Top Rated Business VoIP Providers in 2023

 

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• 10 Best Business VoIP Providers
• What is Business VoIP?
• How Does Business VoIP Work?
• How to Choose the Best Business VoIP Provider
• Common Business VoIP Service Features
• VoIP Service Benefits for Any Business
• What to Look for in a Business VoIP Provider
• VoIP Service Network Requirements
• Business VoIP Service FAQs

 

10 Best Business VoIP Providers for 2023

Here’s a detailed look at our picks for the best business VoIP providers.

1. Nextiva
2. RingCentral
3. Zoom
4. Vonage
5. GoTo Connect
6. OpenPhone
7. Intermedia
8. Dialpad
9. Ooma
10. 8×8

 

1. Nextiva

Nextiva offers VoIP phone service as part of its unified communications offering.

Their UCaaS platform, NextivaOne, includes multiple business communication channels–voice, SMS, team collaboration, and video conferencing with up to 250 participants.

Nextiva’s VoIP services include unlimited Voice and Video calling within the US on all their plans. Each plan includes a US-based local number and a toll-free number, but users should note that Nextiva does not offer virtual numbers outside the US.

Unfortunately, the UCaaS software lacks queueing or analytics–two important VoIP features. It includes multi-level IVR, built-in calendars, integrations to popular tools like Google and Microsoft, voicemail-to-email, and call logs in an easy-to-use single app.

 

 

Nextiva Pricing

Nextiva offers three business communication plans:

• Essential ($18.95 monthly): Unlimited VoIP calling, internal team chat, 200-participant video meetings, 1500 toll-free minutes, and a basic auto attendant.
• Professional ($22.95 monthly): Adds multi-level IVR, unlimited conference calls with 40 users, and CRM integrations like Salesforce and HubSpot.
• Enterprise ($32.95 monthly): Adds call recording, voicemail transcription, and unlimited conference call participants.

Nextiva Pros

• Unique add-ons: Nextiva offers unique add-ons, such as social media and reputation management, complementing their UCaaS and call center platforms.
• User-friendly: Nextiva’s app is user-friendly, with step-by-step guides to help administrators, even those without technical experience, get set up.

Nextiva Cons

• Can get expensive: Many important capabilities, like analytics and some calling features, are add-ons that can quickly hike the platform’s price.
• Limited Integrations: Nextiva’s integrations often don’t unify as deeply with third-party apps as other UCaaS providers do.

What Sets Nextiva Apart

Nextiva distinguishes itself from other VoIP providers through its superior customer service and its products’ well-roundedness and ease of use.  Its quick setup, easy call flow builder, and unified app make it a good fit for companies new to VoIP and unified communications platforms.

 

2. RingCentral

All RingCentral pricing plans include VoIP calling with unlimited US and Canada minutes, SMS, MMS, team chat, and video meetings with up to 200 participants. RingCentral lets you create unlimited team chat channels with file sharing and ongoing team video huddles. RingCentral’s video experiences offer exceptional collaboration features like whiteboards, breakout rooms–even AI-generated transcriptions, summaries, and insights.

RingCentral’s VoIP service includes over 100 key VoIP features, including routing, IVR, unlimited call queues, call monitoring, and advanced analytics.

The business VoIP provider also offers local DID numbers in area codes worldwide and over 300 integrations–way more than any other VoIP provider.

 

 

RingCentral Pricing

RingCentral offers three business communication plans:

• Core ($20 monthly): Includes voice, 25 SMS monthly per user, video meetings with 100 participants, team chat, multi-level IVR, basic call queue, and on-demand call recording.
• Advanced ($25 monthly): Adds business analytics, advanced queuing, and routing rules, automatic call recording, custom user roles and permissions, and 1000 monthly toll-free minutes.
• Ultra ($35 monthly): Expands to 200 video-meeting participants, 200 monthly texts per user, 10,000 toll-free minutes, and unlimited file storage.

RingCentral Pros

• Fully Featured Mobile App: RingCentral’s mobile app offers a surprising breadth of features, including options to customize call handling and device ring order.
• Colleague availability: The Desktop app lets users see colleague status and availability, informing smart live-call transfers.

RingCentral Cons

• Limited SMS: Each RingCentral plan limits the number of total SMS a user can send–while many alternatives support unlimited texting.
• Account management: From an administrative perspective, setting up and managing phone-system features like routing and ring groups feels complicated.

What Sets RingCentral Apart

RingCentral’s software offers the most robust balance between VoIP and UCaaS platforms. It makes a good fit for large teams seeking to enhance collaboration.

 

3. Zoom

Zoom’s phone service, Zoom Phone, is available as a standalone virtual phone system or as part of Zoom’s UCaaS platform, Zoom One. Zoom Phone pricing plans start at $10 monthly per user for a metered plan, which includes texting and a domestic-based number. Phone system plans offer unlimited domestic calling inside either North America or one of 40+ other countries, with an add-on for unlimited calling in 19 countries.

Zoom Phone includes a wide suite of features: unlimited auto attendants, SMS, automatic call distribution (ACD) and call queues, call monitoring with barge and takeover, and call recording.

 

 

Zoom Phone Pricing

Zoom Phone offers three business phone plans, which vary by domestic area and pricing style. Each plan includes a full suite of phone-system features like a free domestic number, multi-level IVR, call monitoring, call recording, and team chat.

• US & Canada Metered ($10 monthly): Pay-as-you-go pricing and unlimited texting within the US and Canada.
• US & Canada Unlimited ($15 monthly): Unlimited calling and texting within the US and Canada, with an optional add-on for unlimited calling to 19 countries.
• Pro Global Select ($20 monthly): Unlimited domestic calling on one of 40+ countries, plus optional 19-country unlimited add-on.

Zoom Pros

• Video: Zoom Phone integrates seamlessly with their video meetings, full of dynamic, collaborative features like unlimited whiteboards.
• Flexible calling area: Zoom supports domestic calling in virtually any country–plus the option for per-minute rates or unlimited international for those who want it.

Zoom Cons

• Reporting: Zoom’s analytics are lackluster. The app includes basic call reports but misses high-level insights that competitors offer.
• Confusing: Some teams struggle to get used to Zoom’s wide variety of features, especially in video meetings.

What Sets Zoom Apart

Zoom Phone offers unique domestic calling options outside the US and provides the most affordable business phone service with essential collaboration and video. Considering the low price point, Zoom provides great value for companies located anywhere, especially those based outside the US.

 

4. Vonage

Vonage offers business VoIP services within a multichannel unified communications platform.

Vonage Business Communications, their UCaaS platform, includes SMS, team chat, and video collaboration with up to 100 participants.

Vonage’s VoIP solution includes local phone numbers in area codes worldwide. While the UCaaS platform is slightly higher priced and lacks key features like analytics, it includes important phone system capabilities: call queueing, call parking, flipping between devices, and auto attendants. The app’s video meetings support waiting rooms, whiteboards, and chat.

However, Vonage lacks important features like advanced analytics and call monitoring.

 

Vonage Pricing

Vonage offers three business communication plans:

• Mobile ($19.99 monthly): Includes unlimited calls and SMS within the US and Canada, team chat, basic auto attendants, and call queuing.
• Premium ($29.99 monthly): Adds video conferencing with 100 users, multi-level auto attendant, and CRM integrations like Salesforce.
• Pro Global Select ($39.99 monthly): Adds call recording, call groups, visual voicemail, and international phone numbers.

Vonage Pros

• Desk phones: Vonage works with and sells various popular VoIP desk phones.
• Unlimited SMS: While some competitors limit the number of SMS users can send, Vonage supports unlimited SMS to the US, Canada, and Mexico

Vonage Cons

• Customer support: Vonage can be hard to reach when users need support, as the provider sometimes has no live agents available
• Expensive: Vonage’s pricing tiers quickly escalate for basic features–call groups, visual voicemail, and multi-level auto attendants.

What Sets Vonage Apart

Vonage is unique in that it offers a standalone VoIP API or a unified communications platform. Vonage is best for companies looking for particular customizations and make frequent calls within the US and Mexico.

 

5. GoTo Connect

GoTo Connect is a multichannel VoIP service with voice, SMS, team chat, and video meetings with up to 250 participants. All plans include built-in meeting scheduling, and video meetings include chat and screen sharing. While the Basic plan supports unlimited calling in the US, the Standard plan includes unlimited calling to 50 countries.

The phone system includes useful features: intelligent routing, call queues, ring groups, auto attendants, and real-time analytics.

 

 

GoTo Connect Pricing

Vonage offers two unified communications plans:

• Standard ($24 monthly): With a 20-user maximum and 4-user video capacity, includes one of each phone-system feature–auto attendant, dial plan, ring group, call queue. Supports unlimited calling in the US and Canada.
• Premium ($29.99 monthly): Expands unlimited calling to the 50-country area, plus 250-user video capacity and unlimited access to all phone features. Adds call recording and real-time analytics.

GoTo Connect Pros

• International calling: For only $29 monthly, the Standard plan offers a steal for the 50-country unlimited calling area, which is more than any competitor
• Predictive analytics: GoTo’s analytics go beyond the norm, including advanced insights like customer sentiment and service-decision predictions

GoTo Connect Cons

• Video capacity on Basic plan: The Basic plan severely limits video meetings, with a 4-participant maximum
• SMS credits: GoTo limits texting with a credit-based SMS system, providing 40 and 80 credits on the Basic and Standard plans, respectively

What Sets GoTo Connect Apart

GoTo Connect’s Standard plan offers an exceptionally large unlimited calling area spanning 50 countries. At $29 monthly, the Standard plan makes a great fit for teams with high international outbound call volumes.

 

6. OpenPhone

OpenPhone offers VoIP service, SMS texting, and team threads–but no video conferencing. OpenPhone provides unparalleled phone number flexibility, with US-based toll-free and local numbers that users can share and use simultaneously. Further, any OpenPhone user can occupy multiple numbers, jumping between them with one click. The user-friendly VoIP app includes IVR, call recording, and ring groups.

OpenPhone also includes a suite of SMS messaging features–including auto-replies to missed calls, snippets for one-click messaging, and scheduled messages.

 

 

OpenPhone Pricing

OpenPhone offers two cloud-based phone system plans:

• Standard ($13 monthly): Includes one toll-free or local number per user, unlimited calling and texting in the US and Canada, scheduled and automated texting, team chat, basic IVR, call recording, and voicemail-to-text
• Premium ($20 monthly): Adds group calling, custom ring order, call transfers, advanced IVR, analytics, and CRM integrations

OpenPhone Pros

• Promotes versatile agents: A team member can have multiple virtual numbers, jumping between phone lines throughout the day as needed. This enables agents to take on multiple roles or locations.
• Rich contact profiles: With team notes, one-click SMS, and email, OpenPhone’s customer contacts are rich and valuable for agents

OpenPhone Con

• Limited collaboration: OpenPhone isn’t quite as collaborative as some competitors without built-in video meetings or collaborative tools like file-sharing.
• Hectic: While the shared multichannel inbox can promote collaboration, it can get confusing if too many agents communicate at once.

What Sets OpenPhone Apart

OpenPhone offers unparalleled phone number flexibility, as dozens of teammates can simultaneously use virtual numbers to message and call customers. OpenPhone works especially well for teams of 5-10 users who don’t need video.

 

7. Intermedia

Intermedia offers business VoIP service as part of Intermedia Unite–a UCaaS platform with voice, SMS, team messaging, and video conferencing with up to 200 participants. Accessible on a cell phone or desktop, the system’s plans are pricier but include unlimited US and Canada calling and a free VoIP desk phone.

It includes several other useful phone features: voicemail transcription, auto attendants, and call recording. Team members can send 1:1 messages or start group messaging conversations with file sharing and backup. Video meetings support collaboration with live transcription, unlimited recording, AI-generated insights, and screen annotations for ideation and drawing.

 

 

Intermedia Unite Pricing

Intermedia Unite has two UCaaS plans:

• Unite Pro ($27.99 monthly): Includes auto attendants, call recording, team chat, SMS 50 GB of file sharing, 100 participants in video meetings, some integrations
• Premium ($32.99 monthly): Expands to 200 GB of file sharing and 200 video participants, adds call monitoring and popular integrations–SalesForce, ServiceNow, NetSuite

Intermedia Pros

• Mix-and-match plans: Intermedia’s pricing structure allows you to mix-and-match plans for users, enabling scalability and savings
• Free device: Unite includes a desk phone for every user, making an excellent value for in-person phone systems and call centers

Intermedia Cons

• Expensive plans: While Unite does include useful features, the cheapest plan–Unite Pro–still costs roughly twice as much as some competitors’ basic plans
• Lacks feature customization: Both Unite pricing plans include all the product’s features. This makes it hard for companies to choose a plan that meets their needs without paying for unwanted bells and whistles.

What Sets Intermedia Apart

Intermedia Unite offers exceptional supervisor analytics and AI-support tools with automated insights and transcription. A good product for large teams above 50 people whose supervisors have a lot on their plate.

 

8. Dialpad

Dialpad offers a business VoIP service in a unified communications solution or contact center, featuring VoIP, SMS, team chat, and AI-powered video meetings with up to 10 users.

The business VoIP provider offers unlimited calling within the US and Canada, with some of the lowest international calling rates among all competitors. Dialpad offers an easy-to-use app, virtual numbers from area codes in 70 countries worldwide, and advanced phone system features: custom routing, unlimited call queues, live call transcription, AI support, and multi-level auto attendants.

 

 

Dialpad Pricing

Dialpad offers two business communication plans:

• Standard ($15 monthly): Includes VoIP, SMS, team chat, 10-participant video meetings, unlimited calling in the US and Canada, multi-level auto attendant, custom routing, call recording, real-time call transcriptions, automated post-call summaries
• Premium ($20 monthly): Adds international local numbers, CRM integrations like Salesforce, global SMS texting, and 25-ring groups

Dialpad Pros

• Agent support: Dialpad’s intuitive interface, collaboration tools, and live AI work together to improve agent performance.
• Affordable: The Standard plan is cheap at $15 but includes all core communication channels, AI features, and analytics–a rare combo for that price.

Dialpad Cona

• Focused on small teams: Dialpad’s 10-person video capacity makes it a good fit for small teams, not Enterprise companies.
• Complicated license removal: Some users report difficulty removing users and licenses, which can lead to unwanted charges.

What Sets Dialpad Apart

Dialpad VoIP service and video meetings shine when it comes to AI support–whiteboards, automatic transcription, live speech coaching, and more. The UCaaS platform makes a great fit for small teams under 20 users seeking to collaborate via chat and video.

 

9. Ooma

Ooma’s business VoIP solution does not offer team chat but includes VoIP, texting, and video conferencing with 25 participants.

The provider offers unlimited VoIp service within the US, Canada, and Mexico–plus metered calling anywhere else. Ooma’s video meetings have limited interactive features but support screen sharing, hand-raising, chat, and virtual backgrounds.

Ooma Office, the business VoIP phone system, includes a well-rounded suite of call-handling features: IVR, ring groups, custom ring orders, advanced call management, call queueing, and analytics.

 

 

Ooma Office Pricing

Ooma offers three business VoIP plans:

• Essentials ($19.95 monthly): Unlimited the mobile app only, domestic calling, one regular and toll-free number with 500 inbound minutes, IVR, call parking, call forwarding, and ring groups.
• Pro ($24.95 monthly): Adds the desktop app, videoconferencing with 25 participants, enhanced call blocking, and call recording.
• Pro Plus ($29.95 monthly): Adds call queueing, CRM integrations, hot desking, and advanced call management.

Ooma Pros

• Phone-only option: Ooma’s Essentials plan is only available via mobile app and offers voice calls. This is helpful for teams that don’t want video or team chat.
• Easy routing setup: Ooma’s routing and forwarding customization options are easy to configure.

Ooma Cons

• Headset and desk phone connectivity: Ooma’s cheapest plan is mobile-only, forcing desktop-based agents to pay for the more expensive Ooma Pro plan.
• Non-collaborative: While Ooma supports video meetings, it lacks key interactive video features and team chat.

What Sets Ooma Apart

While Ooma lacks team chat, it shines when it comes to providing an intuitive and reliable routing setup. It makes a great fit for teams primarily interacting with customers via cellphone.

 

10. 8×8

8×8’s business VoIP solution includes voice, SMS, team chat, and video conferencing. 8×8’s 500-participant video meetings include unique interactive features: polls, emoji reactions, and breakout rooms. Its business phone system includes voicemail transcription, queueing, call monitoring, live speech analytics, and more.

Even more impressive is 8×8’s unlimited calling area. While most alternatives limit unlimited calling to the US and Canada, 8×8 offers a 14-country unlimited area on their X2 plan and a whopping 48 countries on their X4 plan.

 

 

8×8 Pricing

8×8 offers two business communication plans:

• X2 ($24 monthly): VoIP with 14-country unlimited calling area, 500-participant video meetings, team chat with file sharing, SMS, analytics, real-time call transcription and AI speech feedback.
• Pro ($44 monthly): Expands to 48-country unlimited calling area, adds call monitoring and meeting recordings stored for up to 130 days.

8×8 Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Productivity integrations: 8×8 Work and 8×8 voice offer strong integrations and click-to-call functionality with popular productivity apps–Google Workspace and Microsoft Teams.
• Live streaming: 8×8 supports live-streaming to YouTube, which is great for companies that give large-scale demonstrations or webinars.

Cons:

• International calling limitations: While the X2 plan supports international calling to 14 countries, some don’t include mobile devices.
• Phone number availability: 8×8 offers limited or no availability for some popular area codes.

What Sets 8×8 Apart

With 500 participants, 8×8 video meetings support a larger capacity than any alternative. These meetings include uniquely interactive tools like emoji reactions, polls, and breakout rooms. 8×8 is a great fit for large and Enterprise teams that want collaboration and international calling.

 

What is Business VoIP?

Business VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, is a phone system that uses the internet to make and receive calls. It is a cost-effective alternative to traditional landlines, offering many features to improve your business’s communication.

By sending your voice, video, and data communications through your internet network, your business can achieve a high-quality VoIP phone system for a fraction of traditional legacy setups.

Packed with advanced features necessary to operate small to medium businesses, such as hosted PBX, desk-to-desk calling, auto attendant systems, call routing, IVR, voicemail transcriptions, and even hold music, business VoIP technology makes it easy for any company to operate with the same level of efficiency as large enterprises.

 

How Does Business VoIP Work?

Business VoIP works by converting and compressing your voice audio into digital data packets sent to the recipient over the Internet. Once these data packets reach their destination, they decompress and convert into normal voice audio.

This means that you can make and receive calls from anywhere worldwide as long as you have an internet connection.

For a more detailed explanation, check out our guide on VoIP and how it works. The below diagram shows how business VoIP works in more detail:

 

How to Choose the Best Business VoIP Provider

Use the following steps to choose the best provider for your company:

1. Identify your phone system needs
2. Check hardware and software compatibility
3. Shop by value, not by price
4. Use the free trial or demo

 

Step 1: Consider Your Needs

Each business has unique needs, short and long-term goals, budget, and customer base. There is no “one-size-fits-all” VoIP platform.

Consider the following factors:

• Your company size: Understand the number of team members you have that will use the VoIP service and their calling needs. Each of your users may require a dedicated line/extension. Knowing your users’ needs will simplify the process.
• Phone system features: Consider the types of features you need. Do you need unlimited calling? Will you be texting from your business number? Do you need ring groups and call queues? Identify your daily and weekly call volume and what you need. With that you can start to narrow down your choices.
• Know your customer base: Note who your customers are, their most frequent reasons for contacting you, when they typically call, and which channels your customers might utilize.
• Business goals: Identify the KPIs you’d like to improve, such as improved customer sentiment, faster handling time, reduced hold times, making staffing more efficient, improving team communication, etc.
• Your current costs vs savings: Determine what you’re currently spending on a phone system and communication tools. Compare your current costs to the newly proposed quotes.

 

Step 2: Check Hardware and Software Compatibility

If you already have VoIP phones from brands like Poly, Yealink, or Cisco, make sure these phones are compatible with the new provider you are considering. Your existing VoIP hardware may not be compatible with your new VoIP provider. Each provider has its own lineup of compatible hardware.

In addition to hardware compatibility, ensure the provider can integrate with any existing third-party software you use. Since nearly all VoIP apps function on computers, tablets, and mobile devices, additional hardware is unnecessary for a cloud-based phone system.

 

Step 3: Shop By Value, Not Price

While it’s tempting to prioritize the cheapest pricing plans, the overall value is more important.

Cheaper plans often lack essential features like call queuing, monitoring, recording, or comprehensive analytics. In most cases, it’s cheaper to upgrade to a higher tier than to purchase a la carte add-ons for the most affordable plan.

Look for a product that offers all your must-have features and communication channels with very few extra bells and whistles that you don’t want.

 

Step 4: Use the Free Trial or Demo

The best way to select a provider is to test your top choices: utilize the product’s free trial, or watch a few demo videos on YouTube.

• Free trial: Utilize each product’s 7-day or 14-day free trial. Have your agents test the interface and calling features, then ask for feedback about usability.
• YouTube tutorials and demos: You can get a great feel for VoIP software usability and interface through YouTube tutorials. Watch a few videos to get a feel for the dashboard and team-messaging screen.

 

Common Business VoIP Service Features

When comparing a VoIP provider, look for the following features and capabilities:

• User Portal – Look for a cloud-based user portal that enables system users and supervisors to manage and access all phone system capabilities with just a few clicks on any device.
• Call Routing – Call routing handles incoming calls and navigates them to the right agent or department. For more advanced routing capabilities, look for automatic call distribution (ACD) features that determine where to route the call based on data like business hours, customer information, menu selections, and agent skills.
• Interactive Voice Response (IVR) – An IVR system is an automated self-service menu that your callers navigate via dial-tone options to direct their call to the right user or announcement. Your VoIP provider should offer drag-and-drop design tools to create IVR call flows linking users, submenu options, announcements, and capabilities like appointment booking.
• Call Queueing – Call queueing organizes incoming calls into hold queues when your agents are busy. From the dashboard, employees can view the calls in their queue, each call’s wait time, and the option for a one-click callback.
• Call Recording – Many VoIP providers offer automatic or on-demand call recording. These call recordings are stored with each call’s data in the call log, where business owners can download, share, or review them for evaluation purposes.
• Call Transcription – Some VoIP providers also offer call transcription, which generates and displays live captions for agents. An advanced phone system feature, transcriptions are stored within each call’s log for later review or download.
• Call Monitoring – Call monitoring enables supervisors to manage agent performance by listening, whispering, and barge.
• Call Analytics – Business VoIP providers offer real-time and historical caller analytics that give insight into agent activity and productivity, call volume, call trends, and more. Supervisors can customize and view dashboards with a variety of visuals, filtering metrics by agent, department, or the whole team–over any time period.

 

VoIP Service Benefits for Any Business

Here are some of the benefits of using a business VoIP system:

• Cost savings
• Flexibility and mobility
• Better customer service
• Scalability and global presence
• Advanced features
• Business Insights

 

1. Cost Savings

Small Business VoIP is generally 30-50% cheaper than traditional landlines because it reduces hardware needs, IT and staffing demands, and calling costs.

• Less hardware: VoIP applications use desktop and mobile apps to make and receive calls, texts, and even faxes.
• Quick setup: Hosted PBX VoIP systems require minimal setup–simply purchase subscriptions, assign phone numbers, and your agents are ready to call.
• Reduced maintenance and staffing needs: Since VoIP requires no onsite hardware, you reduce the need for maintenance costs, upgrades, and IT staff.

 

2. Flexibility and Mobility

Compared to landlines, one major advantage of a business VoIP phone system is that VoIP works anywhere you have Internet: in the office, at home, at a coffee shop, in the car, or even on vacation.

• Hybrid and remote teams: Business VoIP supports hybrid and remote teams because administrators can purchase phone numbers and assign them to users in minutes, no matter where the agents are based.
• On-the-go business functionality: Users can make business phone calls, message teammates, or join video meetings from their mobile phones on the go

 

3. Better Customer Service

Business VoIP software enhances a company’s customer service in multiple ways: improved routing, quicker service and self-service, more ways to connect, and stronger customer context.

• Improved routing: VoIP phone systems often include built-in IVR, ACD functionality, and intelligent routing options like skills-based or relationship-based routing
• Quicker service and self-service: Tools like IVR help callers reach the right agent on their first try, also providing fuller customer context so agents can provide quick support
• More ways to connect: A business VoIP phone system enables your company to connect with customers in multiple ways–self-service, VoIP call, SMS, or video

 

4. Scalability and Global Presence

VoIP service providers make it easy to purchase multiple types of phone numbers worldwide and assign these numbers to users in minutes.

• Scalability: Add new users to your company account instantly, no matter where they’re located, simply by purchasing a new subscription and assigning a phone number
• Global presence: Purchase local, toll-free, and vanity business numbers around the country or globe

 

5. Advanced Features

Business VoIP solutions include dozens of features that traditional phone systems cannot match. These voice-over IP software features promote efficiency and team collaboration.

• Efficiency: Routing and queueing features organize inbound calls, so that agents spend time and effort interacting with customers, rather than rerouting calls
• Collaboration: Video-meeting tools like breakout rooms and whiteboards, team chat and file sharing–these features unify remote and hybrid teams, enabling ideation

 

6. Business Insights

VoIP software systems utilize analytics, AI, and monitoring features to support supervisors and administrators with business insights.

• Analytics: These reports provide information about channel usage and caller behaviors so that administrators can make more informed decisions about staffing and which features to purchase
• AI support: Advanced VoIP systems use AI for automatic transcriptions, conversation and video analysis, and even live speech recommendations for agents. This improves performance and training
• Monitoring: Call center monitoring tools help supervisors track call center teams, providing better evaluations and feedback

 

What to Look for in a Business VoIP Provider

To select the best VoIP provider, look for a business VoIP software that meets the following criteria:

• Unlimited Calling
• Available phone numbers
• Sufficient features and channels
• Ease of use
• Integrated apps

 

Unlimited Calling

Ensuring that your choice offers unlimited calling to the countries you call most often.

While most VoIP providers support unlimited calling within the United States and Canada, some providers also support unlimited calling to Mexico and dozens of other countries. Consider the areas you call most, compare each VoIP provider’s fees, and ensure that the provider offers unlimited calling to mobile numbers–not just VoIP and landline numbers–in the countries you plan to call.

 

Available Phone Numbers

Choose a VoIP provider that offers the phone numbers you want in the areas where you want to establish a business presence.

Specifically, look for a provider that meets your needs in these areas:

• Phone number types: Make sure that your VoIP phone system includes not only local numbers, but toll-free numbers and vanity numbers as well
• Phone number availability: Most VoIP providers offer local virtual phone numbers based throughout the US, and some offer global numbers. Search your prospective provider’s catalog of available phone numbers, to ensure they have plenty in your desired area code.
• International business numbers: If you want to establish a local business presence outside of your primary location, make sure you select a provider that offers business phone numbers around the world

 

Sufficient Features and Channels

As outlined above, a business VoIP phone system offers much more than calling: advanced plans also include routing, queuing, analytics, collaboration tools, and communication channels.

Determine which features and channels your company prioritizes most, then compare each provider’s pricing plans. See if there’s a plan that offers all the features you want, with a minimum of extra features.

 

Ease of Use

Before choosing a provider, evaluate each VoIP phone system’s overall intuitiveness and ease of use. The best way to get a feel for ease-of-use is to take advantage of free trials.

• App dashboard: The user dashboard and interface should feel spacious and intuitive, but also make it easy to access important features. The left-hand menu should be easy to navigate.
• Call management: Agents should be able to monitor their queues, view caller profiles, and access live call controls with ease
• Notifications: Users should be able to easily view and organize new tasks as they come in, including queries from customers and internal communication items

 

Integrated Apps

Most VoIP phone systems support integrations that unify functionality with popular third-party software tools.

In particular, look for the following business VoIP integrations:

• CRM systems: Salesforce, HubSpot, SugarCRM, and more
• Communication platforms: Asana, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace
• Call center software: Five9, Talkdesk, Genesys
• Workflow software: ServiceNow, Zendesk, Zoho

 

VoIP Service Network Requirements

Your existing Internet connection quality and network bandwidth are critical in establishing consistent, jitter-free, and reliable VoIP uptime and call quality.

While a VoIP service provider manages servers, data centers, and call transmission, the user is responsible for maintaining a local network with the bandwidth and speed to support VoIP calls and UCaaS functionality.

For seamless VoIP calls, aim to keep latency below 150 ms and jitter below 30 ms.

In order to optimize your network to manage latency and jitter, use the following guidelines:

• Keep hardware up to date: Update your devices and ensure that your router supports a VoIP network’s bandwidth. For best results, Choose a router that supports WiFi 6.
• Configure QoS settings: A router’s Quality of Service settings enable you to prioritize certain data over others when your network gets congested. This helps preserve high-quality voice over IP.
• Manage local data use: When you have multiple users sharing one router or local data network, the network can become too crowded for fast data transmission. Manage the number of users concurrently consuming data, especially high-data activities like streaming, gaming, or video conferencing.

 

Business VoIP Service FAQs

Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions shoppers may have: