Fair Use Policy - Unlimited Calling Does Not Mean Unlimited Calling

If one of the reasons you are considering VoIP for your business is because the VoIP Provider offers Unlimited Calling, you need to pay close attention to the fine print.

Most VoIP phone service provider has a clause in their service agreement called a Fair Use Policy or FUP. Before accepting service, make sure this policy is something your business can live with.

What does a fair use policy clause mean to me?

Business VoIP Providers that offer unlimited calling for one monthly price are really not telling you the truth. These plans almost always include a fair use policy in their Terms of Service. A fair use policy sets a maximum amount of minutes per month you can call. Any calls above this amount will be metered and added to your bill.

The good news is that most VoIP companies will view your account in aggregate. If one of your users goes over the fair use limit, but the rest are under, they will allow you to share the minutes from your entire company, and if in aggregate, you are under the policy limit you will not be charged. Most businesses rarely exceed the fair usage limits on an aggregate basis. You just have to make sure the fair use policy includes the aggregate language.

The reason VoIP service providers in USA have include this Claus is because they price their service based on an assumption that on average, each VoIP broadband phone user will use a certain number of calling minutes each month. VoIP Providers also calculate the maximum minutes that if exceeded, will result in a loss to the VoIP Provider. The number of minutes that results in a loss to the VoIP Provider is usually what determines the fair use policy maximum calling minutes.

The levels at which the fair use policy kicks in and your start getting metered for overage varies from 1,500 minutes to 2,500 minutes per month depending on the VoIP business phone system Provider. The average office worker typically spends about 800 minutes per month. For most Hosted VoIP solutions businesses the fair use policy never comes into play. If your company is a heavy phone user, check the fair use policy before you sign up.

In the interest of full disclosure, AVAD Technologies offers an unlimited calling plan and has a fair use policy limit of 1,500 minutes per month in aggregate.

AVAD Technologies is an ideal solution for small business answering service that is seeking an affordable hosted contact center system. AVAD simplifies VoIP for businesses by assigning a call center consultant to your company who will assist you throughout the installation and ongoing management of your call center. Your business can create a complex call tracking software or a simply solution; it all depends on your specific needs.

Check out for Automated phone service and Automated call distribution

When failure is not an option

If you are like most businesses, your phone system is a critical component of your business. Before you decide to use the services of a particular Hosted VoIP Company you need to do your research.

Not all VoIP phone service provider are the same nor are the conditions that exist at each customer location identical. This however does not excuse implementing Hosted VoIP phone systems that delivers poor performance. It is the responsibility of the broadband VoIP Provider to ensure that each installation has the proper conditions in place to ensure maximum results.

If a customer wants Hosted VoIP primarily to save money, and at the same time the customer is not willing to pay for the proper equipment to ensure quality of service, the Hosted residential VoIP providers is asking for problems if they agree to work with that customer. You can’t expect to get business quality voice running over a crappy router supplied by an ISP with a $19.95/month DSL connection and try to run 25 users on that system. This is guaranteed to fail.

On the other hand, if the Hosted VoIP Provider works with the prospective customer and explains what is required and what it costs to install a business grade VoIP for small business solution and prospective customer actually follows the VoIP Providers recommendations, the chances of delivering a successfully VoIP phone system greatly increase.

The ideal Hosted VoIP solution has the following components;

• T-1 connection dedicated to Voice

• VoIP router from manufacturers like Edgewater Networks or Cisco
• IP Phones from Polycom or Cisco
• Hosted VoIP Service from a quality provider
• Hosted VoIP Provider can prove they have redundant facilities.
• Hosted voice over internet protocol providers offers superior customer service

It comes down to the simple but time honored saying “Do your home work first” and “if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is”.

Your phone system is a critical component of your company; it does not make sense to cut corners on one of the most important parts of your business. This is why sky divers don’t choose the cheapest parachute. Failure is not an option.

Tell Us About Your Needs – Get started with AVAD today. Feel free to call us toll-free at (800) 733-4136 or you can complete a short Call Center Quote Request Form.

AVAD’s Small Business Telephone Service is a complete solution that includes VoIP, call centers solution, automated dialing, IVR/ACD, recording, reporting, and multi-media capabilities and Call Blending.

AVAD Technologies is an ideal solution for business voice services that is seeking an affordable hosted VoIP phone system. AVAD simplifies contact center solutions for small businesses by assigning a call center consultant to your company who will assist you throughout the installation and ongoing management of your call center. Your business can create a complex Call Center Software or a simply solution; it all depends on your specific needs.

Check out for Voice over ip for business and Virtual Call Center software