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So how do you evaluate one service provider
vis-à-vis another, and then install the connection in your office or home? What
should be your focus in selecting a specific provider?
Here are a few tips that will assist you in your
choice.
Suitability to your specific requirements
For a start, you must weigh the features
offered by the leading providers such as Vonage, Lingo, and Skype, and apply
those features to your specific work environment and requirements. A service
provider might offer the best of features, but they aren’t any good if you
cannot use them. If your priority is to make a large volume of international
calls, particularly to Europe and Asia, Lingo is for you. Lingo is also a good
option if you travel out of the US because you can carry your US number wherever
you go and call the US at local rates. Lingo also comes with the lowest price
for its range of features. Skype is different from Lingo and Vonage in one
important respect: it does not use a telephone as a go-between. While the Skype
outgoing and incoming calls to/from a normal telephone is still to fan out in
terms of dependability, Skype is the best option if you and your computer are
inseparable and you have friends and family who are similarly inclined. For
PC-to-PC calls, Skype is the best voice portal, and there is no price tag
attached.
Voice quality and reliability
If your first priority is consistently good
call quality, and you don’t mind paying a bit more, consider Vonage. Vonage
comes with almost identical features as Lingo, but there is minimal in-call lag
and echo experience. With Lingo, be prepared to sacrifice on the quality of
calls. In the competitive marketplace, each service provider promises the best
of service and voice quality, and you cannot be sure about the product. If you
are investing in a monthly/quarterly/annual contract, it is best to settle for a
package that has a money-back guarantee behind it. Both Vonage and Lingo offer
trial periods.
Installation complicacies
You also need to consider how easy—or how
difficult—it is to install the service, both as a business option and for home
use. For a single user, the process is not half as complicated as for multiple
users in an office environment. You must be sure that the saving you make from
an economically viable service is not offset by the installation costs. For
example, you must keep in mind that in an office environment, the VoIP usage
will put additional stress on your broadband connection, and you might have to
invest in increasing your Internet capability.
Broadband connectivity issues
Remember that VoIP needs broadband connectivity
to be functional. Prior to reaching a final decision on a VoIP package, you need
to do a bit of research on the bandwidth that the service requires, and then
ensure that your Internet service provider is able to match up. If you face
regular power or Internet outages, you may end up paying for a service you
cannot put to optimal use. In such situations, it is always advisable to retain
your traditional phone line as a backup.
Flexibility to opt out
VoIP is still in a nascent stage, and the
future may bring in new providers with richer services. Therefore, it is
important not to get into a long-term contract or commitment with any service
provider; keep the flexibility-to-switch option with you.
Internet telephony is the future, and even some
traditional telephone service providers have conceded this by initiating VoIP
packages of their own. The choices are many, and growing. As the user, it is
finally up to you to use the right package to your best advantage.
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