If you prefer the pay-as-you-go approach to IP Telephony, you probably favor a hosted phone system whereby a service provider maintains and manages the infrastructure and equipment for you.

This approach enables you to have the most advanced features and functionality, but without the hassle and expense of taking care of your own IP Phone System.

Whether you choose to buy your own IP Phones or rely on the service provider for the equipment, due diligence on your part can prevent headaches later. For example, you must be careful about the choice of IP Phones, especially if they are offered to you at a bargain price.

The IP Phones may be nearing “End of Life”, which means the manufacturer will no longer support them. This happened to a Chesapeake customer recently, when Cisco announced the end of life for its 7940 IP Phone. This caught the customer by surprise and forced them to replace all their IP Phones.

Another possibility is that the IP Phones may no longer be supported by the Hosted Phone System provider. This can happen when the provider upgrades its service delivery platform with new functions and features that may not be supported on older IP Phones.

Don’t let your business get caught in these situations. Contact us before committing to anything: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us.