Good VoIP provider for small business?

Forums › VoIP › Good VoIP provider for small business?

gpnz

80 posts

Master Geek

#293678 7-Feb-2022 17:55

Hi team,

I'm looking to move a small business to VoIP. They are currently with Spark and using fibre broadband but with analogue phones (with spark providing the landline service).

They have pretty modest requirements, maybe 3 handsets but would like to have some features like auto attendant (dial 1 for Bob), extension calling, voicemail. They currently have two phone numbers they would want to bring.

They are after a provider that is known for reliability (this isn't critical services, but they want their phones to pretty much always work like the analogue ones do today), and is readily contactable for billing and support (of the backend service provided) queries. Once set up, they pretty much want to forget about it like they do with the phones today.

Who's good for this kind of stuff? I was going to try to have a chat to Spark next week about their "Cloud Phone" service - looks like from the website it would fit the bill (maybe not the support stuff if it's anything like their current support haha), but they dont have any pricing on the website I can see so I'm not sure if its aimed at small customers like this or not.

Cheers,

bj99

169 posts

Master Geek

#2863111 7-Feb-2022 18:12

We can help - procall.co.nz

Wise

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CYaBro

4532 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

#2863113 7-Feb-2022 18:16

Voyager’s service is good.

Opinions are my own and not the views of my employer.

sparkz25

750 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#2863198 7-Feb-2022 21:45

Any one but spark for cloud phones, not worth the issues.

nzgman

111 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#2863599 8-Feb-2022 14:10

What city/town is the small company in?

Graham

www.offthehook.co.nz

gpnz

80 posts

Master Geek

#2866697 11-Feb-2022 22:22

Thanks team.

lotech

126 posts

Master Geek

#2908945 1-May-2022 11:59

Following up on this. Currently using 2talk which has been fine but the Backend UI is so confusing I live in fear of changing a setting and breaking everything. We basically want to loose our 5 sip lines and just have our primary landline now with a PABX option to be passed on to a particular mobile. Any updates on who offers a good option?

ArcticSilver

728 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2908952 1-May-2022 12:58

lotech:
Following up on this. Currently using 2talk which has been fine but the Backend UI is so confusing I live in fear of changing a setting and breaking everything. We basically want to loose our 5 sip lines and just have our primary landline now with a PABX option to be passed on to a particular mobile. Any updates on who offers a good option?

Hi Lotech,

We offer a managed solution that would fit the bill.

www.dialplan.co.nz

Feel free to contact me via Geekzone or our website if you’d like to know more.

noroad

931 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#2908989 1-May-2022 17:34

hero.co.nz

Steelbadger

7 posts

Wannabe Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2908994 1-May-2022 18:22

I like Procall.co.nz
They have great service and their UI is great and NOT confusing. (Have been with 2Talk previously)

dt

1152 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#2909015 1-May-2022 20:26

Have used both ufone.co.nz and digital island in the past and they’ve been good. Ufone probably better suited to smb but can scale as well. Ufone use 3cx and digital island [at the time I used them] used Mitel

Noig

446 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#2909468 2-May-2022 18:43

I have used 2talk for over 10 years and can recommend it very much.
Probably more than 2 /3 of issues were created of my own doing(,fiddling).
Help tickets have improved.

lotech

126 posts

Master Geek

#2910143 4-May-2022 14:48

Thanks all - lots of options. Going with Hero. Lets see how it goes.

gpnz

80 posts

Master Geek

#3016312 2-Jan-2023 23:11

Hi team,

Just in case anyone was wondering what we ended up doing, we went with hero.co.nz after looking at a few options. Cut across in August and very happy with how it's gone and the features/services offered. Porting was straight forward and other than getting new features and new handsets (3x Grandstream GRP2602Ps and 1x Grandstream DP752 base station with 3 handsets), the end users didn't really notice the cutover/difference. No issues with telephony since the cut over - just using Spark fibre broadband to connect. Handset connectivity was very straight forward.

Some key things that have impressed the client
- Each phone now has its own extension, so extn-extn calling is now possible
- Even if someone is on an external call, others can still make external calls (multi-channel)
- Incoming calls only ring at reception now, and then can be transferred as required
- Reporting is far superior to what they used to get
- Are able to setup in/out of office hours and automatically have the DDIs divert to VM when out of hours.
- Voicemails are sent via email which they find more convenient than checking on the phone
- Can manage configuration themselves through the web UI, or call me if they are not sure about something
- Monthly cost is less than what they used to pay for 2xanalouge lines from Spark

The only perceived downside at the time was the pre-pay setup and needing to "load" credit into your account - but they have just setup an automatic bank payment each month to cover the cost of the account bundle and seems to work fine.

Cheers,