What is VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol?
VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a technology that allows you to make phone calls using a broadband internet connection instead of your regular fixed-line or analog phone service. The phone service provided by a VoIP service provider is internet based and doesn’t require a regular home phone line. It uses a regular phone as a communication device.
It is also referred to as Voice over IP, broadband phone, or internet phone service and can be used with a business telephone system, stand-alone desktop phone, IP phone, or even as an app on your mobile or personal computer.
The only requirement for VoIP is a reliable internet connection and a VoIP service provider who knows what they are doing!
VoIP is cheaper, easy to set up and implement, and is for everyone! Other advantages include free calling between users on the same network and making low-cost calls. Reduce your long-distance costs, save money on fixed telephony services, and get greater flexibility with a business VoIP package.
Benefits of Business VoIP
- Cheaper Line Rentals
Cut the cord (and the fee that comes with it), because with business VoIP you use your internet line to make and receive calls for your business. Plus, it’s normal to get services like caller ID, hunting facility, and voicemail for FREE!
- Flexible Buiness VoIP Packages
Most business VoIP service providers have competitive calling plans: From low per-second fees to bundled minutes and even unlimited calling plans. Most businesses stand to save a whopping 45% on their bills when compared to standard Telkom rates!
- Portability & Location Independence
With business VoIP, your number goes where you go – as long as you have an internet connection, you can be online making and receiving calls. And business VoIP is awesome for remote workers too!
- Endless Connection Opportunities
Business VoIP makes communicating from anywhere possible, from whatever device you have available. Whether it’s old(er) business telephone systems, a hosted PABX system, VoIP desk phone, mobile app, or PC Softphone – VoIP is for everyone!
- Automatic Fail-over & Backup
Since VoIP doesn’t require physical phone lines, your VoIP service provider should be able to automatically redirect calls to any external number (like your mobile phone or another branch office) should there be any disruption at your physical office premises.
- Versatility with Integrations
Business VoIP truly paves the way for innovation in business communication. Plus, it delivers solutions for the reality of remote working! The technology is moving rapidly, and the eco-system is expanding to allow for integration and information exchange between other non-telephony applications.
10 things to consider before taking the leap with business VoIP
1. Know if you are dealing with a licensed business VoIP network operator or reseller
In the VoIP South Africa market, just because someone is selling you something, doesn’t mean they own the network and are a licensed network operator. If you’re dealing with an agent or reseller, the VoIP package is usually on the terms of the company that owns and operates the network, not the reseller’s terms.
Read the terms thoroughly. VoIP quality is not regulated, so you can’t hold anyone to task for terms you’ve agreed to.
2. Check your existing contractual obligations
The last thing you want to do is sign a new contract with a business VoIP service provider, only to discover that you’re going to sit with double the costs! Some traditional ISDN PRI lines were signed on a 36-month term, so it’s worth the investigative effort.
Check your current contracts and obligations before signing a new contract with a difference VoIP Provider.
3. Ensure you have a good internet line for a successful VoIP connection
It’s great that you’re moving away from traditional fixed lines over to VoIP, but keep in mind that you need a good internet line to run VoIP. Most businesses share their internet line between other uses such as internet, email, etc., which can cause a bad voice connection.
Carefully plan how to set up your internet line so that voice takes priority over other traffic. You might also have to increase your line speed and data allowance so VoIP can run optimally.
4. Does your caller ID have to change frequently?
It is illegal to show a different caller ID to the one you own. Breaching the rules will put the operator at risk, and your business will be penalised. Therefore, it’s always best to play open cards with your VoIP service provider.
Tell your provider if you need to frequently change your caller ID and why, then they can guide you on what they can and can’t do under the current regulations.
5. Is your network secure enough?
Very few VoIP service providers (South Africa) will take responsibility beyond the device they deliver – within their network or a device they implement on-site. In other words, if someone hacks your phone system, your provider will hold you liable and you could be hundreds of thousands out of pocket.
Ensure your network has adequate security and protection to avoid any hacking occurrences.
6. Confirm if you can keep everything you have now?
It is imperative to understand that there might be gaps as you migrate to VoIP. For example, VoIP doesn’t play nice with older fax machines, alarm systems, or credit card machines. So, it’s best to make a list of all the functionality you currently use when engaging a new provider.
Compare all the functionality you currently use in your business and from your current VoIP service provider with the new provider.
7. Account for the many moving parts and points of failure of VoIP
VoIP Always Up & Always On, may be not always. Still, most providers will help you to build the right solution for your needs when you provide them with the relevant information about your needs and challenges.
Be clear on what service uptime your business demands, and what environmental issues you have previously experienced, such as cable theft, power outages, etc.
8. Will voice quality issues from time to time be an issue?
VoIP is reliant on the internet and the internet can be unforgiving. There are certain things you can control when it comes to your internet connection and there are others that you can’t. Work with your VoIP service provider to understand these limitations.
Ask what Service Level Agreement your provider has in place to restore services when there are issues within the network.
9. Fraudsters love VoIP
It is an unfortunate reality that business VoIP telephone systems and networks are ideal targets for fraudsters. In most cases, customers’ unsecure systems are hacked, leaving them to foot the bill with the network provider. Therefore, it’s imperative to have the necessary security measures in place.
Understand your VoIP service provider’s security, monitoring and anti-fraud processes.
10. Connecting emergency services may be an issue
VoIP services do not always provide reliable access to 112 (mobile emergency number) or 10177 (ambulance services), as traditional landlines do. Unlike fixed-line networks, VoIP operates over the internet and is location-independent, meaning emergency services may not automatically detect your location when you make a call.
Business VoIP users should ensure they have a backup communication method, such as a landline or mobile phone, for emergency situations. Additionally, some VoIP providers offer location registration features to improve emergency call routing—check with your provider to understand your options.
Confirm if your VoIP service provider has opened their network or systems for emergency calling. If not, you might have to implement an alternative emergency calling solution.
FAQabout VoIP in South Africa
What costs are involved in a VoIP package?
Work with your chosen provider to understand all the FIXED and VARIABLE costs involved in receiving the service for your business. Also ask what costs apply at the different stages of your partnership.
- Fixed costs are usually line rentals, subscriptions, hardware, and Service Level Agreements.
- Variable costs are usage-based or ad-hoc services, including any out-of-bundle charges.
- Start-up or setup costs relate to any service activation, installation and provisioning, training and hardware required for the service.
Note: If there are no setup or hardware costs, make sure you understand if you are liable for any of these costs at any stage of the partnership.
- Subscription costs are the anticipated costs for using the services.
Note: Understand what other costs may come into play and ensure that you agree to those costs upfront.
- Conclusion and Exit costs are any costs due at the end of the agreement term.
Note: Ask what happens and if there is a cancellation notice period or automatic renewal. Also ask what happens to the hardware, and if there are any fees for removing the equipment or infrastructure.
Having clarity and complete transparency on all costs will help you compare apples with apples and ensure you won’t get any unexpected surprises.
Can I keep my current phone number when switching VoIP service providers?
As of 7 March 2022, all numbers can be ported, including geographic numbers such as 010, 011, 021, 031, etc. and non-geographic numbers like 087, 0800, 0860, etc.
Always find out about the costs and conditions to move your phone numbers before starting the process – you do not want to land up with unnecessary costs.
Can I continue using my current telephone systems?
VoIP is a versatile technology that can connect to almost any telephone systems in the market.
Integrating VoIP can be done when the business telephone system supports IP/SIP trunks. However, if there is no native SIP trunk capability, your provider will most likely supply you with a VoIP gateway which connects to the traditional line ports (analogue/ISDN) on your phone system, which converts those analogue/digital transmissions to VoIP.
Make a list of all the functionality and services your business uses to ensure you are aware of any limitations of services which may not work over the VoIP service upfront (for example, faxing).
What internet line do I need for VoIP?
Since VoIP runs over the internet, you will need a good internet line to run it. Your quality may only be as good as your internet connection. Getting a separate internet line and network for VoIP is a great option, albeit costly.
If you intend on using your existing internet line, keep in mind that the internet line will be shared for other uses such as internet, email, etc.
The best approach is to:
- Have a discussion with your provider, weigh up the options, and consider the costs and risks involved
- Carefully plan how to set up your internet line so voice takes priority over other traffic
- Increase your line speed and data allowance so voice can run optimally, and
- Make a note of vital requirements such as line size, consistency, data usage, security, and quality monitoring.
Why is my provider pushing me to sign up for a specific calling plan?
If your provider is pushing you to sign up for a specific calling plan, find out why. If they don’t understand your current billing and usage, how can they recommend a new package?
Study your calling plan and monitor the regulations that often define the costs operators will charge to exchange calls between each other’s networks.
Make sure there are no catches, such as an irregularly low starting rate with an escalation or a limited offer you may not be aware of, enticing you to sign up. Ask them to explain all their calling plans.
Remember, VoIP service providers must make a fair margin to provide the level of service and support you expect from them and invest in their networks – so try to be fair.
How is the call quality of VoIP?
This is quite a difficult question to answer as there are many factors that could affect call quality, but you should still have the discussion with your provider. Ask them what they do (and what you can do) to ensure that calls on the network are of a high quality, controlled, and managed.
If you’re experiencing issues, start by identifying whether the issue is network-wide or isolated to your specific office.
A network-wide issue means it is on the provider’s network and affects all customers connected to their network. Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do about this, and that’s where your Service Level Agreement becomes important.
There is a measure for call quality called Mean Opinion Score or MOS rating, which rates a call on a scale of bad (1) to good (5). As a guideline, providers will be expected to maintain levels of between 3 and 5, with VoIP often averaging around 4.2.
If the issue is limited to your office, it is advisable to work with your IT provider and look at your internal network and internet connection to identify possible blockages.
How reliable is the VoIP service?
Reliability can be split into two parts, namely:
- Your provider’s reliability – What they do to deliver the levels of uptime and availability they state in their Service Level Agreement.
- Your office’s reliability – What measures you can put in place to ensure you can continue making and receiving calls under all circumstances (when your internet connection fails, power is interrupted, or your phone system fails).
What service and support can I expect from my VoIP service provider?
Most of the time, everything should work as expected, but when it doesn’t, you will realise the real difference between providers. A Service Level Agreement will give you a clear understanding of how you can expect to be supported.
It is extremely important to research various VoIP service providers before making your decision! Read past customer reviews and see what their customers say about them online, and don’t be shy to ask for references that you can contact.
- Network uptime and guarantees
Make sure you understand the network your VoIP service provider has built or manages. Ask what network redundancy and resiliency is in place, and what uptime guarantees there are? If these are important to you, then they will be important to the provider too.
- Network and device monitoring
Find out if your chosen provider monitors your connection and the hardware required. Will they know about connectivity issues before you do? And what happens in the case of faulty hardware? What will it take to restore services and who will pay for collection, delivery, and provisioning?
Other questions you may want to ask your provider include:
- What are your coverage hours?
- How can I contact support?
- How long will you take to respond to my request?
- How long will it take to resolve my issue?
- Is there a cost for support? When do costs apply?
- What happens if I am not happy with the level of support I receive?
What are the cancellation or renewal terms of my VoIP package?
Always read and understand the full service terms and conditions which will state the contract duration, renewal and cancellation terms.
You may want to place particular focus on notice periods, automatic renewal clauses, and fees associated with renewals and cancellation – especially when new equipment was provided at no direct cost to you at the start of the agreement.
