The number of providers of business telephone systems and unified communication solutions are growing annually. The challenge, as a prospective customer, is to determine which phone system or unified communications solution meets your unique business needs. Many articles on the internet, although informative, are overly biased and paid for, many times, by the phone manufacturer themselves – which leaves it up to you, the customer, to determine if their solution really is the best. Yuck!
Unless you are a seasoned telecommunication/IT professional you probably have a million questions, or perhaps a headache, after reading articles about telecommunication solutions. Fortunately, our team at VENSEARCH are seasoned telecom/IT experts and our organization is independent of any phone manufacturer which allows us the opportunity to guide you down the path of finding the best business phone system or unified communications solution for your organization.
We would love to be able to just tell you what the best solution is for your organization in a blog post, unfortunately, that just isn’t how it works. We like our approach to be personal and real-world. We don’t believe in overloading you with comparative features and details in an article. This strategy works great for getting to the top of the list on Google search results, but not so great for helping, YOU, the customer. We believe the best way to help you is by discussing your needs in-person, over the phone, or on a video conference, weird right!? 😊
Disclaimer: We don’t believe in doing gimmicky things, such as, capturing revenue from affiliate marketing. We are technology consultants & advisors, not internet marketers or bloggers trying to make money if you make a purchase directly from the phone manufacturer or service provider after following a link in our article. So, don’t worry about us swamping you with details or URL links that aren’t important at this stage of the process. If you want to bypass us and purchase directly from the manufacturer, please feel free to do so!
Let’s move forward!
If you truly want to get the best telephone system for your business then here are the steps to follow.
Step 1: Schedule a free consultation with the VENSEARCH team.
The free exploratory call will cover the items listed below and, perhaps, many more. It’s ok if you don’t understand some of the questions or terms below, we’ll clearly explain the terms during the free consultation.
What telephone system do you currently have? (VoIP, POTS) or (We use our Cell Phones - don't laugh, many SMBs forgo using a business phone system)
Do you have fiber/cable to your location or copper lines?
What is your current monthly expense for telephone/internet services?
Is it better to keep your current phone system or migrate to a new solution?
What is Unified Communication (UC)?
What is Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)?
Does your organization have or need a Call Center?
What are your collaboration needs?
Do you have hybrid-work environment needs?
Do you have any internal IT staff or is the IT function of your business outsourced?
Number of employees or users?
Future system expansion or business growth projections?
What software integrations do you need (if any)?
Do you need a migration plan (on-premise to hosted)?
Step 2: Explore Your Options.
Who are the leading manufacturers or providers of Business Telephone Systems? We’ll walk you through what the world-wide acclaimed technology research Company, Gartner, has to say about the industry leaders in telecommunications. Furthermore, we’ll explore our favorite solutions and best-in-class practices.
Explore the Gartner List
Explore System Features & Benefits
Review System Security & Redundancy
Review System Cost
If you would like to take a quick-look at one of our favorite unified communication solutions, please follow the link below to read our NEC UNIVERGE BLUE definitive guide.
Step 3 (Optional): System Demonstration
This stage really depends on you, the customer. Some clients don’t want a system demonstration before choosing a solution, while others, want to explore the UI/UX before selecting a solution. This is totally up to you. If you want a system demonstration then we’ll get it scheduled!
Step 4: Selecting a Solution/Provider
We’ll discuss with you the benefits and potential drawbacks of the various providers and help you choose the best solution for your business.
Step 5: Quote Preparation
We’ll do the heavy lifting and gather the quotes from the provider(s) you selected. And, of course, we’ll look for any and all promotions available to your Company.
Step 6: Quote Review and Q&A
We’ll send over the quotes and schedule a call to review and answer any questions you may have.
Step 7: Decision Time
Choose the solution which is best for your organization and we’ll start working collaboratively on the implementation timeline.
Step 8: System Deployment & Training
We’ll work with your internal or external IT team to deploy the system within your organization and train your employees. If external contractors or MSP’s are necessary for the implementation, we’ll be happy to provide white-glove Project Management services to further assist with the implementation.
Step 9: Any Other Needs?
Technology evolves rapidly and sometimes your organization may have other needs. We’re here to help you identify gaps or security concerns in your organization's IT infrastructure.
Want to learn more about how VENSEARCH can help your business?
The List: Our Top 10 Unified Communication Providers for 2022
If you’re interested or just bored, we’ve provided links to the best telephone system manufacturers/providers websites below. As a technology consulting and advisory company, we represent all of the leaders on the Gartner® Magic Quadrant for UCaaS. You can our top 10 unified communication providers below. Please keep in mind that our agnostic approach to technology is a guarantee that your business will identify, solicit, procure, and deploy the best technology for your business type. So don't worry, you're in good hands!
Company | VENSEARCH Favorite? | Year Founded | Website |
  | #1 | ​1899 | |
 | #2 | 1999 | |
 | ​#3 | 2000 | |
 | #4 | 2006 | |
 | #5 | 1987 | |
 | #6 | 2011 | |
 | #7 | 2001 | |
 | #8 | 2006 | |
 | #9 | 1973 | |
 | #10 | 2001 |
If you want to purchase a communications solution, without our advisory services, please feel free to do so. But if you’re like most people and don’t have the time to become an expert, then schedule a free consultation below. We’re here to help!
We look forward to getting to know you and becoming a value-added partner to your business.
Take Care,
Kyle Howell & The VENSEARCH Team
