Cheap VoIP Solutions for Small Business

There are literally hundreds of competing VoIP solutions for small business. It is a crowded and intensely competitive market. A basic system capable of servicing up to 20 users at a single location can cost as little as $1,000 excluding handsets, but there are even cheaper options.

High quality open source PBX software options such as: Asterisk, FreeSwitch and CallWeaver are effectively free. Most are available on Linux and run on commodity PC hardware.

It is great news for small businesses. Not only can they pick and choose between competing options to get the right solution for the right price, but they will also slash their call costs once the new systems are installed.

Another consequence of the intense competition in the VoIP phone systems market is the pace of improvement and enhancement, it is relentless. The latest generation of VoIP solutions for small business are far easier to install and manage than the systems they are replacing. They often provide features including: call routing, auto-attendant, IVR, presence ... and integrate with desktop applications including Outlook and CRM packages.

In view of these developments it should not be a surprise that sales of VoIP phone systems are exloding. According to In-Stat, shipments will increase from 19.1 million in 2006 to 37.8 in 2010. In the context of the total number of small and medium sized businesses these numbers are not quite so impressive. Evidently there are millions of businesses that have found an alternative to a premise based VoIP phone system.

VoIP solutions for small business do not have to be premised based. A hosted or virtual VoIP phone service is an increasingly attractive option for small business operators. Not only do they provide all the features of a premise based system, but they are also comparable in cost.

There is no up-front equipment or software cost and call charges are typically cheaper than individual small businesses can negotiate. By using a service such as provided by RingCentral, Nextiva or Packet8, they can tap into the economies of a shared VoIP service and their bulk buying power in securing SIP trunking services at a discount.

In addition to cost, another reason why Virtual PBX solutions are attractive for small business is their flexibility. Services can be easily scaled up or down to meet changing business circumstances.

Taken together these features make a hosted or virtual phone service a credible alternative to free PBX software.

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