Telecom technology is moving at breakneck speeds, which makes it difficult for the average person to keep up with the latest products and services.
This fact holds particularly true in the telecom industry and all too often your local phone, cable and internet service providers are either behind on current trends or simply want to increase their bottom lines and sell you their high margin services. This leads to a lot of misinformation in the market place. Similarly lots of phone equipment vendors typically want to sell you the solution they have the most experience installing rather than the latest and best solution available.
Anyway in the course of a few blog articles, starting with this first one, USA Voice & Data will help debunk some of the more common telecom myths in an effort to help you avoid getting railroaded by a service provider of phone vendor salesperson (who is just trying to meet their quota).
Telecom Upgrades
Perhaps the worst telecom myth perpetrated on the business community today is the idea that you must upgrade your phone system just to upgrade your telecom services. Phone vendors are prone to using this line to hook existing customers into a costly equipment replacement when in fact telecom service providers provide customer premise equipment that will provide the necessary service handoff to work with old digital or even older analog phone systems. Naturally your old phone system may have some capacity constraints which may need an additional card to be purchased, but seldom is a complete system replacement necessary unless your growth has actually exceeded the capacity of your system.
Equipment
Speaking of telecom equipment, you have to be cautious who you are talking to about equipment. Have you discussed your telecom equipment options with an older phone vendor who has not taken the necessary training to implement and support the latest IP phone systems? Anyone not trained in IP systems implementation might tell you they are much more expensive or even complicated. The fact of the matter is IP phone systems are very compatible price-wise with older digital and analog phone systems, and yet they offer much improved capabilities, flexibility and scalability. Also, if you are in the process of moving into a new office, IP systems can help you save considerable costs on cabling.
Contract Terms and Termination Fees
When a telecom service provider is trying to sell you their service they will say a lot of things, which may be technically true but have strings attached. Take for instance the option to opt out of your service when your contract expires. This is technically true; however you need to read the fine print, as typically you are required to notify the service provider 90 days before your contract expires else your contract will auto-renew for another complete term of 2 or 3 years
What about early termination fees? A representative might say you can leave the contract without incurring early termination fees, but usually there is a very small window of opportunity if any at all to exercise this option, and if you do terminate your services before the end of your contract you may still find yourself responsible for covering other installation costs that were originally waived by the service provider to win your business. In short, be very careful about the contracts you sign, and read the fine print around contract terms and terminations!
Installs
One of the biggest telecom myths or misunderstandings businesses have about business grade telecom services is that a service provider can get them installed and running in less than a week. Typically, provided no construction is necessary, you are looking at one to three weeks for installation of POTs, DSL or Cable services, twenty to forty five days for T1 services and thirty to ninety days for fiber services, and this does not necessarily even include the timeline for getting your telephone numbers to get ported from one service provider to another. Everyone likes the idea of getting excellent service quickly, but when it comes to business telecommunications, you need plenty of time to assess your service options, broker the best deal and of course allow the service provider to get them installed.
Final Thoughts
Telecommunications is an essential part of modern business and with the rapid changes in technology and service options, it can be a little overwhelming. When you need or want new service or equipment, remember to take your time, do your homework and watch out for telecom myths thrown at you by the sales teams of the different service providers and equipment vendors!
Contact USA Voice & Data if you need help analyzing your precise situation. Our team of experts will debunk any myths you may have heard and see you find a cost effective services solution for your telecom service and system needs. Call us today at 312-604-3070, or email us at info@usavoicedata.com to get started with your telecom services.
