Business Phone Service in Portland, OR

How to Choose the Best Business VoIP Service Provider in Portland, OR

Most business VoIP providers in Portland, OR offer plans designed to accommodate businesses of all sizes. You could have a small company with only five lines, or a large corporation that uses thousands of extensions for multiple departments. There is a VoIP service that meets your business needs.

Still, having more than one provider from which to choose requires knowing how to choose what is best. The first thing you want to do is determine the type of telephone service your business needs. Answering questions such as the number of phone lines required and features used during the normal course of business are relevant to finding the best phone service provider.

If you plan to expand, you want a system that is scalable, whether you are adding a new location or increasing needs at your current one. Of course, you want to determine how much you can afford and whether you are receiving an introductory rate that expires in 6-12 months.

Next, you can use MyRatePlan to look at different offers from business VoIP providers in Portland, OR. Compare their services, prices and reputation for serving businesses in the area. Getting a good deal is great, but having a consistently working phone system is crucial to your business' success. A low rate is not good enough if the company does not have a positive track record for excellent customer service and being reliable.

What About Traditional Business Phone Service in Portland, OR?

Although VoIP has become very popular in Portland, OR, many businesses still use a traditional PSTN phone service. When this type of service is used, calls are transferred through a public switched telephone network, and the PSTN is accessible nationwide. The network for a traditional phone service is comprised of telephone lines, mobile networks, satellites and cables. The PSTN was actually the first phone network created, and it has been in use for almost 100 years.

The cost of making calls with a PSTN service is more expensive than VoIP because the infrastructure for the network requires expensive maintenance. Since the PSTN is analog, it's not very good at sending data over long distances.

Any time a call is made with a PSTN service, the data must stop at several points along the network, and the data must flow through equipment that is owned by several different companies, which can make calls made with the service significantly more expensive. Although many parts of the system have been converted to digital components, the last part of the PSTN network is analog.

Analog Phone System Use With a PBX in Portland, OR

A private branch exchange or PBX, is what most Portland, OR businesses use to route calls inside their own offices. The PBX permits multiple extensions, voicemail, call forwarding and other important features. On a PSTN, the user's premises or an off-site location can house the PBX. A PBX costs a lot of money to run, regardless of the location.

This is due to required hardware costs, an investment of at least $1000. The equipment then has to be installed, configured and maintained on a regular basis. These, of course, cost money in addition to the initial purchase price. You have the option to get your in-staff employees to be responsible for the equipment or hire a professional. Professionals are known to charge $100 per hour or more.

Any kind of updates or maintenance on a traditional PBX system in Portland, OR is going to be very expensive. Be advised that such a system may not be adequate for all your needs, as it only supports a limited number of phone lines. You will need to spend extra money if you need to add more extensions in the future as your business grows.

From time to time, a PBX system will breakdown, just like any other network made from electrical components. In order to repair the hardware, you'll need to be prepared to pay high fees and may even need to buy new hardware to replace it. This could present a potential financial obstacle for start-ups or slow-growing businesses.