If you?ve already invested in VoIP for your business or plan on doing so in the near future, you are probably going to want to stay on top of emerging information about security threats related to VoIP. You certainly don?t want to put your business at risk by using VoIP without understanding the security threats, threats which stem from companies using unsecured VoIP systems.
Research and Markets has recently added VoIP security to the list of topics that they cover. As with all of the reports put out by this group, you have to pay some money to find out what they?ve discovered. But the money might be worth it if you save yourself security risks when using VoIP.
Specific topics that are covered in the recent report put out by R&M include:
? The importance of VoIP security
? VoIP in the business
? How to address VoIP security
? The risk to corporate data systems
If you want to learn more about VoIP security risks without having to foot the bill or this report, another great resource is the VoIP Security Alliance which is involved in all levels of VoIP security from spreading information to encouraging new research in the area.
In general, if you aren?t sure about how secure your VoIP system is, you?ll want to learn more about this topic soon. VoIP can be a great way to streamline your business and reduce some of your costs but you don?t want to do it at the risk of business security issues.
Although it?s getting a lot of attention lately, VoIP is still a new technology and therefore it?s hard to determine whether it?s worth employing by your business. While VoIP tends to be good for large businesses, smaller business are finding that it might be best for them to hold off a bit until some of the kinks get worked out and the costs associated with VoIP go down.
If you?re thinking about getting VoIP set up for your business, you should consider some of the major concerns that are brought up by other business owners. Three big concerns are:
? Cost ? The overall cost of VoIP may be more expensive than the money saved by switching to VoIP. If your business only conducts a moderate amount of long distance calling and has a good plan, you might be better off keeping that plan. Additionally, cost is affected by the ISP provider that you?re using for VoIP. VoIP lets you pay by the minute, call or line depending on the provider. Per-minute calls can get quite expensive for some businesses.
? Installation issues ? If your business is already set up on a WAN or LAN network, VoIP installation may be easy. If this isn?t the case, you might find that installation isn?t worth the time and money expenses at the current time. You?ll need certain equipment (the right phones, the right computer connections) to make VoIP work for your business.
? Training and Tech Support ? Many small businesses don?t have the IT help necessary to handle problems that arise with VoIP. This means that they have to rely on the provider?s tech support which can be inconvenient and pricey.
Many businesses are able to incorporate VoIP with ease and are pleased with the results. However, there are definite concerns for smaller businesses that should be considered before you make the switch. After all, the purpose of VoIP is to make your business calls cheaper and easier, not to cause a headache for your company!
What do you think; should small businesses use VoIP or stick to other calling plans for the time being?
Are you tired of paying the monthly phone bill that your business racks up? Wouldn?t it be nice to pay one fee just to buy your phone and then never have to pay for calls again? Sounds like a dream, but it?s effectively possible with the new Ooma calling device. Ooma is a company interested in switching phone calls from being service-oriented to being device-oriented. This means that you just buy the device and then the calls that you make using it are free.
How Ooma works:
? You purchase the Ooma box for your main line. It costs approximately $400. (You will get a second phone connection for free; you?ll need a minibox for additional phones at the office. This costs approximately $40 per box.)
? You hook the Ooma box up to your broadband modem and your landline telephone.
? You pick up your phone and dial. There is no charge for any calls that are located within the United States.
? It?s that simple. You can also get voicemail service with Ooma and that service is stored online so you can access voice messages from anywhere.
Why is it free?
Ooma is trying to promote a device-oriented service. On the company?s end, it works by connecting your box to an Ooma box to the city that you?re calling so that the call itself isn?t actually a long-distance call no matter where you are.
Is Ooma right for your business?
Ooma is probably a good choice for your business if:
? You have a small number of employees, or at least a small number of phones since you?ll have to put a box at each phone that you want to use.
? You don?t make international business calls but you do a lot of calling throughout the United States. (You can purchase low cost international minutes with Ooma if you make occasional international calls.)
? Your business makes use of a limited number of phone features through your existing phone provider. Ooma is given the right to change some of your features, so if your business uses extensive phone conferencing and other tools, you should get some questions answered by the company before signing up.
Ooma is a brand-new device that is about to be launched in September. The company is taking pre-orders at the current time. (See Press Release for details.)
If you?ve started to look into VoIP for your business, you?ve probably already noticed that your choices for service are limited. VoIP is a fairly new technology and it?s just beginning to enter the business sector after some success in the residential sector. Most people who use VoIP are individual consumers who get VoIP as part of bundle packages offered by their ISP or cable provider. But these companies are beginning to look at what they can do for your business so the choices for business VoIP are beginning to open up.
Here are some of the companies that small businesses are using for VoIP:
? Sprint Pivot ? Of the big name companies that are offering VoIP in addition to other phone services, Sprint is the one that is currently catering to businesses. This is a bundled service which still has many features that are best for residential customers but the company appears to be making the switch for its business customers so it?s worth keeping an eye on them.
? Packet8 ? Packet8 is a company that uses a virtual host system for its VoIP service. This means that you don?t need to worry about the costs of on-site installation for your business, allowing you to get VoIP services through them with a low start up cost.
? Vocalocity ? If you feel like you need to get VoIP set up ASAP, Vocalocity is your best bet since it takes ?only minutes? to set up according to their advertisements. The company
? MailStreet Voice ? This is a company that is primarily known for its email services. This is a benefit in the VoIP arena because the company offers the unique feature of a web-based management system that is above average. This allows you to use your VoIP system from multiple locations without a lot of hassle.
? Pandora?s WorkSmart ? WorkSmart is the VoIP program offered by Pandora, a company with full service features including multi-media conferencing capabilities and other tools specifically for business customers. If you?re seeking a whole system for VoIP, this might be the right company to consider.
Most businesses that are choosing to get VoIP services are selecting one of the online companies that provide VoIP across the nation. However, as businesses like Sprint begin to offer local service for VoIP customers, the switch to these providers may be made. VoIP Review can help you search for the business VoIP providers in your area with attention to the particular features that you are seeking.
Which VoIP provider do you favor?
The idea of VoIP is appealing for businesses. After all, you can route your calls through your computer to make calling more convenient and to lower your costs. But you might have recently discovered that VoIP isn?t right for your business because the cost saved isn?t worth the installation and set-up associated with getting ready to use VoIP. If that?s the case, you might want to think about making use of some of the free calling programs that are available through the Internet.
? iCall ? This works for businesses that are making domestic calls, rather than long-distance calls. It?s free to call these numbers and you can place calls to any local phone number. Of course, if you do long-distance business, this might not be for you.
?Jajah ? This company lets you make free calls to anyone in the world as long as they also have a Jajah account. This is a great option for businesses which have multiple locations across the world because you can set up all of the locations with Jajah accounts and then there are no fees for those internal calls. The drawback here is that you have to actually place the call through the Jajah website so there?s some time delay; if you need to save time on calls then this isn?t the way to go.
?PhoneGnome ? This is a company that offers multiple plans and calling methods so it?s good for the business that is interested in trying out a variety of options to see which ones are right. They have a VoIP-like system option so you can effectively test VoIP out through them.
?T-mobile Hot Spot ? If T-mobile happens to be your business phone provider, you can ask the company about getting a Wi-Fi router that allows you to make unlimited calls for a low monthly fee. This works best for small businesses that have all employees in one location.
?Yahoo! Messenger ? If you?re a Yahoo! Messenger user and the other people you?re working with are as well, you can use the system along with a headset to make free calls through the Internet.
Of course, none of these systems offers the same things that are offered by VoIP. But if you?re looking for a way to reduce your business calling costs and aren?t yet ready to make the leap to VoIP, these companies provide alternatives that might work for you.
