Cloud VoIP Solutions: Are Small Businesses a Good Fit for the Cloud?
Many small businesses who delay in moving to Cloud VoIP do so because they fear that if they cut their landlines and jump aboard cloud-based VoIP, they’ll end up with a list of problems. On the plus side, VoIP service providers continue to offer more features and lower costs than traditional telephone providers, but the nagging question remains – what are the hidden pitfalls?
VoIP Set-Up
VoIP set-up is a definite”pro” for small businesses. Most Cloud VoIP solutions use session initiated protocol (SIP) technology to assign a specific IP address to each phone or VoIP software client on your network, so you’ll need SIP-enabled phones and perhaps a small box of hardware. Once they are in place, your VoIP service provider will take over the rest of the process. broadbandproto9colo
While not necessarily a “con “, but on the questionable side – is the possibility of having a bandwidth problem. VoIP requires a broadband connection. The more internet applications in use at the same time, the more bandwidth you’ll need. If your internet service provider has a bandwidth cap in place, keep that in mind too, since it’s possible that, depending on the codec the provider uses, each call could consume 64kB of data for every second you or your employees talk. And although all your employees should be able to use their phones at the same time, do keep an eye on your data usage just to make sure you’re not exceeding the cap.
A “con ” is also in order if …
