Today more than ever, businesses need to be agile, efficient, and comprehensive in their communication. The best business phone services of 2021 can help you achieve this.
Providers of modern business phone services have adopted VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol. This has allowed them to move to the cloud, providing maximum flexibility and scalability.
Many also offer more communication channels than just voice calls. Video calling, conferencing, messaging, and live chat are often part of basic packages, offering you a unified approach to business communication.
Going further, cloud-based business phone services also integrate smoothly into your existing network of business apps – from digital marketing tools to customer relationship management (CRM) systems.
Finally, VoIP business phone services can also help you save massively on running costs. Unlike on-premise infrastructure, they work via softphones – apps you can install on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. This can reduce your operational costs, from maintenance to hardware acquisition, by as much as 75%.
However, the market for business phone services is large and dynamic. Picking the service that best fits your needs can be tricky. To help you out, here is a list of the best business phone services in 2021.
The uncontested leader of the list is Nextiva, ranked best business phone system of 2021 by US News. Currently, it runs communications for over 100,000 companies.
What makes Nextiva stand out is its feature-rich service, combined with its stellar customer service.
Nextiva’s business phone plans include a comprehensive set of communication channels, from HD voice and video calling over conferencing to messaging. Additionally, the company can boast more than 45 powerful productivity features, from online fax to auto attendants.
What’s more, Nextiva’s strongest suit is its solid foundation in proprietary tech. While other providers rely on integrations with third-party platforms for functionalities like CRM systems and analytics, Nextiva unifies all this in its all-encompassing NextOS platform. Going further, it also offers Cospace, a complete collaboration solution for remote teams.
Considering Nextiva’s easy-to-handle online admin and outstanding 99.999% uptime, you’ll rarely run into trouble. If you do, though, or if you have any other questions, you can contact the company’s award-winning customer service, available 24/7 via call, live chat, and email.
Pricing starts at $17.95 per user and month. If you want to give Nextiva a test run, there’s a 7-day free trial.
The Vonage Business Communications suite is an easy-to-customize unified communications solution.
Apart from the usual communication channels, it entices potential clients with advanced functionalities like call groups and virtual receptionists.
In particular, Vonage makes call management a breeze. Receptionist consoles let you handle up to 50 calls at once. Advanced call queuing allows you to line up callers in a virtual waiting room, and then forward them to the appropriate agent with a minimum of fuss.
One of Vonage’s strongest points is the large number of third-party integrations. It connects to staples like Google Workspace and Office 365, CRMs like Salesforce and Zendesk, and digital marketing tools like HubSpot.
Pricing starts at $14.99 per line and month. Still, wondering if Vonage is right for you? Give its 30-day free trial a shot.
Next up, Dialpad aims to be a one-stop-shop for all your business communications.
This platform was built by the team that developed Google Voice. Its innovative solutions specifically target small to midsized businesses.
Dialpad’s biggest plus is its focus on integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning. This enables productivity features like call transcription through natural language processing.
The system even offers call summaries that highlight “coachable moments” in customer conversations. Managers can focus on these when providing feedback to agents.
Dialpad’s pricing starts at $15 per user and month.
If you’re operating internationally, 8×8 is a prime choice among today’s business phone systems. It offers toll-free numbers in over 120 countries, and local ones in over 80.
In addition to this global flexibility, 8×8 provides a solid set of communication channels, which includes not only voice and video calling and conferencing but also MMS and virtual fax.
Like Vonage, it also comprises a wide range of integration options, from Office 365 to HubSpot, Slack, and Teams. Plus, it allows you to easily forward messages to other apps if you’re working with external consultants or freelancers.
A final stand-out feature of 8×8 is that you can mix-and-match subscription plans based on different team members’ needs.
Pricing starts at $12 per user and month for the basic plan and $24 for the X2 plan. There’s a 30-day trial to give 8×8’s solution a spin.
RingCentral, finally, is another solid alternative for business communication.
It offers voice and video calling, conferencing, messaging, as well as internet fax. Additional features include voicemail-to-email, auto-attendants, voicemail transcription, and team collaboration tools.
Furthermore, RingCentral integrates with a large set of business platforms, including Google Workspace, Slack, Trello, Salesforce, and Zendesk.
RingCentral’s pricing starts at $19.99 per user and month.
Conclusion: Stepping Up Your Communication Game with VoIP
The right cloud-based business phone service can help you take your communications to the next level. It will help you efficiently handle customer calls for optimal satisfaction, and facilitate internal communication in the age of remote work.
With the list above, and some research of your own, you’ll be able to pinpoint the provider that best fits your needs – with a minimum of effort, and maximum benefits.
How to become successful
For more technology Updates
Latest Jobs in Pakistan
Best Scholarships for Needy students