Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) is a great way to stay contemporary and competitive. Furthermore, it offers a lot of features and benefits. It often saves you money, too. However, that doesn’t mean that converting to VoIP is always easy. If you go in unprepared, the transition can result in downtime and disruption. However, if you know what to expect, your VoIP conversion should be hassle free. Here’s what you should do ahead of time:
The Correct Equipment
There are numerous options when choosing your VoIP equipment. You’ll have to choose between different types of phones and features if you want to make the switch. You need to prioritize what your business will get the most out of, for example call waiting or voicemail to email. You’ll also need to remember that you’ll need compatible equipment to take advantage of these benefits. It’s a good idea to talk to your provider, who should be able to find you the perfect system for your VoIP conversion.
Prepare Your Network
In the case of VoIP, your equipment is only as good as your network. One of the most important things you need to remember in this case is that your VoIP network uses the same connections as your data does. In other words, if your internet is slow, your call quality may not be great. It is imperative that you examine your network before making a switch. Running a speed test is an excellent idea. You may find that you need to upgrade your network before making any changes.
Prioritize Traffic
As stated above, your VoIP call quality is largely dependent on your network. You need to think about how adding VoIP will affect the rest of your network. You can prioritize your network so that your VoIP service is split off and has its own capacity. This means that you won’t have sudden drops in quality. You can also use a Quality of Service (QoS) setting to prioritize traffic and minimize congestion.
If you have any questions regarding Business Phone Systems, please contact Advanced Communication Systems today at 800-750-3624. Please feel free to also follow us on Twitter.
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