Once a business number has been established, problems could arise if that number cannot be transferred to the new VoIP phone system.
Once a business has had an established telephone number it can risk a certain amount of business and financial loss if the number is changed. This is especially true if the number has been printed on business cards, in catalogs and on flyers for more than a year. This is why it is important to verify the VoIP number portability prior to implementing VoIP service. It is important to know ahead of time whether or not the established number will be available.
The implications of changing a business telephone number, whether conventional or VoIP, are far-reaching. There are potentially tremendous costs associated with having the company promotional materials reprinted. Customers who have been sent promotional materials from the company in the past might be lost because of something as simple as their not having the telephone number readily at hand.
The majority of time, the benefit of porting a number from a traditional telephone provider to a VoIP service is possible for existing businesses. Those who are looking to switch between two different VoIP providers, however, might run into some problems. Most telephone services place stipulations on number portability that will allow businesses to port their original number from their services to a VoIP service.
Most states regulate the consumer as the legal owner of the telephone number and they may port the number wherever they wish, including to a new business VoIP. However, if the company owners decide to relocate to a destination outside of the service area of the VoIP provider, the move may result in their having to change their phone number. This number is far less likely to be portable. A lot of VoIP companies offer local numbers as well as area codes around the world.
This is why it is crucial for business owners to consult with the prospective business VoIP provider prior to making a commitment, if they wish to retain their existing numbers. They should ask directly whether it is possible to port a telephone number from a traditional telephone service and then to a different VoIP provider if they choose to switch again in the future.
When a business begins new service with a business VoIP provider, the assigned number is not the property of the business owner, unlike that of conventional telephone service providers. This is the case due to the fact that the VoIP provider leases the number from a service provider in the telecommunications industry. The telecommunications service provider controls the switches used to route all of the calls to an analog phone from the Internet. Therefore, the number is registered the name of the business VoIP provider. If the billing address of the owner is the same, number portability is possible. Therefore, when a business VoIP is transferred from one to another, one cannot port one’s VoIP number.
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Now that WhichVoIP.com has given you an insight into this technology you hopefully can now see why VoIP is the most economical and smart method of making phone calls.
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For the techies: Check out our Advanced VoIP Guide for an in-depth explanation.