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Compare Virtual Phone Systems - See the Features to Find the Virtual Business Line that Suits Your Needs

September 12th, 2008 Posted in Bargain Articles

Why would you Need a Virtual PBX Phone Service?

It is important for a every home office or small business to professionally manage incoming phone calls and ensure that no important calls are missed. You can’t have your business calls routed to your home phone or cell phone because you would never be able to tell the difference between a personal call, business call or (oh no) a telemarketing call. Worse yet - what if you 7 year old answers the phone and it is an important business call?

We all know the importance of having a second business line for your home but did you know you can do it virtually - a virtual business line - without have a hard wired phone in your house? And, better yet, this phone will follow you where ever you go! With a virtual PBX phone service the phone never rings in your house unless you route it to do so. The best part is you can set it so you know it is a routed call from your business line - therefore you can choose to answer it or not. You are not going to answer a business call when you are at your son’s soccer game…right? With a virtual business phone system - you can see the call, choose not to answer it and let it go to your PBX voice mail (not your personal voice mail!).

Virtual business phone systems offer you a variety of plans for a small monthly fee - $10 to $30. There is NO equipment to purchase or setup fees and it works with your existing phones. You also get a free 800 number to use. Most Virtual PBX phone services are geared toward home office, and small to medium-sized businesses with 20 or less employees. Different plans are available with prices based on the number of extensions and the features included. It is important to compare different PBX services so you find the best one to match your business needs. Below is a chart that compares 7 different plans on 45 different variables. This comparison should help you make a wise, educated decision when signing up for your Virtual PBX service. If you are unsure what a specific feature is - refer to the index below the chart for more information.

My1Voice
Basic

My1Voice
Essential


Ring Central Profess.

Ring Central
Business Plus

Phone -
Virtual Office-300

Phone -
Virtual Office-600

Evoice
Receptionist

Cost/mo

$10.00

$30.00

$14.99

$29.99

$14.88

$24.88

$29.95

Setup
fee

None

None

None

None

None

None

None

Yearly Paid in
Full Rate

N/A

N/A

$9.95/mo

$24.95/mo

$9.88/mo

$19.88/mo

N/A

Minutes
included

100

1000

100

500

300

600

1000

Time
calculated

Doesn’t
say

Doesn’t
say

30 second
increments

30 second
increments

Per minute, rounded
up

Per minute, rounded
up

Doesn’t

say

Minute
Overage
Cost
($)

0.05

0.05

0.067

0.059

0.049

0.049

0.049

Extra

Minutes

$25 for
500min

$25 for

500min

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Intern’l

Calls

Extra

charge

Extra

charge

Extra

charge

Extra

charge

Extra
charge

Extra
charge

Extra

charge

Phone
numbers

1 main # and more for
direct dial to exts.

1 main # and more for
direct dial to exts.

1

1

1

2

1

Use Current
Number?

YES

YES

YES

YES

$25
transfer

$25
transfer

$25
transfer

Additional
numbers

NO

NO

$4.99/mo for
fax#

YES

$4.99/mo

$4.99/mo

$4.99/mo

Free Toll
free or

local numbers

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

True 800
number

YES

YES

$15 setup

YES

$12
setup

$12
setup

$12
setup

Vanity
Numbers

Available

Available

YES, $30 setup
fee

$30 setup
fee

$25
setup

$25
setup

$25
setup

Extensions

1

5

5

10

10

15

3

Addl
Extensions

$5/mo

$5/mo

$2.99/mo

$2.99/mo

$1.88/mo

$1.48/mo

$9.95/mo with 100 extra
min.

Receive
Faxes?

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Send
Faxes

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO


Call Me Link for Website

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Greetings

YES, Record your
own

Customize your
own

Select theirs or record
your own

Select theirs or record
your own

Extremely
flexible

Extremely
flexible

1 Professional greeting
included

Main
greeting

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Text to
Greeting

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO

Professional Recording
Services

NO

NO

$50+ setup
fee

$50+ setup
fee

Available

Available

1 greeting included.
Additional recordings or recordings are extra $$

Auto-attendant

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Call
Scheduling

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

Day night &
after-hours mode greeting

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

Custom menu, extensions
& audio recordings

NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

YES

YES

Promotional message voice
mailbox extension

NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

YES

YES

Dial by name directory
lookup

NO

YES

$4.99/mo

YES

YES

YES

YES

Find Me - Follow-Me call
forward

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Caller ID
screening

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Import or Export Address
Book

NO

NO

Outlook

Outlook

YES

YES

NO

Caller Announced by
Recorded Name

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

YES

Real Time Call Controller
Sftwr

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

Music on
Hold

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Online account
admin.

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Voicemail message access
by phone

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Internet visual voicemail
access & storage

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

SMS & email voicemail
Notification

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Virtual calling
card

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

Voicemail to email
delivery

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Quick connect numbers -
speed dial

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

Extension dialing &
forwarding

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Call transfer
destination

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Easy to find information
on Website

YES