RINGCENTRAL
Some of the Features and Benefits of RingCentral
- Integrations – integrate with apps, e.g. Microsoft Office
- Call diversion – divert calls to other UK numbers
- Do Not Disturb – ability to send calls straight to voicemail
- Call Waiting – can put a call on hold, while answering a second call
- Ring Back – continuously rings an engaged number until the line is free
- Call centre features
- Call monitoring for staff training purposes
- HD video conferencing
- Voicemail transcription
- Calls logs for all incoming and outgoing calls and faxes
RingCentral began revolutionising phone systems in 2003 by discarding outdated hardware phone systems. The company serves over 350,000 businesses and organisations around the world. It’s an award-winning provider of cloud unified communications and collaboration solutions. The company’s global headquarters are in Belmont, California and its EMEA headquarters are in London.
RingCentral UK Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of RingCentral Inc. March 2017 saw the launch of RingCentral Office business system in 13 European countries. The aim is to help organisations grow their businesses through easy to use features that improve productivity and give each business a professional telephone presence.
VONAGE
Some of the Features and Benefits of Vonage
- Web and video conferencing via Amazon Chime
- Remote office
- Smartphone App – integrate office phone and mobile
- Multi device extension
- Choice of UK area code and number or port you existing number
- Busy lamp field
- Voice remote access
- Block call redirection – for preventing calls being redirected multiple times
- Directed call pick up
Vonage’s headquarters is in New Jersey, USA and its UK’s head office is in London. In 2003, the company was the first ever VoIP platform for 911 calls in the States. 2004 saw Vonage launched in Canada and the following year it set up in the UK. The company continues to expand it areas and services every year.
Vonage is one of the leading providers of cloud-based communication services. It has almost 2 million customers worldwide and helps over 600,000 business users every day. The company offers bespoke plans, so each business has the flexibility to manage their services as they choose through phone systems which do far more and cost far less than traditional phone systems.
8×8
Some of the Features and Benefits of 8×8
- Feature rich systems with reliable UK support
- Contact centre graphical reporting and analytics
- Contact centre visual IVR
- Contact centre call recording storage
- Web conferencing
- Internet faxing
- Call recording
- Salesforce, Zendesk and Netsuite CRM integration
- Web browser Click-to-Dial
- Instant messaging/chat
- Music on hold
8×8 was founded in 1987 but it wasn’t until 2002 that it launched itself as a VoIP service provider. The company’s headquarters are in San Jose, California, but it employs over 1000 people worldwide. It supplies cloud-based unified communications and contact centre solutions to more than 50,000 businesses in over 150 countries around the globe.
8×8 is the first VoIP company to combine unified communications, team collaboration, contact centre and analytics in one real-time platform. Their aim is to assist businesses to improve their productivity and performance, and thus enhance their customers’ experience. Businesses can connect to offices and clients anywhere in world without the time lag experienced by traditional systems.
DIALPAD
Some of the Features and Benefits of Dialpad
- Call centre features
- 3-way calling
- IVR/Auto attendant
- Audio conferencing
- Call recording
- Supports SIP desk phones
- Unified communications app
- Peer-to-peer HD video
- Number porting
- Integrate with Google G Suite and Microsoft Office 365
Dialpad was founded by Craig Walker in 2011 and was known as Switch Communications Inc. It changed its name to Dialpad in March 2016. The company’s head office is in San Francisco, but it has offices all over the world. The company’s slogan is “Kill the Desk Phone” and over 45,000 companies have done just that and joined forces with Dialpad.
Dialpad has some high-powered customers, such as Motorola, ClassPass and Hillary Clinton. The company has a solid VoIP product which is full of features and is reasonably priced. The product has been recommended by those in the know for its melding of web and VoIP technologies. It has also been praised for easy call portability and ease of integration with other office apps.
FONALITY
Some of the Features and Benefits of Fonality
- Hunt groups/ring all phones
- Many call centre features
- Includes SIP phones
- IVR/Auto attendant
- Dial-in conferencing
- Extension dialling
- Recording of calls
- Supports SIP desk phones
- UC app (Unified Communications)
- Mobile app support
- Number porting
Fonality was founded in 2004 as a communications company that provided business phone systems, cloud based VoIP and Unified Communications solutions. The company is based in Piano, Texas. The company was acquired by NetFortris, a leader in secure cloud-based communications solutions, in February 2017. The expertise of these two companies will meet the growing needs of a converging IT and communications market.
Together, the two companies have operating centres in three countries and provide services to more than 11,000 customers and 300,000 end users in 41 countries. Fonality is a leading provider of UCaaS communications software for SMEs and SMBs. The company has received numerous awards especially for its call centre software applications.
SHORETEL
Some of the Features and Benefits of ShoreTel
- Powerful cloud services for any sized business
- Auto attendant
- Unified communications
- Dial-in conferencing
- Call centre features
- Advanced apps and integrations
- Mitel Contact app unifies today’s communications on one screen
- Ability to manage multiple simultaneous conversations, chats and online meetings
- Call recording
- Internet fax
Mitel acquired ShoreTel in September 2017. Over the years, ShoreTel’s management team and employees have successfully transformed their business to meet changing customer needs and have provided excellent customer service. The acquisition of ShoreTel by Mitel will enhance ShoreTel’s existing customers’ experience with the company.
Mitel has over 40 years’ experience providing business communication solutions. Mitel powers over 2 billion connections every day, including 33 million cloud connections. They hold the number 1 market share in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and are the fastest growing global cloud communication provider in the world. Mitel’s business communications experts assist more than 60 million users in more than 100 countries.
CITRIX
Some of the Features and Benefits of Citrix
- Hunt groups. Ring all phones
- IVR/auto attendant
- Extension dialling
- Mobile app support
- Number porting
- Freephone number
- Voicemail via email
- Unlimited extensions
- Divert calls to your mobile
- Integrations – Microsoft and Google Cloud
Citrix’ aims to “focus on a single driving principle: making the worlds apps and data secure and easy to access. Anywhere. At any time. And on any device or network.” Citrix acquired Grasshopper in 2015 which has helped it expand its cloud-based collaboration offerings for SME’s. Grasshopper has served over 250,000 businesses since it was founded by two businessmen in 2003. The company is geared towards the small business start-up and entrepreneur.
SKYPE FOR BUSINESS
Some of the Features and Benefits of Skype for Business
- Never miss a call with voice mail and alerts
- Audio, video, text plus online meetings and webinars
- Remote collaboration & live co-authoring between colleagues
- Make HD video calls, conduct meetings and webinars
- Send instant messages between Skype clients
- Make VoIP calls to Skype contacts, mobiles and landlines
- Skype client apps available for all phones and tablets
- Application and desktop sharing options
- Integration within Office 365 suite packages
- Stream live 1080p HD video calls
- Securely encrypted to keep data and conversations safe
Skype was founded in 2003 and became part of Microsoft in May 2011. Skype for Business was started in 2015 and combines the features of Lync with Skype. In September 2017, Microsoft announced that Microsoft Teams would eventually replace Skype for Business.
Skype for Business is a unified communications platform which combines the important elements of running a successful business. Microsoft recommend businesses with over 20 employees will benefit from using Skype for Business, rather than consumer Skype. It provides industrial strength security for calls and allows companies to broadcast a meeting online to a large audience and, an added bonus is that it allows familiar connectivity to co-workers around the world.
INTERMEDIA
Some of the Features and Benefits of Intermedia
- Compatible with Office 365
- Powerful web based control panel
- Keep your phone number
- Call centre features
- Includes SIP phones
- Voicemail transcription
- IVR/Auto attendant
- Dial-in conferencing
- Unified Communications app
- Mobile app support
Intermedia was founded in 1995. It provides cloud business applications to businesses and active partners. The company’s headquarters are in Mountain View, California and it has offices in New York, Seattle, London, Sydney and St. Petersburg.
Intermedia markets itself as “a one-stop shop for cloud business applications.” Their Office in the Cloud suite gives businesses unified communications together with a wide selection of IT services. Intermedia is used by over 100,000 business clients. The company has over 750 employees around the globe who manage the data centres which power Intermedia’s Office in the Cloud.
LILY COMMS
Features and Benefits of Lily Comms
- VoIP solutions tailored to individual company needs
- Virtual conference room
- Call recording
- Voicemail
- Multi language auto attendant
- Administrator interface
- Ideal for multi sites
- Automatic call back
- Busy lamp keys
- Do Not Disturb option
Lily Comms was established in 2009 and provides bespoke communication services and products to over 2500 businesses in the UK. The company has offices in Bradford, Derby and Kingston upon Thames, and has communication specialists and engineers dotted around the UK. The aim to provide their customers with bespoke solutions that will allow businesses to reduce their costs and increase efficiency.
A communication expert is allocated to each business to discuss their needs and to come up with a tailored solution. Lily Comms gives the same service to every business, no matter what their size. The company allocates an account manager to each business to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
PIONEER
Features and Benefits of Pioneer
- Integration with other web based services, eg video conferencing
- Voicemail delivered to email box
- Comprehensive call reporting
- Computer Telephone Integration
- On-hold marketing messages
- Call recording
- Call queue
- Flexible for any size business
- Easy set up
- Hunt group
Pioneer Global Services Ltd. is a British company which offers UK businesses hosted VoIP phone systems. They will ensure that companies’ VoIP accounts are set up within 24 hours. They can connect businesses on softphones, either with mobile or desktop/laptop applications or preconfigured VoIP phones of choice. Pioneer doesn’t tie their business clients into long term contracts.
The company offers a variety of services apart from VoIP. They can organise business broadband services, standard telephone lines, bulk SMS’s and much more. Pioneer also supplies VoIP DECT phones, IP desk phones, VoIP conference phones, ADSL devices, gateways and IP telephone systems to their customers.
BT
Features and Benefits of BT
- CRM integration
- Call monitoring and recording
- Audio and video conferencing
- Choice of regional phone number or virtual geographic numbers
- Call forwarding and routing
- Voicemail
- Three-way calling
- Advanced attendant
- Call barring
- Hunt group
BT can trace its history back to 1846 and was the first company to develop a nationwide communications network. The company still plays a major role in the business and community life of the UK. They also provide products and services in around 180 countries globally.
BT Business has a variety of VoIP packages to suit its customers, from a plug ‘n’ play VoIP system, to an integrated mobile and office system, suitable for 20 plus users. BT has a UK based help desk to sort out any problems you may have. Its staff have local knowledge and believe in giving personal service to their customers. They believe that personal contact helps BT to get to know their customers and their business challenges.
TELEGO
Features and Benefits of TeleGo
- Call recording
- Conference calls
- Voicemail
- Peer-to-peer video
- Unified communications
- Completely customisable and adaptable
- Call control
- Call queues
- IVR
- Automated backups and updates
TeleGo is a New York based VoIP service provider. It offers its customers highly customised VoIP phone systems with excellent customer service. Their website clearly states that they have one goal, which is customer satisfaction. Businesses are allocated an account manager who will customise a complete line of services suitable for their business. This account manager will be your point of contact while you are with TeleGo.
TeleGo guarantees that their customer service agents will answer the phone within six rings, and the person who answers the phone will be English speaking and sitting in their New York office.
FOCUS GROUP
Features and Benefits of Focus Group
- Combined IP and PBX option
- “One number anywhere” for mobile or desk
- Call recording
- Call holding, marketing messages and call forwarding
- Call centre features
- Conference calls
- Fax and email
- Do not disturb
- Call diversions
- Integrations
The Focus Group opened its doors in 2004. It began with two founder members in their home office. Today the company employs over 300 people and it provides various services to over 10,000 businesses.
The Focus Group uses Focus Horizon, which is a complete communications service for businesses of any size. It is ideal for businesses which work from different sites.
Horizon has an extensive range of fixed and mobile telephony capabilities which are utilised through an easy to use web portal. This service allows a trained administrator within your company, to manage your company’s VoIP needs. This takes a lot of pressure off the IT department. It also allows the administrator to reconfigure the system as the company’s needs change.
MITEL
Features and Benefits of Mitel
- Hunt groups/ring all phones
- Complete mobile integration
- Focus on the millennial generation and the tech-savvy
- Full CRM integration
- Call recording, playback, evaluation and storage
- Voice, IM and email from one screen
- Business analytics
- Contact centre options and integrations
- Conference calls
- Number porting
Mitel was founded in 1972 by two British Entrepreneurs, Michael Cowpland and Sir Terry Matthews. Michael Cowpland tells us that the company first intended to sell lawnmowers, but the shipment was delayed and arrived at the start of the Canadian winter which was an economic disaster. The entrepreneurs switched their attention to selling telephony products instead and, as they say, the rest is history. Mitel is a Canadian company but has a strong British connection.
Today, Mitel is one the fastest growing cloud communication providers, powering more than 2 billion connections every day, including over 33 million daily cloud connections. Over its 40 years of existence, Mitel has provided business solutions to more than 60 million users in 100 countries.
VOIPFONE
Features and Benefits of VoIPfone
- Call queuing
- Call barring
- Multiple lines
- Voicemail and voicemail Email alert
- Incoming PSTN number
- Calling line ID
- Call hold
- Call diverts
- 3-way calls
- Call transfer
iNet Telecoms Ltd, aka Voipfone, is a British company founded in 2004 by Lee Rose. The company set out to develop internet telephone services though VoIP. Voipfone is a fully virtual company, which means that all its employees work remotely using Voipfone products and services. As the employees are using the same system as the businesses they serve, they understand the system perfectly. Not only that, the company is constantly seeking innovative ways to ensure that their employees can work together securely and efficiently, over distance; these innovative products are then used to provide their business customers with an excellent product.
Voipfone doesn’t advertise or have a sales force; the company has grown by word of mouth and its excellent reputation. As one of the first companies to explore VoIP, Voipfone’s expertise and technology has been features in the media many times over the last two decades. 2013 saw the company receive the Queen’s Award for Enterprise.
VTSL
Features and Benefits of VTSL
- Auto attendant
- Call queuing
- Call recording
- Call reporting
- 10-way calls
- Music/on hold announcement
- Call groups – hunt
- Incoming call routing
- Voicemail
- Intercom
VTSL was founded in 1991 and has its offices in Wandsworth, London. The company provides hosted telephony solutions for businesses with between 1 and 250 staff. The idea behind the company was to provide businesses with an affordable solution, without having to spend on hardware and complex technology. This they did by developing their own VoIP services and proprietary applications.
VTSL’s VoIP solutions have more than 35 features which are included in all packages. The company now has over 10,000 users and they have hired more developers to ensure that VTSL’s VoIP technology remains on the leading edge. They have also recently upgraded their network infrastructure and monitoring systems.
BEST 4 BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS
Features and Benefits of Best 4 Business Communications
- Virtual conference room
- Voicemail to email
- Smart voicemail
- Call recording
- Text messaging
- Auto disaster recovery
- Call reporting
- Call holding
- Call barring
- Do not disturb
Best 4 Business Communications was started by Freddie Hawker in 2006. It began by selling telephone systems and has grown substantially over the years, proud of the fact that it retains almost 100% of its clients. Today the company has an annual turnover well in excess of £1 million and offers its business clients telephone systems and maintenance, calls and lines, internet connectivity and hosted telephony services.
Best 4 Business Communications prides itself on its excellent customer service and says every business gets their full attention, whether it’s a one-man band or a large company. B4BC has won many awards including Comms Business Reseller of the Year 2017 and was a 2017 finalist in the following Comms National Awards categories – Best SME Cloud Solution, Best Customer Service and Best SME Vertical Solution.
TELAPPLIANT
Features and Benefits of Telappliant
- VoIP Office hosted phone system
- Talk Assure
- SIP trunking
- Conference calling (audio)
- Call recording
- Call and user management
- CRM and browser integrations
- Virtual receptionist
- Unified communications
- Call queuing
Telappliant has been providing businesses in the UK with advanced communication solutions since 2003. They specialise in cloud communication solutions. Their data network is one of the largest in the UK and they believe their range of business communication services helps businesses to improve productivity, workflow and customer satisfaction. Telappliant currently has over 20,000 business customers enjoying their services.
Telappliant believes in offering excellent customer service and has received many awards over the years for service excellence and innovative products in cloud telephony. In 2017, the company won the ISPA award for the Best VoIP and the ITSPA Quality Mark, which is awarded to companies that go above and beyond to give reliable service.
SIPGATE
Features and Benefits of Sipgate
- Everything set up online
- Call waiting, holding, transfer and pick up
- Call queues
- G-Suite integration
- IVR
- 3 -way calls
- Online archive for tracking calls, texts, faxes and billing details
- Virtual conferences for up to 25 delegates
- Send and receive faxes
- Individual and group voicemails
Sipgate has been offering business customers VoIP telephone services since 2004 and has several hundred thousand clients in Germany and the UK. The company was the first provider of internet based technology in Germany and is now one of the biggest service providers in Europe.
Sipgate monitors all systems 24/7 and is also available 24 hours a day, should businesses experience any problems with their system. The company is proud of the fact that they conduct all aspects of their business themselves, whether it be infrastructure, software or customer service. If a business experiences a problem, then a knowledgeable member of staff will be on the other end of the phone to assist. If they can’t solve the problem, the company’s developers and designers will be brought in.
GRADWELL
Features and Benefits of Gradwell
- Hunt groups/ring all phones
- Call recording
- Voice mail to text or email
- Number porting
- Individual extensions for all users
- Call forwarding
- Audio call conferencing
- Multiple numbers
- On hold music
- Free VoIP calls within Gradwell Network
Gradwell Communications is based in Bath, UK and has been supplying businesses with communication solutions since 1998. They provide VoIP, broadband, fibre and Cloud products to businesses who need both short term and long term solutions.
Gradwell is the proud recipient of the ITSPA Quality Mark, which is given to organisations who go above and beyond the expected, to give excellent service to businesses. In 2016, the company was nominated for three Comms National Awards – ISP, Hosted Platform and SME Cloud Solution.
Gradwell offers tailored solutions for individual business needs and they believe they offer great value bundled services. Their flexibility means that businesses are not tied into lengthy contracts.
SOCONNECT
Features and Benefits of SoConnect
- Uses Lync Voice to manage calls
- Route calls using Lync’s Attendant integration with Lync Presence
- Call recording
- Active directory integration
- Video and audio conferencing
- ‘Whiteboarding’ to create documents and presentations with team members
- Integrates with all Microsoft applications
- Call forwarding
- Do not disturb
- Call barring
SoConnect is a London based company which provides businesses with affordable communication solutions. The company was founded by Campbell Fraser and team of entrepreneurs in the communications and technology sector.
SoConnect aims to give excellent and expert service in all the products and solutions it provide. SoConnect has a team of over 200 engineers in the field who only have the customers’ requirements and solutions in mind. There are 39 logistical hubs around the UK from where SoConnect can service any UK business. They promise to get an engineer to 98% of the UK mainland businesses within 2 hours.
SoConnect has a help desk which is manned 24/7 by knowledgeable service team members. All calls are answered within 20 seconds. The company believes that great communication is answer to successful businesses.