Game On! Hosted vs. Installed VoIP! Which One Works Better for your Business?

Voice over IP, has become the new standard when it comes to your business voice communications. Once you have decided to make the switch to VoIP, you now have another decision to make. Are you going to choose to have a hosted VoIP network or an Installed VoIP network and how do you choose which option is best for your business.

First, in case you aren’t familiar with VoIP and may be in the market for a change, VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is a set of facilities used to deliver and manage all voice information over the internet. This includes features such as call management, messaging, monitoring, conferencing and more!

Depending on your bandwidth speed and your current voice tracking patterns, either solution may require a faster and more reliable connection. There are pros and cons to both having either an installed VoIP network or a hosted network, and that is typically based off of the size of your business and if you currently have in-house IT expertise available to you.  On average, smaller businesses will choose to go with hosted and larger companies will choose to have it installed. An installed VoIP system is installed on your local network.  Installed VoIP runs on your current infrastructure so you and your IT staff are responsible for installing the VoIP system and upgrading any routers that support the phone system. With hosted VoIP there is typically no need to upgrade your router due to the fact that the “voice getaway” is part of your hosted provider. Installed VoIP, does require in-house resources to maintain your solution, whereas hosted does not require that.

Another thing to consider when choosing to invest in an installed VoIP or a hosted solution can come down to your company budget. An installed solution requires the initial purchasing fee for the hardware as well as any additional fees such as installation and consulting from your provider. For your hosted solution you are charged monthly for your system. Depending on how many users throughout your company you have will determine your overall cost of your phone solution.

There is no right or wrong answer when choosing whether your company is better off with a hosted or an installed solution, but there are advantages and disadvantages to both. For more information contact AeroCom to learn more about VoIP and receive the best quotes from your preferred telecommunication providers.