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SIP phone systems require less space, reduce maintenance costs, and offer a variety of innovative call management features. As these services have begun to make headway, many small to mid-sized businesses have been encouraged to move away from PSTN. In particular, the call center has become a lead arena for traditional phone system replacement. With tons of reasons why users should choose SIP phones, one question had been overlooked: How should businesses decide which system to chose?

For small to midsized businesses, here are a few factors that must be considered when choosing an SIP product:

Cost

An SIP system is an inexpensive way for businesses to conduct daily operations, as it is an affordable system to implement and maintain. It eliminates the need for multiple vendors, as anything from calling to faxing can done with a single hosted system in place, making it a long-term investment. It is also drastically cheaper for a business to expand, as it does not require the purchase of physical equipment, rather another line is added in the virtual space. 

Sound Quality

With the creation of Voice Peering Fabric (VPF), the landscape of the telecom industry has changed even more drastically by moving all telephone calls into the IP domain, which delivers higher quality audio experiences than PSTN and makes high-definition (HD) voice possible at a lesser cost. SIP phone providers now offer a noise reduction function that allows users to operate smooth business ventures over the phone without background noises causing distraction.

Additional Features

SIP phone systems usually come with an array of features, so it is important to pay close attention to what provider offers you the most for your money. Here are some additional features that can be included: call conferencing, call forwarding, voice portal calling, music for hold time, customized ring backs, an auto-attendant and voicemail to e-mail.

BYOD Support

Due to recent advances in technologies like VoIP and mobile technology, the ‘bring your own device trend’ (BYOD) has begun to make headway in the industry. With more and more users working from their mobile devices, it has become very important for businesses to choose SIP phone systems that support this trend. Thus, make sure your SIP provider has a mobile device management solution for users that will be using their mobile devices for work-related functions, as sensitive information must be protected.