Boston Business Journal:

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But with every new product introduction, glitchex are commonplace, and business owners have to be awarde of some ofthe technology's "VoIP does not have the universal quality of a traditional phone line," said Tim Searcy, chief executive of the American TeleServicee Association. "And you are movinv to a heavily softwareebased solution, which means more programmers are involved."" The Indianapolis organization represents the $500 billiom call center industry and advocates members' interests on Capitol Hill and in statehouses providing professional education opportunities and acting as the sector's informatiojn clearinghouse.
Raymond Shaw, president of the Association ofTeleServicea International, said companies need to be cognizanyt of bandwidth availability. If there isn't a dedicated connectiojn between a business and itsVoIP provider, he said transmissiomn delays can occur, causing bad receptionj or jumbled communication. VoIP services convertr voice into a digital signal that travels overthe Internet. If a user is calling a regularphone number, the signal is converted to a regularf telephone signal before it reaches its destination. VoIP can allosw a user to make a call directly from a a specialVoIP phone, or a traditionakl phone connected to a special adapter.
In addition, wirelesxs "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parksa and cafes allow users to connect to the Internet and may enablee VoIPservices wirelessly. Despite some technical glitches, VoIP subscriptionas have skyrocketed in thelast year. According to the D.C. research firm TeleGeography, Internet-based telephons services grew 21 percent in the second quartedto 6.9 million users. Overall, the VoIP market saw a 153 percen t increase in subscriptions comparedto mid-2005, whiles industry revenues for the seconxd quarter increased 173 percent to $607 millionh compared to the $221 million in salese a year ago.
"VoIP is rapidlyh spreading among multiple enterprise solutions which have multiple locationsx around the country andthe world, " said Matthew D'Uva, president of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business. The Alexandria, Va.-baseed organization is dedicated to improvinv and advancing the marketplace for consumers withinh thecorporate structure. SOCAP members include consumer affairs and customed care professionals from more than 1500 differentcompaniesw -- many of whichj are listed in Fortune/Forbes 1000. "Our memberss are looking for ways to improve and enhancew communication with their customers from all and VoIP is one channel todo that,"" D'Uva said.
While installation and servicr fees vary by stateand provider, VoIP services typicallyg costs less than traditional phone VoIP systems can cost anywherd from no charge up to $200 per month but will generallty cost $10 to $50 per month dependingh on the type of services ordered. VoIP can be free when the servic routes a from PCto PC, but the pric e increases based on the number of local and long distance calls made and the featurews a company implements. Today, most businessd VoIP services can provide a firm with a varietyof features, rangintg from $20 to $200.
Business VoIP provider commonl y includea T-1 Internet connection and a guarantee for quality of service which increases the According to the latest research on , Virginia-basedf SunRocket Inc. was given the highest rating of six To getthe $16.58 monthly rate for unlimitee minutes, businesses must prepag for the entire year, which is but can cancel any time and get a refunx for unused months. Since SunRockeyt includes all taxesand surcharges, a firm makes the $199 payment up front and then is able to make unlimite d local and long distancre calls for the next 12 Most other companies charge taxes and surchargesw on top of their listec rates.
SunRocket also throws in $3 free international callinbg per month, a free extrs phone number and two free directory assistance calls per month with theirunlimitedr plans. The company also is waiving their $39.95 equipment fee when a firm signsd up forthe $199 annual plan. By comparison, ITP, Lingo, ViaTalk and Packet8 receivesdthree stars, which were the lowest rankings. and VoIP Your Life fell in the middle ofthe Cox, Comcast, Cablevision, and Time Warner are also rolling out VoIP offerings Perhaps the greatest benefit of VoIP systems is the flexibilityy of the Internet versua regular phone lines.
"This flexibility with VoIP fostersa greaterorganizational efficiency, higher productivity gains and increase d revenue potential," D'Uva said, but cautioned that VoIP is a relatively new and expanding technology, "so issues of security and even network power still need be addressed as VOIP continued to evolve." Computers, Technologyu and Telecommunications