Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions page. Click on the questions to learn more.
First, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. Notice we didn't say Voice over the Internet. There is a difference.
In its simplest form, it is a way of using Internet technologies to make phone calls rather than using the legacy phone system to make phone calls. When we say "internet technologies", we don't necessarily mean your calls go over the Internet. But more on that later….
The biggest advantage is cost savings. Because the local phone company no longer has a stranglehold on the phone business, companies like Initiatel exist. Through innovation, a lot of those costs that were passed on to you on your monthly legacy phone bill have simply gone away. Add in greater efficiency, and you have even more savings.
Additional benefits are simplicity; we take care of everything for you. Flexibility (which the phone company never had), in that you can take your phone with you and plug it into any internet connection and it will work.
That depends. If you are a BYOB (Bring Your Own Broadband) customer of Initiatel, and you are running the service over your cable modem or phone company DSL service, there is no technical way for Initiatel to guarantee call quality. You are running your calls over the Internet, and Initiatel does not control the Internet. Don't PANIC….There are ways to limit that risk. More on that later...
If you say "true" to some or all of these questions, you are probably a candidate for Hosted VoIP Phone service with Initiatel:
- 1. I hate dealing with phones and the phone company I have now
- 2. I don't have the features I really want
- 3. I need to look at all my business expenses and adjust them to reflect my business climate
- 4. I need a phone system that is flexible and simple, which can be quickly changed to meet my needs
From a technical perspective, No. However, the differences are hardly perceptible to the human ear and the vast majority of people could never tell the difference between a legacy phone service and a Hosted VoIP service.
INSERT ANSWER HERE
You heard right, IF the system was improperly implemented, or the system was not accurately represented, or the provider is simply not up to the task of providing the service.
There is also Residential Class service and Business class service. The Residential Class service will be real cheap. You see their commercials on TV. No commitments, no promises and 14.99/mth. It will work most of the time, but if you are running a business, you may not be happy with their support…. Which is in India.
Business Class is a different entity. Service, USA based Support, Monitoring, Guaranteed uptime*, Detailed billing… etc, all make for a Business Class service.
Initiatel is comprised of seasoned professionals with over 10 years experience in the Hosted VoIP phone business. Coupled with a highly experienced system infrastructure team (meaning the servers and network), and our standard of using Cisco Systems equipment exclusively, Initiatel is more apt to meet the highest of standards in the Hosted VoIP industry. Initiatel was built for Business Class service.
Funny you should ask. Remember those "more on that later" things above? Here is where winning and losing VoIP strategies take place:
IF you are a BYOB (Bring Your Own Broadband) customer of Initiatel, one way to get around the potential call quality issue is to simply order a 2nd cable modem or DSL connection from your local provider. Usually, the lowest speed connection will be fine, and they are fairly reasonably priced. Then place all the phones on that connection, while leaving the PC's and other things on the existing connection. This is not a guarantee of call quality, but it does greatly reduce the risk of the voice and data "colliding" on a single cable modem or DSL service which is where the call quality issues start.
If you are in the Metro Phoenix area, and serviceable from Initiatel's service partner, Western WiMAX, you may be eligible for that 2nd connection for free as part of the Intiatel service. Remember question 1 when we said "When we say "internet technologies", we don't necessarily mean your calls go over the Internet."? When on the Western WiMAX connection, your phones are directly connected to the Initiatel system. No Internet involved.
Probably not. VoIP technology has been around now for over a decade. As with any technology there is a 20/80 rule. 20% are the early adopters, and they are the people who go through all the trials and tribulations of a new technology. They are tenacious….Business does not have time for experimentation.
About 20-25% adoption rate is when a technology starts to take off as the vast majority of problems are ironed out with the technology. Its stable and you can rely on it. Right now is about that time.
INSERT ANSWER HERE
Initiatel has a USA based support model. The standard Business class service hours are 6am Eastern time zone to 6pm Pacific time zone.
24x7 optional support is available. However, because most business are closed at some point during the 24 hour day, we don't offer this as a standard part of the Initiatel service. Should you need this level of service, please let us know.
No, that's where we come in...
