise, manufacturer support, and the ability to respond quickly to urgent problems that require a site visit. Checking that the reseller has manufacturer support is particularly important -- this can be critical as upgrades are released or problems crop up.

Keep in mind that some vendors, particularly those whose background is in data networking, sell VoIP-only systems. This can drive up your costs unnecessarily when a hybrid traditional/VoIP system might be fine for your needs.

Also watch out for vendors that simply add VoIP to your existing network whether or not it is fully ready to support voice traffic. They may later charge you for upgrades if you decide the call quality falls short of your expectations. Make sure you get a thorough analysis of your current network and the impact VoIP will have on it to get a true sense for your phone system costs.

Whatever you do, don't be tempted to do it yourself – setting up and maintaining a business phone system of any type requires specific expertise. There are many resellers and service firms that customize, install, and maintain VoIP systems – submit a free request for VoIP phone system quotes to find expert vendors in your area.

Pricing
Business VoIP system prices vary considerably based on the features you require, your existing telephony infrastructure, and the state of your data network. A complete 16-phone VoIP solution with all the features you would expect in a typical business phone system can run from $10,000 to $30,000 or more, installed. A 64-phone installation including a dedicated server, voicemail, and more, could cost $50,000 to $75,000 and up.

That is considerably more than a similar digital phone system would cost, but the long-distance savings on interoffice calls and the reduced administrative costs will offset some of the difference. See what other BuyerZone users paid for their VoIP phone systems.