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Top 10 Best VoIP Providers & Services For Business 2023

Tyler Webb
Top Image - Main Charticle

Researchers at the University of Southern Indiana state that companies can cut communication costs by more than 55% by using a VoIP phone system instead of a landline. Plus, fixed-line phones require bulky on-site hardware and frequent maintenance, restricting agents to a local office, unlike VoIP systems. 

Cloud-based VoIP systems eliminate the need for on-premises hardware by allowing users to make calls over the internet. These networks are easy to set up, provide excellent call quality, and have a wide array of communication options. Every company offering this service has its own pricing plans, features, and calling areas. 

To help you make a more informed decision and identify which company best fits your needs, we reviewed and ranked the top 10 VoIP providers for 2023.

Our Top 10 Best VoIP Providers & Services:

  • RingCentral MVP - Best VoIP provider overall
  • Vonage - Best for reliability with 99.99% uptime
  • Zoom Phone - Best for unlimited domestic calls outside the US
  • GoTo Connect - Best for all-in-one solution
  • Dialpad - Best for small businesses seeking AI support
  • Grasshopper - Best for limitless number extensions
  • Ooma Office - Best for large call queues
  • Phone by web.com - Best for low call volumes
  • Vox Direct - Best for SMS marketing
  • Comcast Business - Best for building custom ring groups for sequential dialing
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Our Methodology: How We Reviewed the Best VoIP Providers & Services

We used the same comparison factors to ensure fair ratings for each of the 10 VoIP providers listed in this review. Still, depending on your business's needs, some features will be more important to you than others. To evaluate and rank the best business VoIP services, we factored in the following critical qualities of a Voice over Internet Protocol system: 

  • Features
  • Collaboration tools
  • Communication channels
  • Queueing and routing controls
  • Analytics and supervisor tools
  • Unlimited and international calling coverage
  • Supported integrations
  • Pricing
  • Ease of use

Our 10 Best VoIP Companies & Services

    1
    RingCentral MVP
    RingCentral Office Best Business VoIP Providers of {year}
    A leading business VoIP platformGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $19.99/month per user
    • Best for - Internal team collaboration and task management
    A leading business VoIP platform
    Get Quote

    RingCentral MVP is a teamwork-oriented UCaaS (Unified Communication as a Service) platform. It has built-in collaboration tools like VoIP calling, SMS messaging, team chat, and video conferencing. 

    The platform lets you invite users by email and build a custom phone system with voicemail transcription, call recording, and adaptive Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus for self-service routing. You can also create dozens of team-chat channels where members can message each other, send images, share files, and assign tasks with due dates. 

    HD-video meetings host up to 200 participants and are supported by AI-based tools. These include auto-generated insights, background noise reduction, live transcription, and collaborative drawing whiteboards.

    According to Emma Grotluschen, Senior Manager of Customer Service at Swanson, RingCentral Contact Center enables their entire team "to improve [their] customer service operation." She adds, "The reporting capabilities help us continually monitor and improve our performance, and [with] the automatic call recording, our supervisors tripled the calls they can review."

    Why we chose RingCentral MVP: RingCentral MVP offers VoIP plans with a collaborative, well-rounded UCaaS platform suitable for large and small businesses. All plans also enable unlimited calling in the US and Canada.

    Our experience: We liked how we were able to get set up in minutes. RingCentral's app was also easy to use and let our team members instantly interact through various mediums. 

    Read RingCentral MVP Review

    PROS

    Collaborative video features
    File management capabilities
    International VoIP numbers

    CONS

    Essentials plan has a 20-user maximum
    No unlimited international calling options
    ringcentral-mvp logo
    RingCentral MVP
    Get Quote
    2
    Vonage
    Vonage Best Business VoIP Providers of {year}
    Affordable, scalable VoIP solutionsGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $19.99/month per user
    • Best for - Remote companies seeking mobility
    Affordable, scalable VoIP solutions

    Vonage is a UCaaS platform offering VoIP and SMS, live chat, and video functionality—these three features are becoming increasingly popular with young audiences. Its Business Communications platform has basic phone-system features and collaboration tools.

    The Vonage desktop, browser, and mobile apps come with standard calling features, including routing via auto attendant and call management tools like call holding, forwarding, and parking. Queues and multichannel business inboxes are also available as add-ons.

    This service's team messaging lets individuals and groups communicate easily. Video calls come with collaboration features like whiteboards with 20 participants, team chat, waiting rooms, and integration with calendar apps for scheduling.

    Kevin Peña, Strategic Partnerships Manager at Headsets.com, says, "Since moving to Vonage Business Communications, we have team members working in home stations, office stations, or both, and they are able to seamlessly log in from wherever they are that day. We can log in to our VBC accounts and make or receive calls from a cell phone just as easily as an office phone with a simple, user-friendly interface that keeps calls, voicemails, and messages all in one place."

    Why we chose Vonage: Vonage Business Communications offers straightforward VoIP features that are easy to use. It also includes Vonage Meetings, with voice, video, and messaging collaboration in every plan. 

    Our experience: We liked Vonage's video collaboration whiteboards and team messaging. Its desktop click-to-call feature was particularly convenient for spur-of-the-moment communication.

    Read Vonage Review

    PROS

    Auto attendant functionality
    No user limit on lower-tier plans
    Can flip live calls between devices

    CONS

    No analytics
    Charges additional fees for features included in competitor plans
    vonage logo
    Vonage
    3
    Zoom Phone
    A highly versatile integrated VoIP solutionGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $10/month per user
    • Best for - Businesses looking for an advanced phone-only solution
    A highly versatile integrated VoIP solution

    Zoom Phone is Zoom's VoIP phone system, not to be confused with its Meetings video-conferencing app or Zoom One collaboration platform. Zoom Phone includes team chat and bundles with Zoom One, to make collaboration more available and intuitive to remote workers. The Zoom app—available on desktop, browser, and mobile—unites all of the company's applications in a seamless interface, but also works with Zoom Phone alone.

    This phone system is perfect for companies that want an advanced phone-only solution without other communication channels. All three pricing plans have the same features, varying by unlimited calling area and call-pricing structure: a US- and Canada-based pay-per-minute plan, a US-Canada unlimited calling plan, and unlimited domestic calling plans in over 40 different countries. The two unlimited plans also come with an add-on allowing limitless calling to 19 other countries. Local and toll-free Direct Inward Dial (DID) numbers can be purchased in several countries worldwide.

    The Zoom Phone system provides access to an expansive library of advanced call center features. These include unlimited queues, ring groups (a cluster of phone extensions that share incoming calls), call distribution, voicemail transcription, call recording, routing via IVR, and flipping between devices. While Zoom Phone doesn't provide analytics, it does deliver call-center monitoring through supervisor surveillance, barge, and takeover. The chat and video functionality are also standard but can be greatly improved if you bundle Zoom One as a synchronous UCaaS platform.

    Why we chose Zoom Phone: Zoom Phone boasts a wide variety of advanced call center features, with unique global and domestic unlimited calling options.

    Our experience: We like that Zoom Phone offers affordable pricing plans and unlimited queueing, but wish it had queue analytics for greater visibility.

    Read Zoom Phone Review

    PROS

    Boundless domestic plans outside the US
    Add-ons for unlimited calling in 19 countries
    Infinite call queues

    CONS

    Advanced chat collaboration requires a Zoom One subscription
    No analytics
    zoom-phone logo
    Zoom Phone
    4
    GoTo Connect
    GotoConnect Best Business VoIP Providers of {year}
    Simplified national calling solutionGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $27/month/user
    • Best for - Call center monitoring
    Simplified national calling solution

    GoTo Connect is a unified communications platform and business phone system with VoIP calling, SMS, internal team chat, and collaborative video. It offers virtual phone numbers around the world, and all plans support unlimited calling in over 50 countries. 

    With this service, you can answer and make calls via softphone from the GoTo Connect app on any device. You can also flip calls live and customize call routing with a drag-and-drop dial plan editor to link users, voicemails, and announcements.

    Additionally, you'll be able to create ring groups with a custom routing sequence, which can be organized into unlimited call queues. The highest-tiered Premium plan includes live queue analytics, a supervisor dashboard with monitoring tools, and agent effectiveness reporting.

    GoTo Connect HD video meetings support up to 250 participants, with screen sharing and chat. It allows for the creation and scheduling of video meetings within the system and links them with calendar apps. Want to start an unlimited one-on-one or team chat? You can do that too, along with file sharing, one-click buttons to join a call or video meeting, and emojis.

    Why we picked GoTo Connect: GoTo Connect has one of the largest unlimited VoIP calling areas on the market—a remarkable 50 countries.

    Our experience: We appreciate that GoTo Connect includes unlimited queues and supervisor monitoring tools for visibility. We also like that the system can link scheduled meetings with many popular calendar apps, including Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple iCloud Calendar.

    Read GoTo Connect Review

    PROS

    Unlimited calling area
    Custom ring orders
    Unrestricted call queues

    CONS

    Basic plan limits video meetings to four participants
    Plans are pricier than some competitors
    goto-connect logo
    GoTo Connect
    5
    Dialpad
    VOIP
    Full bring-your-own-device (BYOD) supportGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $15/month per user
    • Best for - Small-team video collaboration and real-time agent support
    Full bring-your-own-device (BYOD) support

    Dialpad is an AI-enhanced UCaaS platform with VoIP phone, SMS, collaborative team chat, and video conferencing. Video meetings are capped at 10 users, making this provider an excellent fit for small teams.

    The phone system supports unlimited calling within the US and Canada, along with international cloud numbers in 70+ other countries. It includes routing and queueing features like auto attendants and custom call distribution, unlimited hold queues, and ring groups.

    Dialpad's greatest strength is AI support. All calls have real-time transcription, with auto-generated call summaries that follow up with key topics, sentiment scores, highlights, and action items. Agents get real-time AI coaching, while supervisors can access live queue reports.

    Dialpad meetings are capped at 10 users but feature collaborative tools like chat, waiting rooms, and whiteboards. You can use the system to schedule meetings in integrated apps—like Google or Microsoft 365—and invite any user to join without needing to download the app. Dialpad chat supports file sharing and storage, with a search function for easy access.

    Why we picked Dialpad: Dialpad features a variety of AI-supported functions, including agent coaching and auto-generated call summaries.

    Our experience: We like that Dialpad's video meetings are full of collaboration features, such as transcription and whiteboards. We also think the auto-generated call summaries help streamline the post-call process by making it easy to review the content discussed in a call.

    Read Dialpad Review

    PROS

    AI support
    File management functions
    Affordable plans

    CONS

    Limited video meeting participants
    Small unlimited calling area
    dialpad logo
    Dialpad
    6
    Grasshopper
    Grasshopper Best Business VoIP Providers of {year}
    Best mobile communications optionGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $14/user/month
    • Best for - Teams that share phone numbers among multiple users and extensions
    Best mobile communications option

    Grasshopper is a VoIP phone system offering voice calling and SMS. The phone system itself, accessible through a mobile and desktop app, is straightforward to use.

    This service's plans support unlimited calling in the US and Canada, and each includes a preset phone number limit you can split among as many agents as needed. Grasshopper's unique payment structure works well for companies that want to share a handful of phone numbers among many extensions. However, all of their available DID numbers have US area codes.

    In the Grasshopper app, agents can make calls and send SMSes anywhere in the world. They can also access their voicemail with transcription and screen, transfer or forward calls. Each agent has the option to set up a personal greeting that can be configured with Grasshopper's phone number extensions to create an auto attendant routing system. These plans support between three and an unlimited number of extensions.

    With this service, you can send texts globally and configure your phone system to dispatch auto-responses to first-time callers, callers that get a busy signal, and more.

    Why we picked Grasshopper: Grasshopper is best suited to those who don't need multiple channels, collaboration, routing, or queueing. Its pricing plans also work well for companies whose agents need to share phone numbers.

    Our experience: We found Grasshopper's app user-friendly and appreciated the texting functionalities. While the IVR was a little confusing to set up, the responsive and knowledgeable customer support team helped us get it done in under 30 minutes.

    Read Grasshopper Review

    PROS

    Voicemail to email
    Shared phone numbers
    Auto attendant routing systems

    CONS

    Lacks video and chat features
    No international phone numbers
    grasshopper logo
    Grasshopper
    7
    Ooma Office
    Ooma Office Best Business VoIP Providers of {year}
    A simple yet highly functional VoIP solutionGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $19.95/month per user
    • Best for - Call queues and live queue monitoring
    A simple yet highly functional VoIP solution

    Ooma Office is a VoIP phone system and UCaaS platform with all core communication channels: voice, SMS, team chat, and video. The phone system supports unlimited calling in the US and Canada, with per-minute fees anywhere else in the world. Ooma also provides local and toll-free numbers from US area codes. 

    The Ooma Office app on desktop and mobile gives agents access to team messaging, voicemail, call logs, SMS, video, and basic call controls. These let you participate in three-way conference calls and forward, transfer, park, and flip calls between devices.

    Supervisors can set up unlimited call queues, ring groups, automatic call recording, and a self-service auto attendant for routing. Administrators can view live and historical call analytics to gain insights into contact center activity and performance. While sending SMS messages, agents can share a singular inbox, splitting responsibility for inbound texts. 

    Ooma allows one-on-one and team channel messaging, and its video meetings support screen-sharing but don't have any collaboration features.

    Why we picked Ooma Office: Ooma Office comes with a well-rounded suite of phone system features, like routing and queueing. It's a smart option for teams needing a standard UCaaS capability platform.

    Our experience: From a supervisor's perspective, we appreciated Ooma's advanced analytics and queue monitoring. We also like that agents can share voicemail boxes and that team chat is included in all of Ooma's plans.

    Read Ooma Office Review

    PROS

    Routing and queueing features
    Advanced monitoring analytics
    Team chat included in all plans

    CONS

    No international numbers
    Very few chat and video features
    ooma-office logo
    Ooma Office
    8
    Phone by web.com
    Phone by Web.com
    Dual VoIP/cellular use for charge-free roamingGet Quote
    • No. of users - Unlimited
    • Pricing - From $11.99/month per user
    • Best for - Accessing a low-cost basic plan that includes video conferencing
    Dual VoIP/cellular use for charge-free roaming

    Phone by Web.com (provided by Phone.com) is a cloud phone system with VoIP calling, SMS texting, and video meetings. It is an affordable platform that delivers pooled minutes and unlimited calling options.

    The Basic Phone by Web.com plan delivers 500 pooled calling minutes and 1,000 pooled texts, while higher-tier plans support unlimited calling and texting within the US and Canada. These more advanced plans also provide useful routing features like IVR menus, call queues, voicemail transcription, and automatic voicemail-to-email forwarding. 

    Video conferencing supports up to 100 participants with no time limit. It has dynamic collaboration features such as document sharing, screen sharing, virtual backgrounds, whiteboards, and breakout rooms.

    All three Phone by Web.com communication channels are included with every plan, but the best collaborative features—like call recording and breakout rooms—are only available on the Pro plan.

    Why we picked Phone by Web.com: Phone by Web.com offers a cost-effective pooled-minutes plan for teams with low call volumes that need access to video meetings.

    Our experience: We appreciate that Phone by Web.com integrates video conferencing capabilities into all its plans—without time limits. We also like that it supports international calling, with virtual phone numbers available worldwide. 

    Read Phone by web.com Review

    PROS

    Unlimited video duration
    Call queueing features
    Whiteboards collaboration tools for video meetings

    CONS

    No team chat
    Video meetings have low participant capacity
    phone-by-webcom logo
    Phone by web.com
    9
    Vox Direct
    Vox Direct
    Virtual assistant for faster call routing Get Quote
    • No. of users - 10
    • Pricing - From $39/month per account
    • Best for - Bulk and scheduled SMS texting
    Virtual assistant for faster call routing

    VoxDirect is a VoIP phone system specializing in voice and SMS marketing. While it doesn't have internal collaboration channels like video or team chat, it does offer text templates and settings to enable drop campaigns, alerts, and other mass-email use cases.

    All VoxDirect plans include one phone number—a toll-free, vanity, or local VoIP number in the US. Subscriptions support unlimited calling in the US and Canada, plus the ability to configure international VoIP calling. Each plan has a preset amount of extensions and virtual receptionists, allowing you to share numbers among multiple users and configure a self-service routing system for customers. While live on a call, agents can record in a click and easily transfer. The Vox User dashboard lets you manage multiple numbers simultaneously, customize IVR, set up call recording, and access voicemail with transcription.

    The text dashboard organizes all text-related tools and functions. This lets you view your subscribers, see their contact information, and organize them into groups for various marketing or customer service purposes. You can also create and schedule texts using text templates—for events, promotions, news, engagement, and alerts—to build drip campaigns, communicating with thousands of customers at once. When a customer responds to a blast or automated text, the agent gets the response and can move to a one-on-one text conversation.

    Why we picked VoxDirect: VoxDirect's blast-texting offers unique SMS marketing options like templates for sales and announcements, auto-responses, and scheduled texts.

    Our experience: We found it very easy to schedule texts using VoxDirect's vast library of SMS templates, spanning use categories like welcomes, promotions, alerts, and standard auto responses.

    Read Vox Direct Review

    PROS

    Text templates for marketing
    Easy-to-manage contact lists
    Toll-free and vanity numbers

    CONS

    Limited call analytics
    No chat or video
    vox-direct logo
    Vox Direct
    10
    Comcast Business
    A simple VoIP service from a well-known providerGet Quote
    • No. of users - 5,000
    • Pricing - Custom-quote pricing
    • Best for - Easy transitions from a basic landline to a VoIP phone system
    A simple VoIP service from a well-known provider

    Comcast Business Voice offers a VoIP phone system you can use on any device—mobile or desktop—with local numbers around the world or the option to port pre-existing numbers.

    Their Business app does not support built-in texting, team chat, or video. Still, Comcast's user interface has useful call controls and routing tools, such as caller ID and history, call hold and transfer, and call forwarding, parking, retrieval, and waiting. 

    With this service, you can build groups with custom ring orders so that users are dialed in sequence until one answers. You can also set up business hours and forwarding rules, where each agent has a virtual voicemail box with a custom greeting, transcription, and one-click callback.

    Why we chose Comcast Business: Comcast Business lets you purchase SIP and PRI trunks to add phone lines or move entirely to an on-site VoIP system. Plus, if your company wants to switch from an on-site legacy PBX system, which connects your phone system and users via landline cables, Comcast can facilitate this transition.

    Our experience: We found that Comcast Business made it easy to transition from a basic landline phone system, as it didn't require us to learn a new interface or to use new tools.

    Read Comcast Business Review

    PROS

    Easy-to-use app interface
    Variety of call controls
    Custom ring orders for groups

    CONS

    No chat, SMS, video, or analytics
    No built-in IVR functionality
    comcast-business logo
    Comcast Business



How to Compare the Best VoIP Providers & Services

To differentiate between the best VoIP providers, consider several factors like your budget, collaboration needs, most frequently-used channels, call and messaging volumes, supervisor and call center monitoring needs, and which destinations you call most.

Then evaluate and compare potential VoIP service providers based on their features and pricing. The most important VoIP qualities are call distribution, auto-attendant menus, caller ID, video conferencing, SMS texting, and file sharing.

The chart below outlines vital features and channels that you can use to help you identify which provider meets the broadest scope of your business's needs.

Compare The Top VoIP Providers
1
RingCentral MVP
2
Vonage
3
Zoom Phone
4
GoTo Connect
5
Dialpad
6
Grasshopper
7
Ooma Office
8
Phone by web.com
9
Vox Direct
10
Comcast Business
Best for
Internal team collaboration and task management
Remote companies seeking mobility
Businesses looking for an advanced phone-only solution
Call center monitoring
Small-team video collaboration and real-time agent support
Teams that share phone numbers among multiple users and extensions
Call queues and live queue monitoring
Accessing a low-cost basic plan that includes video conferencing
Bulk and scheduled SMS texting
Easy transitions from a basic landline to a VoIP phone system
Pricing
From $19.99/month per user
From $19.99/month per user
From $10/month per user
From $27/month/user
From $15/month per user
From $14/user/month
From $19.95/month per user
From $11.99/month per user
From $39/month per account
Custom-quote pricing
No. of users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
10
5,000
Toll-free numbers
Call Features
Automatic call distribution (ACD)
Call recording
-
N/A
Find me / Follow me
N/A
N/A
-
Caller ID
Call blocking
Auto attendant
Extra Features
BYOD (“bring your own device”) solution
Business SMS
Voicemail to Email
N/A
Voicemail transcription
Mobile management
Call conferencing
-
Video conferencing
200 participants
100 participants
250 participants
150 participants
-
100 participants
100 participants
100 participants
File sharing
N/A
-
-
N/A
N/A
-

What Is VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a phone service that transmits audio data via an internet connection—instead of sending a signal over a traditional landline. VoIP is a more portable option as users can access their phone functionality from any location with an internet connection. These systems are commonly used for:

  • Managing incoming and outgoing phone calls in call centers
  • Participating in call and video conferencing
  • Conducting distance learning sessions
  • Providing telehealthcare services
  • Calling associates, friends, or relatives who live in different countries

How Does VoIP Services  Work?

VoIP works by converting a speaker's audio into data packets, then sending those over the internet to recipients anywhere in the world. 

When a company signs up with a VoIP provider, its agents have access to a desktop or browser app that connects to the internet. As the agent speaks into the device's softphone—or virtual phone—the app transmits the audio data to the provider, usually based in the US. From there, the system sends the audio through an international chain of networks and servers to reach the recipient.

If an agent dials a VoIP number, the call is transmitted entirely over the internet. However, if they dial a mobile number, the VoIP data is converted into 4G or 5G mobile data before it reaches the endpoint. When the dialed number is a landline, this data is converted into a public switched telephone network (PSTN) audio signal.

What Is Business VoIP and How Can It Help Your Business?

Business VoIP solutions use the same audio transmission process as regular VoIP, which involves sending data packets over the internet. However, it's specifically tailored to meet the needs of your business.

Many companies prefer VoIP phone systems over traditional on-premises PBX systems since they have more benefits, like: 

  • Quick setup
  • No hardware maintenance
  • Scalability
  • More communication channels
  • Establishing a global business presence
  • Internal collaboration options
  • Better customer service
  • Improved call quality
  • Agent mobility
  • Retaining a unified business identity with a remote workforce

Another reason VoIP is so attractive is that it lets agents collaborate more effectively, use AI support and workflow tools, and communicate with customers across multiple channels—all from one app on any device, anywhere they have internet or cell service.

How to Choose the Best Business VoIP Services

Before choosing a VoIP provider, compare how well each one caters to your business's needs. These steps will help you conduct a thorough comparison and identify the system that best suits your requirements.

  1. Consider your company's needs: Determine your budget, desired features, preferred communication channels, degree of collaboration required by agents, and the geographical areas where you frequently operate.
  2. Compare collaboration and multichannel features: Look at what communication channels are offered by each provider in our list. Pay attention to their pricing plans, collaboration features of video meetings and team chat, and additional agent-support tools such as live call transcription or speech coaching.
  3. Assess unlimited calling areas: Review your call logs and volume to determine the destinations your agents call most often. If they make frequent international calls, reach out to providers with cheap international rates or multi-country unlimited calling areas.
  4. Determine your desired geographical presence: Consider where your customers are, and decide if you want to expand your reach in those areas. Look for a service provider that offers DID virtual numbers in the regions where you want to establish a local presence.
  5. Compare routing and queueing capabilities: Assess the size of your call center, including the number of agents, supervisors, and departments you have. Determine if you need to route inbound calls to multiple departments—sales, marketing, billing, customer service, etc. Then, compare each provider's routing and queueing offerings, such as ring groups, auto attendant menus, skills-based routing, and live queue analytics for supervisors.

Important Features of VoIP Services You Must Know

The most important VoIP features include multiple communication channels, call routing, IVR and auto attendants, call queueing, analytics, call recording, and transcription. These help your agents and administrators get the most out of your company's system.

Communication Channels

Most VoIP companies focus on internet-based voice calling, while UCaaS platforms offer up to four virtual communication channels, namely phone, SMS, video conferencing, and team chat, as a single product. Phone refers to VoIP calls, SMS lets you send and receive text messages, video conferencing allows agents to engage in video meetings with customers, and team chat enables them to send one-on-one and web-chat messages. 

Call Routing

Sometimes called automatic call distribution (ACD), routing is when you configure your phone system to send incoming calls to specific users in line with preset routing rules. For example, self-service IVR menus let customers direct themselves to the right user/department by choosing the option that best matches their needs. Skills-based routing (SBR), on the other hand, navigates customers based on the aptitudes a call requires, matching them to the agent with the best-fitting skillset.

Call Queueing

When inbound phone calls reach a busy agent, a call queue places the customer in a line, ordered according to when the calls were received. Agents can see the calls in their queue and choose which to pick up. Some systems also offer ring groups, allowing you to pool multiple agents to share queues and inbound call responsibility.

Analytics

Statistics and metrics about your phone system's performance, usage, and activity can give insights into queue activity, agent performance, and call quality. Analytics include reports, graphs, tables, charts, and data that can be sorted according to custom historical periods.

Call Recording

Call recording allows you to record calls for storage, audio sharing, and review. You can choose between auto-recording, where all calls are recorded, and on-demand recording, where only certain calls are recorded.

Transcription

Transcription, where AI systems convert audio from phone calls or voicemails into text or captions, lets these systems identify customer sentiment, compile call summaries, and offer live-agent coaching.

Call Management Features

Call management features, sometimes called ACD or call routing, let you set up your phone system to direct incoming calls to specific agents according to rules you've set ahead of time. (This feature is very similar to self-service IVR and skills-based routing in our previous example.)

Mobile Compatibility

A VoIP phone system should be compatible with mobile devices, desktops, and browsers. Usually, most VoIP features—such as analytics, call controls, team chat, and even video conferencing—are available on all devices, including mobile platforms like iOS and Android.

Integrations

A VoIP phone system should be able to integrate with your company's third-party apps. Some VoIP providers, like RingCentral and Dialpad, integrate with dozens of other apps, allowing you to use their features directly within the other app's interface and vice versa. Useful CRM integrations include platforms like Salesforce, calendar apps like Google, and collaboration apps like Slack.

Collaboration Tools

In addition to calling, many VoIP providers offer collaboration features that agents can access directly within the system's app. These include team chat rooms (which enable users to create threads, share files and images, and assign tasks) and video meetings (utilizing collaboration tools, like simultaneous whiteboards, screen sharing, and live polls).

Additional Numbers

VoIP providers typically include a  DID number with each user sign-up. However, they also let you purchase more VoIP numbers. You can add numbers with area codes from anywhere in the United States; some providers even have virtual numbers from countries all around the world.

Video Conferencing

Many VoIP providers offer video conferencing as a communication channel. Agents can join internal team video meetings for collaboration purposes or send invite links to customers. Each provider supports unique video meeting participant capacities, time limits, and collaboration tools. Video meetings typically host up to 200 participants, last up to 24 hours, and support features like chat and screen sharing.

IVR 

Also ca