Business Phone Service in Clearwater, FL

Selecting The Best Business Phone Service Provider in Clearwater, FL

The VoIP industry is highly competitive. Although the broad menu of choices may seem overwhelming to you at times, it is possible to leverage the competitive nature of the market to your benefit.

The initial step for narrowing down your choice is determining exactly what your needs are. It is important to know the exact number of lines you will need and what features you need to make your business run smoothly on a daily basis. Your budget will also come into play so you'll need to know exactly what you can afford. Also, be mindful of your plans for future expansion and what phone services you will need when that expansion is completed.

Information about Clearwater, FL VoIP providers is readily available. Take the time to research their prices and the services that they offer. Get a feel for their reputation also. Keep in mind that your phone system is the heart of your company's communication infrastructure and that that infrastructure is only as good as the company you choose. You want to go with a company that has proven to be highly reliable and service-oriented.

How Traditional Business Phone Service Works in Clearwater, FL

For the record, some Clearwater, FL businesses still use traditional business phone service. It might be because they are comfortable with the service; others simply might not know that there are reliable alternative plans.

With the traditional phone service, business calls are carried over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Used nationwide, the PSTN system uses telephone lines, cables, satellites and mobile networks to route calls to the proper place. For more than 100, PSTN has been used for calls.

Currently, PSTN is more expensive than VoIP in Clearwater, FL. This is primarily due to the level of maintenance required to keep an old and very large network functioning properly. Additionally, it is difficult to send data over the PSTN long distances because it is an analog system.

Most of the infrastructure required to not only carry, but to also switch and route calls is fully digital. However, there is still an analog connection between the customer and the local central office.

Generally, making long distance calls over the PSTN requires several stops along the wired way. This occurs while data is being transmitted through equipment that is typically owned by different companies. Because of this, your long distance calls become very expensive to make.

The Cost of Using A PBX With Analog Phone Systems in Clearwater, FL

Many businesses in Clearwater, FL will use a PBX, which is known as a private branch exchange. The PBX is used to route calls through their office, and the PBX allows for a variety of useful call features. Some of the top features are voicemail, conference calls, multiple extensions and call forwarding.

The PBX for a traditional phone system can be located locally, or it can be hosted remotely. The major drawback of the PBX solution is the cost, which is much more expensive than VoIP. A variety of costly hardware components are needed to get started with a complete business phone system. The ongoing maintenance for the components is also expensive and can suffer frequent failures.

If you're planning to use a traditional PBX for your business in Clearwater, FL, then it's important to know the cost of expanding or upgrading the system. PBX systems are known to support a limited number of lines, and they can cost a lot of money to upgrade. There is also the risk that the PBX system will need to be replaced or become obsolete. These are all factors that business owners must consider before choosing a business phone service. Fortunately, MyRatePlan makes it easy to compare prices for different providers and discover the best deals.