Q & A

On-Premise is the traditional way most folks are used to seeing phone systems. In a wiring closet is a box hanging on the wall that is the phone system. Land lines from the phone company come into that box and then handsets are wired to it. This design is full of potential problems. The equipment gets old, outdated and can fail. Cards go bad, voicemail chips die, expansion cards are needed, etc. Expensive service calls are needed to keep a system like this running. Hosted systems on the other hand are the opposite in many ways. There is no equipment to buy since everything is housed in a secure data center with redundancy built in. Updates are applied so the technology is constantly advancing instead of just gathering dust like the on-premise systems do. There is never a worry about bad hardware or outgrowing the system since the data center will expand to meet the need of any size business.

We setup a dedicated service portal at our datacenter for you. In this portal we register your handsets so they know how to communicate properly. Everything is setup and administered by our staff so you never have to touch it . The phones are programmed to connect up to the system regardless of where they are located. This gives satellite offices an incredibly easy way to work together with the home office. Everyone can talk, intercom, transfer calls, etc. to each other no matter where they may be located. All you need is a stable internet connection for the service to work.

We are based in New Jersey,  but can provide phone service most anywhere. The beauty of a hosted system is we have clients in many states. Location really isn’t important. We can service offices and satellite offices in many locations.

Yes, we have multiple geo-redundant data centers across the USA. This allows for quick recovery if any problems occur. Typically the uptime is significantly higher than traditional land line services. At one point in 2016-2017 we enjoyed a 100% uptime rating for 15+ months straight. No service is immune to problems but ours are typically only minutes long and rare.

There is no “system” as most folks know it. Everything is housed in the datacenter and updated on a regular basis. That includes both the software and the hardware. Theoretically it never gets old in the traditional sense of the word. Due to updates and technology advances the system is always improving as time goes by. There is nothing for you to ever worry about replacing due to old age. This requires a totally new way of thinking. You have probably been used to buying new phone systems every 7 to 10 years which was the old traditional way.

Generally yes is the answer. There are some locations that do not have portable numbers for one reason or another. These are rare but they do exist. We can easily test for portability to ensure this will not be a problem. Even then we can sometimes create a workaround by using some creative forwarding methods to make sure the calls keep flowing.

Yes – and then some. VoIP is a completely digital service that has been improved year after year since it first hit the market in 1995. This is nothing like the snap, crackle, pop of the early systems. Now calls are incredibly clear and typically surpass land line quality. Land lines are usually analog where static, loose connections, low power and a host of other variables come into play. Voice quality with VoIP connections is almost always a bad or congested internet connection. Digital breakup then occurs like when your cell phone is down to no signal. A good connection and careful planning can help avoid problems. If your internet or network has a problem then VoIP will magnify and expose the problem in many cases. On good strong internet connections, there is rarely ever an issue. During the proposal phase we will evaluate your connection to make sure it is sufficient to handle the VoIP traffic.

Yes, for most companies. This is where VoIP has a huge advantage and where cost savings are typically found. Most carriers charge around $30 to $40 per month per phone line which is both costly and limiting. VoIP eliminates those line charges. The math can work to your advantage using VoIP. Sometimes there is a need to keep land lines though. Certain alarm systems, credit card machines, etc. may not be VoIP friendly and require old traditional style dial tone.

VoIP uses network cabling just like your computer uses. Therefore, if you have an old phone system that only used 2 or 4 wires then cabling could be an issue. An inspection of your cabling can quickly identify what needs to be replaced. One very nice feature of our phones is they have a built-in gigabit switch. This means anywhere you have a computer plugged in then the cabling should be fine and we can plug both the computer and the phone into that one single cable. This eliminates running new cable in many instances. If you do need cabling installed, we offer that service as well.

Yes, for most installations. Older phones work on a completely different technology and cannot be adapted to the modern VoIP method. The good news is that our handsets are included in the service fee so every business large or small can have new phones with minimal expense. When you also consider they have lifetime warranties and we can support them remotely it makes them an even greater value.

A fast and stable internet connection is required for VoIP to work properly. Typically DSL, Satellite and Dial-Up are not sufficient. A review of your current connection will help us determine its true capability. If an upgrade is needed, we can advise on the choices available and even help with the transition to a faster line. Most of the time, the internet connection is no issue. However, internet companies will typically change their rates and speeds without telling you. In conjunction with every discussion we have, we review your internet bill as well to ensure you are getting the best deal possible. Quite often we are able to find HUGE savings and can therefore pass them down to our clients so they reap the benefits each month.

This depends on many factors. Generally, it is configured as a price per extension which on average is about $25 each. It can be considerably lower or higher depending on the additional services needed. Due to economy of scale, larger companies with many extensions end up with a lower cost per extension. Another factor is if you have multiple locations. Multiple locations can share resources and really help bring in additional savings. Our reps will help you determine what is needed and what is not so your price is as reasonable as possible.

We have no contracts at all! If you do not love the service then we don’t want you to keep it. No contracts also has another advantage. You may grow or shrink your services on the fly. This is great for seasonal businesses that may need extra staff at certain periods. You are simply billed for the services you us.

You will still get an invoice for the internet connection and any land lines you may have chosen to keep active. All voice lines should be cancelled and billing stop once the new VoIP service has been fully activated.

We offer both printed invoices as well as emailed invoices. We of course prefer email since it is more efficient and environmentally friendly but whatever you prefer is fine. The invoice will be a summary only. Full details are always available online and you can see a history of bills and payments at any time.

Absolutely! By clicking the Connectbooster link on our website you may pay your invoice securely at any time. Save yourself a stamp and enjoy that convenience. It is easy, quick and does not require logging in. Many clients enjoy automatic payments via ACH or credit card. Simply let us know and we can set this up for you.

Long distance is a concept that does not apply to our VoIP service. You can say goodbye to those pesky long distance fees you are used to paying. This is a modern & mobile world. It makes no sense to charge long distance fees in our opinion. That’s an old-fashioned way of thinking.

Most of Mexico and Canada are free of charge. Other countries vary based on location. A current rate sheet is available upon request. Our international charges are comparable to other carriers.

Yes. They are blocked by default. If you need them enabled please let your install technician know. An access code is required to make international calls so that helps guard against unauthorized use.

There are multiple methods to request support. Sending an email or visiting our support center and completing the form is the best method, a ticket is automatically created and a tech will be assigned. You may also call into 856-854-8118 and have a ticket created for you. If there is an emergency then you may use the dedicated (and private) emergency number provided to you. A technician is always on call 24×7 for emergencies.

Most of our programming and service can be handled remotely. Many times we can remote directly into the phone handset itself to troubleshoot or make changes. This amazing control and visibility allows us to provide nearly instant support instead of having to always “roll a truck”. This reduces our response time down to minutes instead of hours or days like a traditional phone vendor may have.

You have the choice of doing this yourself – but why in the world would you want to do that?!? We include moves, adds and changes at no extra charge for small changes.  Projects(over five units) will be quoted to you.   Simply send an email or visit our support center and complete the form with the changes you need and we will get it done promptly. You have better things to do so let us take that burden off your shoulders.

The short answer is no.  There is an exception though which is common sense. If the problem ends up being a firewall, switch, internet connection or something that has nothing to do with the phones themselves then that labor is billable.

We use a high quality selection of business class handsets that are designed to last for years. We also have no worry about locating replacement handsets if one does fail. Our flexibility in choosing handsets allows us to move from one manufacturer to another so you always have a solution. As an example: if Yealink ever goes out of business then we can just change to Cisco, Polycom or some other brand and they will all work on our system. We will never have to look a client in the eye and tell them there is no replacement and everything must be replaced. That is actually quite common with traditional on-premise based systems but will never happen with our service.