5 Business Phone Service Providers You Should Consider

Switching carriers to get a better deal, or to access the features and functions your business needs to thrive, is easy in the age of VoIP and cloud-based telecoms solutions.

The main obstacle is deciding between the providers that are out there right now. Getting bogged down by the process of choosing between rival carriers is an all too common issue.

To help you avoid this, here are just a few of the biggest and best providers operating in the business phone service market right now.

Google Voice

If you are already knee deep in the Google ecosystem of apps and services, then it makes sense to take it one step further and start using Google Voice alongside the likes of Gmail, Docs, Workspaces and so on.

As this guide to Google Voice business and how does it work points out, there are some limitations to be aware of, such as the lack of integration for toll-free numbers, and unimpressive collaboration capabilities. 

However, in terms of affordability and ease of use, it is a great starting place for small teams and upcoming companies, as well as solo operators looking to make their voice comms more professional.

RingCentral

The MVP package from RingCentral, which includes messaging and video chat on top of the basic phone capabilities, is a fully-featured and critically acclaimed option, which also provides great scalability.

The most popular package right now costs around $20 a month for each user that signs up, and includes perks like the ability to convert voicemail messages to text so that you can discreetly read any messages you receive, rather than having to listen to them.

The higher up the package tier list you go, the more features are included, such as support for video meetings with up to 200 participants, and even hotdesking. Prices do ramp up quickly, so be aware of this when making comparisons.

Ooma Office

What it lacks in headline features, it more than makes up for in cost-effectiveness. Ooma Office is both value-oriented and built to be easy to implement, so you don’t necessarily need to be a technical whiz to get it up and running on-site or in your home office.

Automatic call routing courtesy of the virtual receptionist, as well as things like hold music and support for both iOS and Android devices via a dedicated app mean that it does have a few tricks up its sleeve, even if its third party integrations leave a little to be desired.

Nextiva

If you are looking for resilience from a business phone carrier, then Nextiva has got you covered. Its guaranteed uptime is impressive, and it delivers high quality support to those customers that rely on it round the clock to keep their companies running smoothly.

Aside from all the usual capabilities that you would expect from a premium provider, Nextiva also has good customer relationship management tools, as well as in-depth analytical abilities so that you can track how well you are handling calls over time.

GrassHopper

Another VoIP solution that is especially well suited to individual business users or smaller teams, GrassHopper combines web-based inbound call management along with traditional POTS tech for outbound calls.

You can essentially conjure up a unique, virtual phone number that will be forwarded to your landline, and you can even include several extensions as part of the basic plan, giving you more flexibility.

It is not especially cheap, but it does more than enough to keep freelancers and contractors happy. So in short, the best carrier is really dependent on your circumstances.