Business VoIP Comparison Guide Introduction Still running on a legacy analog system? Or on that old PBX that isn’t as reliable as it was back when purchased in the 80’s? Perhaps it’s time to upgrade your business phone solution. A lot of businesses look at VoIP (Voice over IP) telephony due to its cost savings and plethora of features any company, of any size, can utilize. The VoIP market is very competitive and it can be difficult for an organization to choose a solution to meet their needs. In this side-by-side comparison guide, you will learn about the top VoIP vendors in the industry and their product offerings. Also, in addition to the features mentioned in this guide, all vendors listed provide e911 support and long distance/international calling. Be sure to talk to vendors about hardware and ask about specific pricing. Ziff Davis / Comparison Guide / Business VoIP Comparison Guide Ziff Davis ©2016 2 Comparison Grids Business VoIP Features Vendor: Product Solution Focus Cloud/On-Premise Support IP PBX Voice Mail 8X8 Virtual Office SOHO and Medium Biz Cloud 3 Avaya IP Office SOHO and Medium Biz On-Premises EarthLink Hosted Voice SOHO and Medium Biz Cloud 3 Fonality SOHO Cloud 3 FreedomIQ SOHO Cloud 3 Jive Small Business SOHO and Medium Biz Cloud 3 Momentum Business Voice Medium Biz Cloud 3 Ring Central Office SOHO and Medium Biz Cloud 3 ShoreTel Sky SOHO and Medium Biz Cloud 3 ShoreTel SOHO and Medium Biz On-Premises XO Communications Hosted PBX SOHO and Medium Biz Cloud 3 SOHO, Medium Biz, and MegaPath Hosted Voice Cloud 3 Enterprise Ziff Davis / Comparison Guide / Business VoIP Comparison Guide Ziff Davis ©2016 3 Comparison Grids Business VoIP Features (continued) Vendor: Product Solution Number Portability Fax Support Call Forwarding Find me/Follow me 8X8 Virtual Office Avaya IP Office EarthLink Hosted Voice Fonality FreedomIQ Jive Small Business Momentum Business Voice Ring Central Office ShoreTel Sky 1 ShoreTel 1 XO Communications Hosted PBX MegaPath Hosted Voice Ziff Davis / Comparison Guide / Business VoIP Comparison Guide Ziff Davis ©2016 4 Comparison Grids Business VoIP Features (continued) Vendor: Product Solution Conference Calling Virtual Receptionist Smartphone Support Chat/Instant Messaging 8X8 Virtual Office 1 1 Avaya IP Office EarthLink Hosted Voice 1 1 1 Fonality 1 1 FreedomIQ 4 Jive Small Business Momentum Business Voice 1 1 Ring Central Office 1 1 ShoreTel Sky ShoreTel XO Communications Hosted PBX 1 MegaPath Hosted Voice 1 Ziff Davis / Comparison Guide / Business VoIP Comparison Guide Ziff Davis ©2016 5 Footnotes Features Definitions Traditional voice mail feature. Most vendors have advanced visual voice mail that allows you to read your voice Voice Mail mail as text. Enables mobile telephone users to retain their mobile telephone numbers when changing from one mobile Number Portability network operator to another. Fax over IP (FoIP) refers to the process of sending and receiving faxes via a VoIP network. Fax over IP works via Fax Support T38 and requires a T38 capable VoIP Gateway as well as a T38 capable fax machine, fax card or fax software. Allows an incoming call to be redirected to another number where the desired called party is able to answer. You Call Forwarding can set any number. Refers to two technologies that, in conjunction, enable incoming phone calls to be received at different locations, Find me/Follow me on different phones. Conference Calling Allows multiple callers to dial into one central number for meetings, conferences, etc. A sophisticated tool that prompts callers to select from a phone menu. The automated recordings play as soon Virtual Receptionist as a caller dials into a company number, and informs the caller which number to press to reach the desired extension. Refers to whether or not a vendor offers smart phone applications and the ability to transfer desk phone numbers Smartphone support to a smartphone via their app. Some vendors offer chat or instant messaging as a feature to establish presence and a messaging capability to Chat/Instant Messaging their service. 1 - Available at additional cost. 2 - Dependent on chosen carrier. 3 - Could solution/No IP PBX. 4 - IM available if using a Plycom CX5000 or other compatible VoIP phone. Ziff Davis / Comparison Guide / Business VoIP Comparison Guide Ziff Davis ©2016 6.