Before you can calculate the Return on investment (ROI) on a Hosted VoIP phone system, you must first identify and quantify all of the costs and benefits. Some of the cost and benefits are easy to quantify such as the decrease in your expected monthly phone bill or the decrease in telecom equipment costs. Other savings/benefits are much more difficult to quantify and may involve a judgment call.

For example, the increase in customer satisfaction achieved by having a telephone system that allows you to route incoming customer calls to the exact location in your organization without requiring human intervention or the benefit of being able to seamlessly integrate home based workers into your telecommunications system are examples of benefits of a Hosted VoIP system that require a judgment call when determining value.

VoIP-News has a "Checklist: Adding Up the Return on IP Telephony Investment" that explains the Costs & Benefits of and investment in IP Telephony.

Why is it that some businesses have passed on the opportunity to implement Voice over IP (VoIP) even though VoIP has been proven to be able to deliver significant benefits to the organization. Many businesses have sited fears of potential unforeseen implementation costs, quality issues or possibly putting their network at increased risk.

Research has shown that many companies, both large and small are uncertain about the benefits to their organization that a VoIP telephone system offers. 55 percent of North American and European companies reported that they did not understand the value that a unified communications solution can deliver to their organization.

Many individuals in the position to make or influence the telecommunications decision do not fully understand the benefits a Voice over IP telephone system can have for their organization. These individuals generally understand how VoIP works, the improvement in ROI, and some of the features made available by VoIP. But, unless truly embrace how VoIP enables Unified Communications and think through all the possibilities a VoIP system brings to the organization, they are unlikely to implement VoIP.

Even though, VoIP companies are fairly new as compared to the traditional telephone companies, many of these newer VoIP companies are not effectively making the case for VoIP to their clients. The biggest mistake these new companies make when discussing the benefits of VoIP is the cost savings over their current telecommunications solution. I call this the “Vonage syndrome”. While cost is important, it should not be the primary selling point. In fact, existing telecom companies are still competing with and winning new deals against VoIP providers. It is the IP PBX features and functions that a VoIP telephone system brings that set VoIP apart from traditional PBX systems.

Business VoIP vendors must first educate their customers as to why VoIP makes sense for their business, AVAD Technologies offers affordable business VoIP solutions specifically designed for small to medium-sized businesses. With AVAD Technologies, all the essential business VoIP features, such as PBX, Auto-Attendant, Hunt Group,Voice mail, Call Forwarding and find me/follow me, are included in its business VoIP packages.

When speaking with a perspective client, it is important to stress that VoIP technology has dramatically improved, especially call quality and reliability. More importantly, VoIP companies must stress how VoIP technology can be used to help the customer improve customer service and efficiency. At AVAD Technology, our sales people are put through training exercises where they are not allowed to use VoIP cost savings as a sales point. This has really forced them to think about the real reason VoIP a customer should adopt VoIP technology.

Forrester (News - Alert) Research has determined that mobility is a top priority for companies in 2008, with 64 percent of respondents citing it as a priority and 23 percent calling it a critical priority. In order to continue to increase mobility and extend to companies the functionality they want to be efficient and productive, a move toward business VoIP makes sense. If you notice, cost savings was not in the top 2 reasons.

Companies such as AVAD Technologies, which focus on delivering business VoIP to the enterprise, design products and support options that ensure that the needs of the business are met in a single solution. In doing so, the company helps to promote greater adoption and satisfaction.

If your primary motivation is to reduce your telephone expense, this article is not for you.

On the other hand, if you want to learn about the factors that should be evaluated when selecting a Hosted VoIP Provider for your small business, then you should continue reading the rest of this article.

Hosted VoIP Provider - Its not only about price

Price is only one of many factors that should be evaluated when selecting a Hosted VoIP Provider. When you consider that your company's phone system is the primary means by which employees and customers, communicate with your company, then choosing a phone system solely on the basis of price is short sighted at best.

Any savings in the short term will pale in significance to the loss of revenue from a decline in productivity and customer satisfaction. How many times have you called a company after doing research on their product and hung up the phone in frustration because either you were not able to reach a person who could help you or were placed on hold by either a receptionist or an automated system. What a waste.

This scenario happens all the time, and many times the phone system is the culprit.

This is why you should consider the PBX Features and the Calling Plans the Hosted VoIP Provider offers and how you can use those features to enhance your business's objectives.

For example, if your current phone expense is $1,000.00 a month, the most you could possibly save is $1,000.00. Assuming that you were able to get your phone service for free, which is unlikely. That is it, you can't save any more than 100%. While reducing expenses is important, in order to succeed in the long run, a company must increase revenue and the phone system must be able to support your business objectives.

Can my phone system support my Business Objectives?

As a business owner or manager, you should be asking the following fundamental question about your phone system: does it have the capability to support your current/and future/business objectives?

Specific questions include;

1. Can the system Improve productivity?

For example, can your current phone system incorporate remote locations and home based employees? Or, is each location on a separate system?

2. Is your company's phone system unified?

Having to tell a caller to hang up and dial another location in your company is frustrating at best. At worst, it could cause you to loose a potential customer.

3. Can the phone system support your customer support requirements?

Can employees and customers reach your critical departments 24/7 even if no one is physically at the office?

Can the phone system automatically route calls to the proper department regardless of geographic location?

4. Will the VoIP Provider work with you to customize the system?

The VoIP Provider is extremely important. The VoIP Provider should provide 24/7 support and monitoring of your VoIP phone system. The VoIP Provider should also provide training to your employees both during the initial installation as well as future training of new employees.

As you can see, price while important, is not the primary consideration when choosing your next business telephone system. These are just some of the questions that must be considered when choosing a Hosted VoIP Provider.

The following article discusses the key criteria: "Selecting a Small Business PBX Hosted VoIP Provider"

Hosted VoIP PBX phone systems enhance small business telecommunications

Hosted (VoIP) Voice over IP phone systems gives companies of any size a state-of-the-art telecommunications system that has low a initial investment and provides Advanced PBX features and Voice over IP Calling Features.

Benefits of a Hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) PBX - Pay-as-you-grow

Pay-as-you-grow means that you only pay for the Voice over IP services your business currently uses. A traditional PBX phone system requires you to purchase the telephone equipment that is based on your organizations future growth plans, not on what you need today. The upfront expense is what has forced many small business to settle for a phone system that does not really meet their corporate objectives. Any changes to a traditional system usually requires an additional investment in telecommunications equipment.

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

Traditional phone systems have high initial upfront costs because they require the purchase of a system based on your companies future growth projections. Without sacrificing any functionality. Hosted VoIP phone service gives you all the functionality you need from day one. As your company continues to grow, you can add additional users and services. You can never out grow a Business VoIP telephone system.

Expect a High Level of Support and Training

Most, at least the good VoIP Providers, offer ongoing support and training at no additional monthly charge. Avoid VoIP Providers that charge for modifications to your telecommunications system. These modifications known as “Move’s, Add’s & Changes”, tend to increase as the size of your company increases, and can add significantly to your overall telecommunications expense.

Look Professional Regardless of Your Actual Location

Hosted VoIP enables instant one-number access regardless of your physical location. Route incoming calls to your primary business telephone number and to any other phone numbers including mobile telephone numbers, home office numbers or number where you will be working. Callers will be unaware that you are not at your primary office location.

Hosted VoIP Will Improve Customer Satisfaction

Maximize customer satisfaction as incoming call to your organization are automatically routed the the appropriate location or department. You can even set up temporary numbers to ring at selected locations if you are running a season ad. You can also redistribute inbound calls from busy offices towards less busy offices.

Follow the sun is a technique that allows business owners to reduce overtime by utilizing employees in different time zones. For example, a technical support department can start the day on eastern standard time and hand or that function to a different group of employees working in pacific standard time. We have seen corporations take this concept to an extreme by housing entire departments in countries such as India.

Present a More professional Corporate Appearance

Impress customers and empower staff with state-of-the-art telephones. Sleek, telephones designed for the business professional. Connect all Office Locations, Including Home Based Employees.

A percentage of the nations small and medium-sized businesses are reluctant to dive into Voice over IP Telecommunications (VoIP) because of concerns about cost and performance according to a new survey released today

Half of those surveyed said they had not yet deployed a Voice over IP telephone system. The primary reason cited was the belief that VoIP service is not as reliable as traditional telephone service and that call quality was also less that traditional telephone service especially when running a VoIP phone system over a broadband connection.

However, 95 per cent of the respondents that have not adopted VoIP said they will consider Voice over IP when their current system needs to be replaced or for future expansion purposes.

The biggest road block to wider adoption of Voice over IP is the industry needs to educate the small and medium sized corporations show that business-grade VoIP is both reliable and has the functionality this market segment requires.

In the current economic climate, all businesses are looking for cost-effective telecommunications solutions. It is up to the Business VoIP Service Provider to educate this segment of the market.

Posted By: AVAD Technologies, VoIP Provider, Small Business Editor on 2009-09-18

AVAD® Hosted VoIP Receptionist Console is a carrier-class, software-based Receptionist Console for use by receptionists who manage inbound calls for small, medium and large enterprises, as well as departments and groups within the enterprise.receptionist-console.

With this product, a single receptionist can answer calls for employees in multiple locations.  The AVAD Hosted VoIP Receptionist Console can easily be transferred from one person to the other on a moments notice.  The receptionist can even be a home based employee.

For a complete description of the product including a short video, Press Here

Posted By: AVAD Technologies, VoIP Provider, Small Business Editor on 2009-06-05

Prior to the introduction of Hosted VoIP PBX, businesses had few choices and were paying too much for phone service. In addition, many businesses were also not convinced that a VoIP system would perform reliably," stated Neal Gilbert of AVAD Technologies. "VoIP technology has matured to the point that allows us to deliver a comprehensive package of Hosted VoIP PBX features at a price even small businesses can afford.

Studies have shown that many business owners are not aware of the capabilities of a Business VoIP phone system. The study also revealed that many small and medium sized companies believed a VoIP telecommunications system would be too costly to purchase and mantain.

Nothing could be further from the truth said Gilbert. AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX phone system offers a feature rich package of VoIP Calling features without the need to purchase telecommunications hardware other than IP phone sets. AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX allows businesses to choose only the VoIP PBX services they need.As your business grows you can easily add additional services. Upgrading your system is easy and does not require additional telecommunications hardware.

Multi-Location Hosted VoIP PBX

Creating a multi-location system is also a snap. With AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP phone system, businesses easily add remote office locations, virtual phone numbers, including home office users.

AVAD Technologies, Hosted VoIP Provider

AVAD Technologies provides integrated, Voice and Data services to the small business market.

AVAD Technologies is located in New York, NY. For more information please visit www.AvadTechnologies.com or call (800) 733-4136 to speak with a Business VoIP Specialist.

Prior to Hosted VoIP, businesses rarely had more than one option for phone service, the local phone company. This lack of competition had a two fold effect. First, businesses paid too much for phone service. Second, customer service suffered.

Many business owners are not convinced that a Hosted VoIP PBX phone system can perform reliably. VoIP technology has matured to the point that allows us to deliver a comprehensive and reliable solution of Hosted VoIP PBX features at a price even a small business can afford.

Hosted VoIP PBX is Within Reach of Small Businesses

Studies have shown that managers at many small and medium businesses are unaware of the capabilities and reliability of a Hosted VoIP PBX phone system. The study also revealed that many small and medium businesses believe a Hosted VoIP PBX system would cost too much to purchase and manage.

Nothing could be further from the truth said Neal Gilbert. AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX offers a feature rich package of Hosted PBX features without the need to purchase telecommunications hardware. AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX allows businesses to purchase the services they actually need. Installing, upgrading and maintaining a Hosted VoIP PBX does not require additional telecommunications hardware or cost.

Using AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX to create a multi-location PBX system is not difficult said Gilbert. With AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX, businesses can easily add additional geographic locations to their system, including home office users in any location that has a high speed connection.

Given current economic conditions, many companies are offering telecommuting as an option to their employees. With AVAD Technologies Hosted VoIP PBX phone system, home based employees can be on the same phone system as those located at your company’s primary location. This is a powerful trend that is going to continue and increase for the foreseeable future Gilbert predicted.

About AVAD Technologies

AVAD Technologies is a Hosted VoIP Provider of integrated PBX and data services to the small and medium business market. AVAD Technologies solutions include Hosted VoIP and Business Broadband. This set of managed services supplies customers with scalable, high performing technology tools and infrastructure that optimizes business processes and Internet operations.

AVAD Technologies is headquartered in New York City with locations nationwide. For more information please visit www.AvadTechnologies.com or call (800) 733-4136

The easiest installation you will ever experience - Period

No Telecommunications Hardware to Purchase

The installation of AVAD’s Hosted IP PBX telephone service is significantly easier and less expensive than installing a traditional PBX telephone system. Other than the individual IP phone sets; there is no other telecom hardware to purchase or install.

When the IP Phones arrive, simply unpack, place phones at each work station and connect to your network using the supplied Ethernet cable. The IP phones arrive at your location fully operational.

Setting up remote locations and virtual offices is no different than setting up your main office. Once a remote office location IP phone is connected to the internet, it is fully functional and automatically part of

Use Your Existing In-Place Network Wiring

There are no additional network wires to run as you can use your existing network cabling. The AVAD IP PBX phone system does not require the purchase of additional telecom hardware with the exception of the IP phones. Simply connect an existing Ethernet cable (from your network) into the back of the IP phone and connect another Ethernet cable (from a jack located on the back of the phone) to your workstation, plug in the power supply and your phone is ready to go.

Installation of AVAD’s IP PBX can take as little as 2 weeks from the time you place your order.Retain existing phone numbers Retain your existing telephone numbers or get new local numbers, the choice is yours.

Your company can also keep its existing extension number scheme of adopt an entirely new one. You can have a up to 7 digits in your extension number scheme. Many customers use this opportunity to reorganize their extension number system.Manage your entire phone from any location

AVAD’s Hosted VoIP PBX makes it easy to centrally manage your entire phone system for all your office locations. In most cases, we can add any IP PBX feature to your phone system the very next day. Adding/moving or changing the phone's user is a simple process that you can do, or call our support line and one of our technicians will do it for you at no charge.