Communications Resources

Virtual Phone Companies

Ringcentral – This company has the most user friendly interface I've seen for the most reasonable monthly rate. I use Ringcentral for my own business (feel free to call my toll free number to check it out – 800-377-7454) and I love them.

Phone.Com – By far the best pricing I've seen for a virtual phone system. They are a fairly new player in the game but they appear to have the goods. Winner of Internet Telephony Magazine's 2007 Product of the Year Award.

 

800PBX – The web interface for this company is not as user friendly as others that I've seen but the pricing is hard to beat. Also, they advertise themselves as a "fully managed" option. Meaning they assign you an account manager and set up your virtual pbx for you. However, I must mention that when I signed up for a trial account no one contacted me as they say on the website they do. I never pushed the issue since I do not require that kind of service but I thought that was a glitch in their customer care. If you decide to try them out make sure you e-mail them about their account set up services if no one contacts you.

 

OneBox – If you want an apples to apples comparison, their OneBox Receptionist service is their true virtual pbx service and that pricing is a bit higher than the first three on my list. However, their Receptionist service includes 2,000 minutes of traffic which is the highest I've seen for that price point. This service is best for those of you who have heavy calling traffic.

GotVmail– This company has a great reputation in the marketplace. They have received write ups in PC Magazine, Inc 500 and Business Week Online to name a few. Their pricing is competitive but their lowest plan (which is $9.99 a month, the lowest of all the companies I've reviewed) only includes 50 minutes so be careful which plan you choose. If you go over the plan minutes they charge .074 cents per minute (for their cheapest plan) which is the highest rate of all of them. They also charge a $25 activation fee which most other companies waive.

VoIP Service Providers

Voip Your Life – This is my current provider and so far I'm very happy with their service. I do still experience the occasional dropped voice and echo on the line but much less than with other providers. I have their Premier Global Unlimited plan which is $29.97 and gives me unlimited calling to over 30 countries including Canada, UK, Australia and Puerto Rico where I have colleagues and family. It's great. Their US and Canada Unlimited plan is $23.97.

Packet8 – This company has several choices and I what I like about them is that you can combine your Voip service with one of their Virtual Attendant service which would give you an auto-attendant feature. Their rates tend to be more expensive than other carriers because their pricing is "a la carte". You order components separately which makes it add up.

Voip.Com – This company offers a softphone which allows you to use your computer as your phone in addition to hook up your regular analog telephone. Their rates are very competitive and they offer a 30 day free trial.

Broadband Services

The best way to shop around for DSL and Cable broadband services is to use a comparison shopper site. For my clients, I use ShopForDSL. Click here to use ShopForDSL. Then input your Name, e-mail address and the telephone number at your location. (Make sure this is a land line located in your home or place of business). A report will come back with several carriers and their pricing. Great time saver.

Long Distance Plans

If you are not using an unlimited plan service, I have a comparison shopper that will help you choose a long distance plan based on your specific location and usage. BillZilla computes the best rate for your particular situation. Click here to use BillZilla.

 

Mobile/Cell Phone

For those of you looking for a better mobile plan or an upgrade to your current phone Click here to shop around.