Communications solutions firm Telappliant is helping organisations with the process of choosing a business VoIP solutions provider.

“When done correctly, a business VoIP, cloud PBX, IP-PBX, hosted VoIP solution is a marvellous example of how modern technology can cut business costs, without sacrificing any functionality or quality,” the company says in a company blog post.

The company says it is essential for businesses to do their due diligence when selecting a provider.

What kind of support do they provide?

“Support is where your money is really spent and this is usually where you will separate the pros from the amateurs,” Telappliant explains.

“You'll find that with the cheaper solutions, you'll receive less support, with the most penny-pinching options usually only offering support via email.

Telappliant believes that it work out cheaper in the long run if businesses spend more for a solution with a ‘sophisticated support network', which it says should include dedicated phone support from qualified engineers.

“In the event of an emergency, or if your Internet is down, only having email support is going to seriously inhibit you, especially if you rely on your phone system for sales or customer services,” the company explains. “This is when you'll seriously wish you paid a little extra for the peace of mind that only having an enterprise-level support can bring.

Telappliant suggests organisations secure a free trial or demo of any VoIP solution they are considering.

“Any VoIP provider worth their salt will have a trial period or at the very least offer a demo in which you can see if the features and services are a good fit for your business,” the company explains.

“Trialling the service also gives you a chance to see how good the support and provisioning teams are and if they can handle your tailored requests.

“This will build trust and manage expectation before embarking on a successful business relationship.

Who are their biggest customers?

Telappliant suggests businesses do a little research to find out who a potential VoIP provider's biggest customers are. It says this will show businesses

“The point of this question isn't really about names or intimate details, but more about accountability and reassurance that this provider is handling the requirements of major clients that also have their own credibility at stake,” Telappliant says.

“If they can tailor their solutions to a large business with many different components, it's more than likely that they will be able to understand and provide your specific solution, too.

The communications firm says it is important to know how quickly a potential VoIP provider implements new technologies

“If your new VoIP provider is always playing catch up with their more attractive neighbours then you may wish to steer clear,” it says.

Telappliant says releasing regular updates and enhancements displays honourable business philosophy, one that is committed to bringing its clients the best possible product and experience available on the market.

“Releasing regular updates also suggests that they have control over their VoIP solution, which indicates that they are likely to be more pro-active to any potential security threats that may happen down the line,” it explains.