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Business VoIPDoes VoIP Actually Save Money? A Cost Breakdown
The honest question is not whether VoIP is cheaper. It is whether the savings justify the disruption for your business specifically.
Switching office phones is rarely at the top of anyone’s list unless you are moving premises or something has broken. So the honest question is not whether VoIP is better. It is whether the savings are big enough to justify the disruption.
Where the savings actually come from
Long-term savings from switching to VoIP generally land between 20% and 30%. That figure is not one line on an invoice. It comes from three separate places, and how much you save depends on which of them apply to you.
Monthly service costs
Traditional business lines are priced per line, with features billed individually on top. Many VoIP providers, ourselves included, use all-inclusive pricing with no feature surcharges and North American calling built in. Once you add up what you currently pay in extras, this is usually where most of the difference sits.
The on-premise PBX
A PBX that handles your call routing and voicemail is a capital purchase running into the tens of thousands, plus maintenance and eventual replacement. A hosted PBX is included in the monthly service fee. If you are due to replace an ageing box, this line alone can decide the question.
IT and technician costs
Every feature change on a legacy system means a technician visit. Adding an extension, changing a greeting, moving a phone between desks. On a hosted system those are self-service, or a phone call to us, and neither is billed.
What the switch actually involves
Less than most people expect. We handle the cancellation with your existing provider so you are not the one negotiating your way out. Your numbers port across, so customers notice nothing. If you are in the Vancouver area we come to your office, set up the phones, and train your team on the features rather than emailing you a PDF.
Billing is monthly by automatic credit card payment, so there is no invoice to process each month either.
Is it worth it for your business?
Sometimes the answer is no, and we will say so. If you have four lines, no PBX, no plans to grow and nobody working outside the office, the savings may not be worth your time this year.
It is usually worth it when you have an on-premise PBX approaching end of life, staff who work from more than one place, or a bill with a long list of per-feature charges on it. The way to find out is to compare against your actual invoice rather than a percentage on a website. Send us your current bill and we will do that comparison and tell you the number.
Our plans and pricing are published, so you can also run it yourself before speaking to anyone.