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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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