Introduction
As one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States, Verizon offers reliable and feature-rich Voice over IP (VoIP) phone services for both residential and business customers. With its extensive network coverage and resources, Verizon provides a reasonably priced VoIP platform that can compete with other top providers in the marketplace.
For organizations seeking a full-service business VoIP solution from an established telecom provider, Verizon represents a proven and well-rounded option. Its combination of competitive pricing, robust features, and strong customer support makes Verizon’s VoIP system worthy of consideration for companies of various sizes and needs.
Verizon VoIP Service and Pricing Plans
Verizon delivers VoIP phone service by leveraging broadband internet connections rather than traditional landline infrastructure. This allows Verizon to provide affordable nationwide calling plans and popular calling features to subscribers.
At its core, Verizon’s VoIP home phone service provides unlimited local and nationwide calling within the United States. This gives customers a cost-effective way to stay connected without metered long distance charges. Verizon VoIP plans also include typical phone features like caller ID, call waiting, voicemail, call forwarding, and 3-way calling.
For residential customers, Verizon VoIP home phone plans start at $25 per month with taxes and fees included. This entry-level package includes unlimited domestic calling along with all the essential calling features. Upgraded plans at $40 and $60 per month add international calling options and extras like ring groups and hunt groups. Multi-line packages are also available for larger households.
On the business side, Verizon offers a range of VoIP solutions tailored to the needs of different organizations. Its basic VoIP business plans begin around $30 per user monthly and provide unlimited calling across the US. Enterprise-level packages add more advanced capabilities like auto attendants, call recording, and real-time analytics.
Some key factors that influence Verizon’s VoIP pricing for business customers include:
- Number of users/extensions required
- Desired features like auto-attendants, IVR menus, or visual voicemail
- Integration needs with CRM platforms like Salesforce
- International calling needs
- Number porting from previous phone provider
Overall, Verizon offers very competitive VoIP pricing across both its residential and business plans. The company regularly runs promotions as well, allowing new customers to take advantage of discounted pricing for the first few months of service.
Key Features of Verizon VoIP Platform
Verizon’s VoIP phone system provides an extensive suite of calling capabilities that can be managed through desktop and mobile apps. Some of the platform’s most popular and useful features include:
HD Voice – Verizon’s VoIP service transmits calls in high-definition for enhanced call clarity. The audio quality surpasses traditional landline calls.
Video Conferencing – Users can conduct face-to-face video conference calls with multiple participants. This adds visual collaboration for remote teams.
Auto Attendant – The auto attendant feature provides custom call routing and interactive voice menus for inbound calls. This allows businesses to professionally greet callers and direct them to the right department.
Voicemail Transcription – Voicemails are automatically transcribed into text for quick reference. Users can easily skim voicemails rather than listening to every single recording.
Mobile App – Verizon provides flexible calling capabilities through its mobile app. Users can make and receive calls on their smartphones as if using their office lines.
Call Analytics – Business VoIP plans come with call reporting and analytics for tracking usage trends and optimizing the customer experience.
CRM Integrations – Verizon VoIP integrates with popular CRM platforms like Salesforce to sync call information with customer records and activity timelines.
These features allow both residential and business subscribers to enjoy a full-featured VoIP calling experience with Verizon. The platform provides modern conveniences that extend VoIP beyond simple voice calling.
Review of Verizon’s Customer Support
Verizon maintains comprehensive customer support options that provide residential and business users several channels for getting questions answered or issues resolved.
The company offers customer service by phone 24/7 so that subscribers can call in for live assistance any time of day. Average hold times are reasonable and representatives are generally knowledgeable in troubleshooting VoIP problems.
Verizon also provides support through live online chat for those who prefer interacting digitally. Online support wait times are similarly short. Customers with common questions can likely find answers through Verizon’s support site, which contains an extensive knowledgebase and FAQ section.
For less time-sensitive issues, customers can reach out to Verizon’s support team via email. Responses are usually provided within 24 hours. Finally, Verizon hosts online user forums where subscribers can post questions or feedback to be addressed by company reps and other users.
Overall, Verizon maintains multiple solid options for technical assistance and customer service. Between phone, online chat, email, and user forums, subscribers have sufficient choices to fit their preferred mode of interaction. While no telecom provider offers perfect support, Verizon does a reasonable job with minimal frustration for customers seeking help.
Verizon Business VoIP
Verizon positions itself as a reliable business VoIP provider that can address the full spectrum of communication needs for today’s organizations. The company touts its VoIP platform as providing seamless integration, ease of use, excellent uptime, and great value.
Some of the key benefits Verizon emphasizes regarding its VoIP business phone services include:
Reliability – Verizon promises 99.9% network uptime and call quality backed by comprehensive SLAs. Its fiber network and redundant systems provide reliable VoIP connections.
Scalability – Verizon VoIP scales smoothly to accommodate growing teams. Adding more extensions or features is easily achieved through the admin dashboard.
Mobility – Users can make or receive business calls on smartphones with the same caller ID as their desk phone. This provides seamless office mobility.
Productivity – Features like auto attendants, IVR menus, and visual voicemail help teams communicate more efficiently and focus on core work.
Cost Savings – Flat-rate local and long distance calling is included, with no per-minute charges. Other costs like maintenance and hardware upgrades are minimized.
Network Integration – Verizon VoIP integrates with a company’s LAN and can mesh with existing network infrastructure for unified communications.
For organizations that already rely on Verizon for network connectivity, bundling business VoIP service with the provider enables simplified infrastructure and single-source support. Those looking for an end-to-end voice solution can benefit from Verizon’s expertise in implementation, training, and ongoing management.
Verizon Alternatives
While Verizon offers a robust VoIP platform for businesses, it is not the only reputable provider on the market. Companies shopping for VoIP solutions should also consider alternatives from other major telecoms alongside niche business VoIP providers.
Major Telecom Competitors
AT&T, CenturyLink, Windstream, and Comcast are among the large telecommunications companies that compete with Verizon in providing voice solutions. These carriers offer similar pricing and core features, though Verizon tends to rate well in terms of reliability and network quality. However, for organizations that already have an existing relationship with an alternate carrier, bundling VoIP with that provider may yield some cost savings or service incentives.
Niche Business VoIP Providers
Companies like Nextiva, RingCentral, 8×8, Ooma, and Vonage cater specifically to business VoIP clients. They compete primarily on price, often undercutting Verizon’s pricing for comparable features. Niche providers also offer more third-party app integrations for platforms like Salesforce or Zendesk. However, they tend to rely on third-party networks rather than owning infrastructure. Customer support anduptime may not match Verizon’s standards.
Limited Third-Party App Integration
One disadvantage of Verizon compared to niche competitors is its closed development platform. While Verizon integrates directly with popular CRM tools like Salesforce, it does not allow open API access for third-party integrations. This limits the ability for direct custom apps or niche platform add-ons compared to rival providers.
So while Verizon lags behind some competitors in costs and integrations, its strengths in reliability, support, and network ownership make it an appealing option for the right business fit. Companies should weigh their needs against Verizon’s offering compared to rival solutions.
Small Business Phone System Reviews
Specialized business VoIP platforms are especially popular among small business owners seeking feature-rich and affordable phone solutions. Modern VoIP systems allow small teams to equip enterprise-level capabilities without the massive costs and complexity.
Some benefits that small businesses can realize by implementing a VoIP phone system include:
Cost Savings – No expensive PBX hardware purchases are required. VoIP systems have low monthly fees with unlimited local and long distance calling.
Scalability – Cloud VoIP systems make it easy to add or remove extensions and features as needs evolve. This caters to businesses fluctuating growth.
Mobility – Employees can make and receive calls remotely through desktop or mobile apps. This facilitates remote work and off-site flexibility.
Productivity – Intelligent call routing, auto attendants, IVR menus, and visual voicemail all streamline workflows and minimize administrative tasks.
Reliability – Cloud platforms leverage advanced redundancy to deliver consistent uptime and prevent service interruptions.
Customer Service – VoIP call analytics and recording help small teams better track customer interactions and optimize support quality.
While Verizon offers strong VoIP solutions for small businesses, they remain just one option in a crowded field. Companies like Nextiva, RingCentral, Ooma Office, and 8×8 also deliver excellent value tailored to the needs of growing small teams. The right VoIP platform ultimately depends on an organization’s specific requirements, budget, and existing infrastructure. But for most, modern VoIP presents a versatile and affordable option superior to traditional landlines.
What is VoIP?
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, representing the technology that enables voice calls to be transmitted over the internet rather than traditional phone lines. VoIP converts analog voice signals into digital data packets that are sent over broadband connections. This allows for innovative voice applications and capabilities beyond what conventional telephone infrastructure can deliver.
Some key technical advantages of VoIP phone systems over legacy landlines include:
Audio Quality – VoIP codecs compress audio into efficient digital packets able to deliver HD voice quality exceeding conventional calls.
Cost Savings – With VoIP, expensive dedicated phone circuits are not required. VoIP leverages existing broadband connections for affordable voice services.
Scalability – VoIP systems hosted in the cloud allow capacity to be added or reduced quickly through software. Scaling with landlines requires more hardware.
Resiliency – Distributed cloud architectures provide redundancy against outages. VoIP traffic can reroute dynamically around failures.
Mobility – VoIP softphones allow workers to make and receive calls remotely through laptops or mobile apps. This facilitates mobile workforces.
Intelligence – VoIP provides real-time call analytics and allows new innovations like virtual assistants, advanced call routing, and speech recognition.
While the core purpose remains facilitating voice calling, VoIP solutions deliver these and other enhancements exceeding traditional telephony. However, VoIP service quality is also dependent on factors like internet bandwidth, jitter, latency, and packet loss. High-speed wired or wireless broadband connections are recommended.
For the majority of today’s businesses, migrating voice systems to modern VoIP phone solutions makes sense. But finding the right provider involves evaluating needs, pricing, and service offerings to determine the best fit. Verizon and other top providers aim to deliver enterprise-grade VoIP tailored for different business requirements.
Verizon Business Phone System Overview
Verizon offers several VoIP packages and hardware options to meet the needs of different-sized business clients. The provider segments its business VoIP plans into three main tiers:
- Essentials
The Essentials plan starts at $30 per user monthly and delivers core business communication features. This basic package allows up to 50 call paths and provides:
- Unlimited local/long distance domestic calling
- Auto attendant
- Voicemail
- Call forwarding
- Caller ID
- Conferencing Bridge
- Mobile app
- Advantage
Building on Essentials, the Advantage plan adds more advanced capabilities like:
- Video Conferencing
- Single Sign-On
- 10 Languages for Auto Attendant
- Salesforce Integration
- Web Portal for Admins
- 72 Call Paths
Pricing for Advantage begins at $40 per month per user.
- Premium
The Premium package includes Verizon’s full range of calling features and integrations, such as:
- Call Recording
- Advanced Call Routing
- Call Analytics Dashboard
- CRM Integrations
- Custom App Development
- Unlimited Call Paths
- Personal Virtual Assistants
Premium plans start around $60 per user monthly.
Along with its service tiers, Verizon provides a choice of VoIP handsets from brands like Poly, Yealink, and Cisco. Equipment can be purchased upfront or rented monthly. Some plans allow BYOD hardware alternatives as well.
This range of Verizon VoIP solutions can accommodate organizations from a handful of employees up to several thousand. Those with more complex needs can also inquire about customized enterprise VoIP solutions tailored to their workflows and legacy infrastructure.
Conclusion
Verizon has established itself as a leading option for full-service business VoIP phone solutions. It offers the infrastructure reliability and customer support typical of large telecom carriers, while providing modern VoIP features at competitive pricing.
For businesses seeking robust calling capabilities integrated into a wider network strategy, Verizon VoIP merits strong consideration. Its platform can sustain the demands of customer communications and internal collaboration for growing organizations.
While niche VoIP providers may beat Verizon on cost for basic features, Verizon’s strengths in service quality, integrated networks, and customer support provide compelling value. Its extensive business packages and scalable capacity accommodate needs ranging from a few employees to several thousand.
Ultimately, Verizon VoIP enables businesses to leverage a proven enterprise-grade phone system without maintaining expensive on-premise equipment. Along with its residential VoIP services, Verizon continues adapting its voice offerings to the needs of today’s converged networks. For many organizations, partnering with an established telecom leader for unified communication needs remains the ideal choice.