Over the last ten years, there has been a major shift in the telecommunications industry. The old days of business PBX systems connecting to the Public Switched network through traditional PRI lines are coming swiftly to an end. Now SIP trunking, which uses the internet to connect to the network is the option of choice for more than half of businesses. In fact, according to Frost & Sullivan, the market for SIP trunks will reach $10.29 billion by .
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Offering wholesale SIP trunks is one way that telco dealers, agents, and IT consultants are capitalizing on this trend. By offering low-cost SIP services, they can stay relevant in this new digital environment. What&#;s more, there is a huge opportunity to profit from the market&#;s move.
Editor's Take
I&#;ve frequently used Google Voice for professional purposes, and it is an excellent option for small business owners who want a simple and easy way to communicate with peers, vendors or customers. Google Voice does have cost-friendly premium plans if customers try out the free version and decide it&#;s a good fit.
David Idle, CPO of Bigleaf Networks, a leading provider of network optimization solutions, shared his thoughts on Google Voice: &#;I like its user-friendly interface and seamless integration with Google Workspace, but I dislike its limited feature set compared to enterprise-grade solutions. My overall view is that it&#;s ideal for smaller organizations seeking a simple, cost-effective solution.&#;
Google Voice gave me a free local number upon signup, which I ported to my personal number. Please note that you need an existing number to use Voice. There can be a slight delay when receiving calls as you have to press a button to confirm you accept the call; if you are not fast enough, the call might not go through and your caller will be sent to voicemail. This detail can be frustrating as it could potentially result in lost business opportunities.
Other features include call forwarding and voicemail transcription. Customers within the U.S. get unlimited texting, which is very convenient for situations where you need to connect with someone but cannot place calls.
In my experience, Voice had no direct add-ons to take advantage of. I will say that as it is part of the Google suite of products, it is very easy to link it to other cloud communication tools such as Meet or Chat, each of which is also free, so it&#;s a great way for a small team to set up a no-cost all-in-one collaboration hub. It may be possible to add a SIP Link subscription, but this option is only available in specific countries that lack first-party calling capabilities.
You can technically include Voice as an add-on by signing up for a GoogleWorkspace account.
For more information, please visit Sip Termination Provider.
When looking at Google Voice reviews online, it&#;s clear that satisfied customers appreciated the quality of calls, mentioning that the service is strong, especially for the price. Some also appreciated the ability to easily port their personal numbers to a local professional number and, therefore, avoid buying a second or signing up for a separate service. Others liked the ability to make calls from their PC without relying solely on their phones.
While porting may be a convenient option, some customers did not like that it was mandatory, comparing it to competitors that assign a number and do not require you to have an existing service. Others would prefer to receive notifications on their PCs and wonder why this is unavailable. Criticisms aside, Voice proves due to the global reach of the Google brand and its affordable pricing. Most users seem to appreciate the service, even with its flaws.
Google Voice is free, meaning a sole proprietor or tiny business team could get away with setting up a Voice account and spending their money elsewhere. Premium Voice plans start at $10 per month; this makes Google Voice among the most cost-effective VoIP solutions.
While Google Voice is available for download to iOS and Android-capable devices, there is no desktop app. I was able to use Voice through my and a web browser with relative ease.
I find that support for Google Voice is not as straightforward as it could be. When you click on the &#;Help&#; function within the app, you can search through Google&#;s support page library. In my experience, the closest you get to live assistance is through the community forum, where you briefly describe your problem and hope that board members or a moderator can provide the answer you are looking for.
Google&#;s customer support is perhaps its weakest attribute, although the service is straightforward enough that you might not need live assistance in the same way that you might with another VoIP service. That said, if reliable customer support is a major concern, Google Voice might not be a good fit.
Learn more: Read our Google Voice review.
Who should use it:
Any small to midsize business owner looking to scale beyond the Google Voice freeware model.
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