VoIP is the most important technology advancement in the history of telecommunications. It's the equivalent of the transition from horse and cart to motor car in the auto industry. Getting from A to B is still achieved but doing so is simpler, more cost effective and done in a way that brings endless possibility.

What is VoIP?

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is an internet technology that allows you to make telephone calls over the internet. By using VoIP in your business communications strategy, business owners can generate significant savings on both the cost of calls and line rental fees to achieve a return on investment typically within the first six to twelve months.

What is a PBX?

A PBX is a piece of telephony equipment that that allows multiple telephone handsets to communicate with each other and share telephone lines to make and receive external phone calls.

In the past the expense of PBX’s meant that they were out of reach for small businesses however with advancements in technology a Talkswitch phone system from SMALLBIZVoIP now makes practical and financial sense for forward thinking small businesses.

How can a VoIP PBX save money?

Traditionally if a small business required four lines (facilities for 4 simultaneous external connections) they would have to pay line rental on four telephone lines. Our systems use VoIP technology to allow you to achieve multiple external connections at no extra ongoing expense. You can have 4, 8, 16 or 32 external VoIP lines depending on your requirements; the only difference is the specification of the hardware that we install. On top of this there is the call rate savings that VoIP delivers: see the rates section on this page for more information.

What about the call quality, I heard it was bad?

You may have had a bad quality experience with a VoIP call in the past. Any VoIP system that has not been setup correctly will experience choppy or delayed calls. This type of behavior is symptomatic of a system that has been badly provisioned or has not been configured by experienced and qualified technicians. By conducting a comprehensive requirements analysis, SMALLBIZVoIP can design and implement a solution that will provide call quality on par with standard telephone communications.

The best way for you to see if VoIP is right for your business is to test it for yourself. One of our staff can make a test call to you, or if you are in the area you’re more than welcome to drop in to our office and make a few calls yourself.

What happens if there is an internet outage?

In the event of an internet outage our phone systems will re-direct all calls to available land lines. Outbound calls will fail-over to the PSTN lines so that communications is maintained.

What is a Talkswitch phone system?

A Talkswitch system ensures every call is answered by using the power of VoIP technology. It keeps your costs low, builds your business through customized branding (auto-attendant and music on hold) and allows you and your employees to have the ability to remain in contact when required. Over 95% of owners say they would recommend TalkSwitch.

Can I keep my existing phone numbers?

Yes, we simply port your existing numbers across to the new service.

What speed internet is required?

The speed that is required depends on how many simultaneous phone calls you make and the volume of traffic from other sources (email, web etc) on the internet connection. In some circumstances a dedicated internet connection for voice may be recommended but this is all covered in our SMALLBIZVoIP requirements analysis.

Can I connect multiple offices or home extensions?

Yes. We can connect your branch offices, remote sites, home offices and teleworkers so that staff at any location are able to dial each other via extension number. The greatest feature of a multi-office arrangement is that the cost of calls between offices is $0.00! That’s right calls between offices are completely free, consider the cost savings there if you have a few office locations.

Remote phone extensions can be located anywhere over the Internet, as if they were local extensions so you can have an extension at your home or anywhere there is adequate internet coverage. This is an ideal solution for small branch offices, home offices and mobile teleworkers and the same applies here: it costs nothing at all to call a remote extension from the main office and vice-versa.

How does VoIP empower small business?

We are small business specialists and our products are designed for small business. They are able to answer calls with intelligence, search to ensure calls get answered, and forward calls to mobile phones. It controls call costs with automatic route selection. It sends voicemails to e-mail for unified messaging. Plus much more – our systems have the features you need to manage a business effectively.