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How to choose the best Hosted VOIP PBX Service Provider

Communication contributes largely to the success of any business enterprise. So choosing the best Hosted VOIP PBX service provider is a significant task greatly affecting your business relations. The range of services and features are nearly the same as those of an on-premise PBX system but the cost and hassles of installing, maintaining and upgrading rest with the service provider. The telecommunication world is flooded with plenty of IP PBX hosted service providers offering attractive features and latest add-ons at very competitive prices. So before taking the plunge, here are a few important facts to be ensured about.

Quality of Service (QoS) – Make sure the voice quality is business class. There should be no jitter, echoes or any other kind of disruption. The internet connection should be really good with multiple backups so that there is no possibility of dropped calls. Be certain to know that during peak hours the voice packets are given higher priority than other data packets to have smooth business communication.

Hassle free, Maintenance free- The services and functions of Hosted business IP PBX providers are similar to an on-premise PBX sans the cost of buying and maintaining the expensive equipments. There is no installing investment hence the total cost of ownership is reduced. There is no need for an expert staff to monitor and upgrade the system as per the business requirements.

Cost effective- Many VOIP PBX hosted service providers offer very cheap call rates and attractive monthly plans to choose from. Choose a service provider who offers free international calls or lets you choose a desired area code to cut down charges on long distance calling. You can save up o 50% on your monthly phone charges by choosing the right Hosted IP PBX provider.

Advanced Telecommunication features- Make sure your Hosted VOIP PBX service provider offers these advanced, cutting edge features to highlight your business image and impress your callers like:

Auto Attendant- This gives your business a professional image by routing calls to the right destinations.
Multiple user connectivity- You can connect any number of offices, branches and international extensions as one unit and transfer calls anywhere.
Remote employee support- For business enterprises having many mobile employees it gives a collaborative platform to enable workers to connect from anywhere in real time, to greatly enhance productivity.
Virtual offices- You can set up a virtual business presence wherever you go and sound large to clients to get more prospects. Now wherever you go, your telecommunication features and services go with you.
Toll-free numbers- Many IP-PBX providers allow you to have toll-free numbers and local phone numbers with anywhere connectivity.

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Array of Standard Features- Be sure to keep an eye out for these standard calling features to increase business productivity:

Caller ID
Call forwarding
Conference calling
Call transfer
Speed dial
Music on hold
3 way calling
Voicemail
Fax mail
Call queues

Easy expansion- For small and growing business enterprises, expanding and contracting are done easily by simply adding or removing phone lines. Be sure to ask your service provider for this scalability and ease of configuration to cater to your business’s growing needs. Portability, simplified installation and ease of expansion are some of the features to look out for.

Special Features- Choosing the right business VOIP PBX hosted service provider is a formidable for any business enterprise. There are some special features to add to your flourishing business image. Be sure to ask for these:

Advanced ACD- To increase caller satisfaction this is a wonderful feature that routes a call to the person who can handle it best.
Voicemail transcription- This feature converts your Voicemail messages to text files like docs or pdfs as specified by the client.
Play customized messages to clients- The callers can me made to hear customized messages while on hold and can be told of latest offers and promotions to increase customer retention.
Send call directly to voicemail- All unanswered calls can directly be sent to your voicemail and can be retrieved later so that you never miss out on an important business call.
Call recording- Business calls can be recorded for legal and security purposes, and to resolve disputes to greatly benefit your business relations.

Customer Support- Choose a Hosted VOIP PBX service provider that has real time, 24 X 7 customer support to handle your problems in real time. You want a customer service that is available round the clock, so that if you face a crisis in the middle of the night, there is someone at your back to fix it. Test their customer services by mailing them or calling them in the middle of the night or get reviews from experienced users.

Security- For any business enterprise security of calls is a critical and deciding factor while going for a Hosted IP PBX provider because all your communication data is stored at you service provider’s data base. Make sure your service provider uses latest firewalls and on-line security measures and best encryption tools to safeguard your data by multiple backup and regular monitoring in real time.

As the needs and requirements vary from business to business, so is the decision while choosing the best Hosted VOIP PBX service provider. Choose the best VOIP PBX provider having a stable ISP by testing their services or by getting a free trial. Try to get reviews and feedbacks from experienced user or check online. You can get a business VOIP PBX hosted service providers like The Real PBX, which offer a feature rich, technologically advanced and legitimate business-class telecommunication system to cater to your business’s ever changing needs and give you a competitive edge.