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Business Phone Service in Emerson, IA

Making a phone call is still the most preferred method of initiating contact with a business, so it's crucial for any business to consider the affordability as well as features and reliability of their business phone service. There are some different technologies available to businesses in Emerson, IA, who are comparing possible service providers - and we here at MyRatePlan will help you come to an informed, educated and good decision! The three main types of technology we're going to discuss are VoIP (which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, meaning that the phone calls are routed through and over the internet itself to your computer or a traditional phone), PBX (which stands for Private Branch Exchange, and is a system whereby an enterprise-level customer can have any number of local-to-itself lines that all share the same or same few external lines) and - what the industry likes to call it - POTS, or 'Plain Old Telephone Service,' which is the standard that we've all grown up with.

Business VoIP Providers 
Provider Plan Details Monthly Rate*
Ringcentral logo RATED #1 BY INDUSTRY EXPERTS
  • Includes 100+ Premium Features
  • Unlimited Calling, Faxing, SMS, Conferencing
  • Trusted by over 350,000 Businesses

$19.99
Details
4/5

142 Reviews

Phone Service for Business Alliance Phone Service
  • Simple Control Panel
  • Easy 25-minute setup
  • Daily call reports

* 12% discount for subscribing and paying for a year upfront

$19.97*
Details
5/5

13 Reviews

Talkroute logo The phone system built to do business anywhere
  • Video Meetings & Text Messaging
  • Call Forwarding & Routing
  • Desktop, Mobile, & Web Apps

* $5 per additional user

$19.00*
Details
5/5

1 Reviews

Verizon logo Get 99.99% network reliability with Fios.
  • Business Digital Voice
  • 1-year price guarantee
  • Unlimited data

* Per month. Plus taxes, fees and equipment charges.

$69.00*
Details
1/5

11 Reviews

Best VoIP Providers in Emerson, IA

How Does Business VoIP Service Work in Emerson, IA?

VoIP is commonly used in favor of an analog phone service, and it stands for voice over Internet protocol. The technology for VoIP has been around for many years, but recently, it has become much more popular. After switching to VoIP, many business owners are ditching their traditional PSTN service. VoIP is a popular choice among small startups because it's affordable and satisfies the needs of most smaller businesses. The call quality available from VoIP is almost identical to analog phone service, but in most cases, it's much less expensive. When a call is made with a VoIP service, the call is sent through the Internet, and on the other end of the transmission, the call is reassembled from its digitized form, and the person on the other end can clearly understand the voice. However, before considering a VoIP business phone service, it's very important to have a high-speed Internet connection. MyRatePlan takes the guesswork out of checking the speed of an Internet connection, and it offers one of the best tools available for Internet speed testing.

Although VoIP and analog phone services deliver similar call quality, they function differently. The major difference between these two services is how the calls are transmitted. When a call is made with a PSTN service, it's transmitted through analog telephone lines. VoIP is different because it digitizes calls and passes them through the Internet. Most businesses in Emerson, IA can save money by using a VoIP service because it's much cheaper to send and receive calls. A VoIP service also charges less money for international and long-distance calls, which can be quite expensive when made with an analog phone service. Some of the best VoIP services charge a flat rate for their services, which creates another opportunity to save money.

By getting business VoIP service in Emerson, IA, business owners can get access to many useful features. Several of the top features offered by VoIP services are call forwarding, fax to email, caller ID and multiple extensions.

Most of the VoIP business phone providers in Emerson, IA offer great features for businesses, and the size of the business doesn't matter. Some of the smallest companies start out with VoIP and don't need more than five lines, and many larger companies require hundreds of extensions and use VoIP.

Compare VoIP Providers in Emerson, IA

How to Choose The Best Business VoIP Service Provider in Emerson, IA

Shopping for VoIP service in Emerson, IA may seem daunting with so many service providers competing for your business; however, this can be advantageous to you if you follow a few basic guidelines when searching for a plan. Establish what you require for your telephone system such as the number of lines you need and what features you want before even looking at providers. Set your budget and also consider how your business may grow in the coming years.

Once you have established what you need, begin your research on Emerson, IA business VoIP providers. Read real user reviews and make sure that the company has a positive history with other customers in your area. Since your telephone service is vital to the success of your business, make sure that the provider you choose has been proven to be reliable.

Many providers will offer attractive pricing for new customers. You should examine these promotions but remember that some plans may begin with an introductory price that will increase after a few months. Never settle on a phone provider based on price alone. Research the company's reputation before initiating service or entering a contract. With the amount of information available to you on phone providers, there is no reason to jeopardize the image of your business with a poor quality phone system.

Find and compare business phone service providers in Emerson, IA

What About Traditional Business Phone Service in Emerson, IA?

Although VoIP has become very popular in Emerson, IA, many businesses still use a traditional PSTN phone service. When this type of service is used, calls are transferred through a public switched telephone network, and the PSTN is accessible nationwide. The network for a traditional phone service is comprised of telephone lines, mobile networks, satellites and cables. The PSTN was actually the first phone network created, and it has been in use for almost 100 years.

The cost of making calls with a PSTN service is more expensive than VoIP because the infrastructure for the network requires expensive maintenance. Since the PSTN is analog, it's not very good at sending data over long distances.

Any time a call is made with a PSTN service, the data must stop at several points along the network, and the data must flow through equipment that is owned by several different companies, which can make calls made with the service significantly more expensive. Although many parts of the system have been converted to digital components, the last part of the PSTN network is analog.

Traditional PBX

Analog Phone System Use With a PBX in Emerson, IA

A private branch exchange or PBX, is what most Emerson, IA businesses use to route calls inside their own offices. The PBX permits multiple extensions, voicemail, call forwarding and other important features. On a PSTN, the user's premises or an off-site location can house the PBX. A PBX costs a lot of money to run, regardless of the location.

This is due to required hardware costs, an investment of at least $1000. The equipment then has to be installed, configured and maintained on a regular basis. These, of course, cost money in addition to the initial purchase price. You have the option to get your in-staff employees to be responsible for the equipment or hire a professional. Professionals are known to charge $100 per hour or more.

Any kind of updates or maintenance on a traditional PBX system in Emerson, IA is going to be very expensive. Be advised that such a system may not be adequate for all your needs, as it only supports a limited number of phone lines. You will need to spend extra money if you need to add more extensions in the future as your business grows.

From time to time, a PBX system will breakdown, just like any other network made from electrical components. In order to repair the hardware, you'll need to be prepared to pay high fees and may even need to buy new hardware to replace it. This could present a potential financial obstacle for start-ups or slow-growing businesses.