Navigating the Cloud: Best Practices & Successes

If you are ever looking for an Indiana VoIP provider that provides a hosted VoIP PBX Solutions make sure that they address the issue of QOS (Quality of Service) over the WAN circuit that delivers Internet Service.  The Internet WAN circuit needs to be a dedicated circuit to the location of the VoIP switch so QOS can be set up point to point.   Many VoIP Service Providers will position that their hosted managed solution can work over any broadband Internet connection.  The hosted voice solution will work most of the time, but there will also be some troublesome times when it flat out does not work at all.  This has to do with QOS.  The voice call is very delay sensitive and when there is too much delay voice quality suffers with dropped packets and garbled messages.  The voice call is contending with downloads (ftp sessions, streaming videos).  if there is no priority given of voice over other applications there is no way that voice packets are delivered on time.   This is especially troublesome for customers who are looking for small business Server hosting or managed servers hosting because in most cases they don't have IT & telecom staff with the expertise to know how to set up QOS or why QOS matters.   The small business customers are many times subject to a bait and switch tactic to get the deal for voice with a long term goal of getting the broadband circuit business.  The VoIP service provider will set the hosted voice solution at a low cost per seat versus current service which will attract the customer to sign a contract usually for several years at what appears to be a lower cost of service.  But usually after a few months of being frustrated with the occasional voice problems the customer will switch from their broadband Internet provider to a dedicated circuit to the VoIP Service Provider they contracted service with.  This will usually be at a premium.   It's best work work with VoIP service providers who address the QOS issue up front and are honest with the customers.