SwitchVox Reviews

SwitchVox

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Digium SwitchVox Review by WhichVoIP.com

The SwitchVox phone system is offered by Digium as either a hosted business VoIP service, an on-premise PBX solution or  a hybrid of both hosted and on-premise. Both products are built around Digium's innovative Asterisk open source software and provide Unified Communications options for any size of business.

The Good

Hosted pricing is based on the number of users with discounts being available if a business opts for a longer term contract. The option to go month-to-month is available though for a higher monthly premium, a company can enjoy a no contract obligation, full-fledged, hosted PBX for $35 a user.

Regarding the SwitchVox hosted contracts, prices dip as low as $29 a user, per month when signing for 3 years. Prices jump some for a 2 year contract to $31 a user (about $24 a year more, per user.) Each yearly contract will run $33 per user.

The product is offered as a full featured cloud PBX solution so each user has access to an extensive list of calling and call management features . Unlimited inbound and outbound calling come included with any plan, whether month-to-month or a paid annual contract. Best of all, a full set of call center features are available to every user.

Several plugins are available for advanced user productivity. An admin can create a structure of IVR menus to direct customers to the appropriate contact. Further, call queues may be modified in real time to handle abstract routing. Users can connect via a mobile application granting access to the company directory, voicemail and other features, just like an office phone.

Salesforce and SugarCRM are two of several app plugins users have at their disposal to improve business processes. An Outlook plugin gives users the ability to find other contacts that may exist outside of the company CRM. A dialer is available for Chrome as an extension for users to easily contact others from the browser. A plugin is available for Firefox as well. An API is also available allowing companies to integrate more obscure systems into their SwitchVox solution.

As SwitchVox is offered by Digium it means that users can leverage the extensive support services that Digium offers. Specifically for SwitchVox, customer support can be obtained via phone or a ticketing system and there is also a knowledge base with plenty of documents and FAQ that can help you solve a problem on your own.

The Bad

One of the most glaring issues with SwitchVox is a minimum of 5 users are required for service. This means price may be outside the budget for many smaller offices. However, considering the set of tools at any user's disposal, the service is well worth the money.

Prices are somewhat high when compared to other providers and there are no reduced pricing incentives for businesses that purchase a larger number of seats. For example, even if a 3 year contract term is selected to get the lowest $29 per user rate, it is still comparatively expensive when compared to other services that offer services starting from $19.99 per user in most cases, and even $17.99 per user in some cases.

The company offers several phones with the Digium label however, many are quite pricey stacked against other similar products on the market. Most are available for rent, which will benefit customers seeking to move to VoIP without the capital to invest in wholly owned hardware. As Digium states that it supports SIP enabled phones, we recommend that you evaluate alternative makes and models for features and cost.

Note that there is an additional $2 cost per DID number to enable E911.

Be aware that there is a $25 activation fee for contacts that are month-to-month.

Service is not available if you are located in Hawaii or Alaska.

The Digium SwitchVox version of "unlimited" calling can be interpreted to mean that your reasonable usage must be in line with the average number of minutes that other customers are using. Additional charges (or even termination) will apply if you exceed this so be sure to inquire as to what this limit is. In defense of Digium, this is normal practice with cloud calling services as there is really no such thing as "unlimited calling" and it is effectively unlimited up to an acceptable usage amount. To be fair to providers, this is to prevent illegal use of their services such as auto-dialers, etc. Acceptable usage numbers should however be clearly stated up front as no one likes surprises on their phone bill.

The Bottom Line

  • Complete hosted PBX system loaded with feature starting at $29 a month with a 3-year contract per user ranging up to $35 per user for month-to-month.
  • Full range of call center capabilities including call queues, a real-time virtual-switchboard, reporting tools and many others.
  • Customers can integrate popular CRM systems by toggling a few settings or build their own connection with the SwitchVox API.
  • A minimum of 5 users is required for any plan.
  • Digium phones are pricey compared to some others in the market but offer plug and play capability, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and feature gigabit network interfaces.
  • Free trial for 30 days includes 5 phones, 5 extensions and a toll free number for testing.

Overall Thoughts

Considering Digium is the authority for all things Asterisk, customers have peace of mind knowing the system is in capable hands. As communication services are some of the most important tools for a business, having a reliable company serve as the host offers peace of mind.

For what is offered, the service is an ideal communication solution for the price. With that said, costs are higher when going month to month making it fiscally sound to sign a contract. The company does offer a free trial period as well as a guided virtual tour and a live demo server.

Customers are also encouraged by the company to perform a network assessment to prepare such a VoIP implementation - a sentiment shared by us at WhichVoIP. Those looking to switch providers or ditch an archaic telephone system should look into SwitchVox by Digium in addition to comparing it to other lower cost alternatives.

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