Vonage Business Services offers your company a chance to take advantage of the benefits of VoIP calling. With Vonage small business phone plans, you can make and receive calls through your company’s broadband connection.

Getting an overview of Vonage small business services for beginners can help you compare the service to your current company call plan. Many business owners find that Vonage is less expensive and more convenient than other phone services.

1. Find out how Vonage for small business will work. If you are unfamiliar with Vonage and VoIP calling you will want to understand the basics of the system.

2. Look at the different Vonage for business services. Vonage small business phone services include different plans that give you unlimited usage of local and long distance calling.

3. Consider additional Vonage features for small business companies. A sampling of inclusions with Vonage small business phone systems is 25 calling features, free fax line and unlimited calls.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand how Vonage broadband small business service works

If you have never used Vonage or VoIP calling services then you may have numerous questions about how it works. VoIP calls work through your broadband connection and do not tie up your broadband line while in use. You will not to use phone lines in order to make calls through Vonage business services.

I recommend: The Vonage Forum is a helpful spot for beginners that are at a lost when it comes to VoIP Vonage for business plans. VoIP Info has a straight forward site that answers about Vonage Business plans and how a VoIP system works.

Get an overview of the Vonage phone services for small business

As a beginner, you will want to see exactly the type of package you can expect for your company when signing up with the service. You will want to check out rates as well as the requirements for Vonage for business service. Examples of requisites include a broadband connection and a shipping address within the United States or Puerto Rico.

I recommend: The Vonage for small businesses webpage gives the beginner the most details about calling plans, features, requirements and more. You can also watch a video feed to get additional information on the Vonage VoIP business service. Vonage FAQ has all Vonage phone plans listed including residential and business calling options in an easy to read bulleted list.

Read reviews of Vonage small business services

You will want to go though reviews and articles in order to understand the basics of Vonage and whether the service is something your company should consider.

I recommend: You can find helpful advice articles on VoIP News about the pros and cons of the Vonage small business solution. You can also link to a free business VoIP buyer’s guide. CNET reviews both the residential and Vonage for small business plans available. User ratings are available as well.

Vonage is a popular commercial telephone service offering low-cost VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) via a broadband connection. It offers both residential and business service plans, each with a variety of unique features. While Vonage for business services are cost-effective for small businesses, there are user concerns about network security inherent with any online connection.

Currently, Vonage offers two small business phone plans: Vonage Small Business Premium Unlimited and Vonage Small Business Basic, along with three residential calling plans.

Features for Vonage Small Business Basic ($39.99/mo.) include:

1. Unlimited incoming caller minutes
2. 1,500 outgoing calling minutes anywhere in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada
3. Dedicated fax line
4. Call waiting
5. Caller ID
6. Call forwarding
7. Voicemail
8. Add-on features include keeping your current phone number when switching to Vonage, a phone adapter for a Vonage broadband connection located anywhere, and 911 dialing

Features for Vonage Small Business Premium Unlimited ($49.99/mo.) include:

1. Vonage for Small Business Basic features (listed above numbers 3-8)
2. Unlimited outgoing calls throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, along with free calls to European countries: Italy, France, Spain, UK, and Ireland

Vonage Pro ($34.99/mo.) is a high-end Vonage residential calling plan that may serve the needs of a home-based small business. Its features include:

1. Unlimited outgoing calls throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico along with free calls to European countries: Italy, France, Spain, UK, and Ireland
2. Twenty-five calling features including call waiting, voicemail, and caller ID
3. Vonage Companion, an application that turns your computer screen into a fully functional phone graphic user interface
4. Twenty-five directory assistance 411 calls per month
5. Add-on features include keeping your current phone number when switching to Vonage, multiple phone numbers, your own toll-free phone number, and a dedicated fax line

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Explore the pros and cons of VoIP phone service, including Vonage for small business

Because VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone service is an emerging technology, find out what VoIP is before committing to Vonage small business phone plans.

I recommend: Yahoo! Small Business offers its in-depth VoIP Phone Systems Buyers Guide. Forbes.com has its Big Guide to VoIP for Small Business, a valuable overview even though it's from November 2006. ZDNet answers the question "Is VoIP a good idea for small business?"

If you're reluctant to buy Vonage for business, explore the features of the Vonage Pro calling plan

Especially if you have a home-based small business and a limited budget, consider the Vonage Pro high-end residential calling plan instead of Vonage phone services for small business.

I recommend: Read feature details of the Vonage Pro VoIP Home Service at the Vonage website. For counterpoint, PC Magazine gives a full review of Vonage Pro including negatives and positives.

Explore the features of the Vonage business services

The Basic Vonage Small Business phone services plan is only $5/month more than the Vonage Pro residential calling plan. Are the additional features worth the extra money?

I recommend: Find out about the Vonage 25 premium features included in both of its small business calling plans. Read the feature specifics of the Vonage for Small Business Basic plan and the Vonage features for Small Business Premium Unlimited plan. For counterpoint, read the full review of the Vonage Small Business Premium Unlimited plan at VoIPReview.org. Also read the full review of the Vonage Small Business Basic plan at the Phonedog consumer review website. And see the CNET in-depth overview of Vonage small business telephony even though the review is from 2006.

Compare the features of Vonage VoIP business service calling plans with plans from other companies

View VoIP calling plan review websites that include Vonage small business services.

I recommend: VoIPReview.org offers its extensive VoIP Service Provider Reviews and Ratings. Or get a free Business VoIP Comparison Guide from VoIP-News. Note that you'll need to provide contact info to access their Guide. VoIP Now has a select list of Small Business VoIP services with full reviews, including Vonage business services.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Because VoIP is an emerging technology, bugs and glitches may occur more often than with a traditional landline business phone system.
• •  Because this is a new technology compared to the Plain Old Telephone Standard (POTS), some small companies may be hesitant to use Vonage small business phone plans as their primary phone system and may settle for the service as a backup only.

Learn what options are available when working with Vonage small business services. Learning about the various voice over Internet (VoIP) communications offerings helps you determine which one best suits your unique business purposes.

Most Vonage small business phone plans come with features you might not be aware of when you first look into working with the company. There are other options you can add for a small fee. These services enhance productivity and keep operating costs at a minimum. To learn about working with Vonage small business services, you might want to consider the following options:

1. Look into fax services when you use Vonage for business.

2. Consider working with Vonage small business services for conference calls.

3. Enlist the help of professionals for installation and maintenance of Vonage VoIP business service.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Analyze the fax programs and perks Vonage small business services offer

Use Vonage business services to enhance your fax usage. Add a dedicated line and let Vonage worry about your record keeping in your account information. Receive faxes while on the road or in your office.

I recommend: The Vonage Fax Line is available for businesses that look for quality service at a low rate. Track your fax activity in account services, since your fax has its own dedicated phone line. Computerworld has an article detailing ways one uses VoIP faxing services. It discusses cost effectiveness, standards, basic concepts and applications you use to fax via VoIP.

Use the conference calls option from Vonage for small business solutions

One of the Vonage small business phone services is the ability to make conference calls with up to six people. This feature comes with basic plans at no extra cost. The website for Vonage details ways to use this feature with your existing phones.

I recommend: Tippit offers an article highlighted in VoIP-News focusing on solutions for conference calls using VoIP. It suggests a variety of approaches and defines which ones might work best for your situation. Make conference calls using the Vonage 3-Way Calling option for no extra charge. Add up to six people on the phone and pay the same rate you do for your basic plan.

Contact professionals for service and maintenance on your Vonage phone services for small business

When using Vonage for small businesses, make sure you have the most secure and swift communications possible by enlisting the Vonage experts for setup and troubleshooting. The Vonage team has extensive knowledge in voice over Internet protocol setup and also carries around the necessary equipment for optimal communication.

I recommend: BuyerZone.com offers information on working with VoIP systems for your business. It recommends letting experts do the setup and maintenance on your equipment and connections. Vonage offers Professional Installation for businesses who subscribe to the news service. Its experts come to your business, check the wiring then make any necessary adjustments.

Vonage is a phone company that provides phone service with voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) rather than traditional phone lines. Vonage's small business service is similar to its residential service but adds a dedicated fax line and some other features. Depending on the features, it can be more expensive than regular service.

VoIP is new technology and there are a lot of terms to know if you've never used it before. Many of the features work differently because of the digital nature of the phone signal. You can use it to make the service more convenient for you to make and receive calls for your business.

Action Steps
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VoIP, voice over Internet protocol

VoIP stands for voice over Internet protocol, and it means that the phone call goes over the Internet instead of the phone line. This usually requires either a special phone, a special device hooked up between your phone and your broadband connection or special software on your computer. The most common business implementation is the use of a special device that allows regular phones to make calls using VoIP.

I recommend: At VoipReview.org, you can find an explanation of VoIP and how a business VoIP system might be different from a residential VoIP service.

Visual voicemail or voicemail plus

Voicemail lets callers leave a recorded message when they can't reach you. With VoIP, callers don't hear a busy signal but instead get your voicemail when the line is in use. Vonage's voicemail plus lets you check your voicemail on the web or receive messages attached to email. Visual voicemail transcribes the messages and sends them to you in an email or via SMS to your cell phone.

I recommend: Vonage explains its visual voicemail and voicemail plus features on its website.

Enhanced call forwarding or Simul-Ring

Enhanced call forwarding lets you forward calls to more than one number simultaneously, if you have several numbers and always want to be reachable.

I recommend: Check out an explanation of Simul-Ring in the features section of the Vonage Marketing website.

Virtual phone number

A virtual number is one of Vonage's extra-charge features, though it's substantially less than a second phone line. It allows you to have a second phone number that forwards to your main number. While you can only make or receive one call at a time, you can have a number that's local for your local area and another virtual number that's local in another state where you have lots of customers.

I recommend: Read a detailed review of the Vonage service, including a discussion of the virtual phone number feature, at CNET.

Quality of service (QOS)

Quality of service refers to the quality of the sound of the voice call.

I recommend: Find an explanation of QOS as part of a discussion of features to look for in VoIP service at VoIP Now.

FoIP, fax over Internet protocol

Fax over Internet protocol refers to a technology designed to transmit faxes over the Internet rather than using a phone line to transmit the fax.

I recommend: Find the definition of FoIP at VOIP-News.com, a division of the Tippit Network.