Editor’s Note: Voice services deliver unified, scalable communications for organizations, integrating remote and office teams through secure digital platforms. The article examines factors such as call quality, clou... Read More
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Get 24/7 IT Support NowManaged voice services (MVS) are becoming more common. These services allow businesses to outsource their phone systems to third parties, and MVS providers offer call centers, voicemail, web and video conferencing, voicemail mobility, screen sharing, instant messaging, presence, and other features. There are several reasons why companies choose managed voice services over building their VoIP system.
First, they don’t want to deal with the cost or complexity of setting up and maintaining a network. Second, they want to save time and resources by outsourcing these tasks. MVS isn’t always the best solution. If you’re considering using MVS, consider some things before signing a contract.
The term “managed voice” refers to a service that allows companies to outsource certain aspects of their telephone systems. The services offered by managed voice providers typically include the following:
PBX (Private Branch Exchange) – A private branch exchange connects multiple lines to place calls between each line. This allows users to place calls from one number to another without dialing the entire number.
Voicemail – This allows customers to leave messages when no one answers the phone.
VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) – Uses internet protocols to send voice signals through the internet instead of traditional phone wires.
Virtual Private Network – Provides secure connections between remote offices and headquarters.
SIP Trunking – allows businesses to use existing phone numbers to make international calls.
Cloud VoIP – offers cloud computing solutions that allow businesses to communicate using web applications.
Managed voice shifts much of the phone system’s infrastructure, administration, and ongoing support to a service provider. In contrast, traditional phone systems typically require businesses to own and manage their PBX and related infrastructure.
| Factor | Managed Voice | Traditional Phone System |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure ownership | Provider typically hosts or manages the voice platform, while the business may retain phones and network equipment. | Business typically owns or leases the PBX, handsets, gateways, and supporting infrastructure. |
| Deployment | Usually delivered as a managed service using IP phones, softphones, or existing compatible devices. | Requires on-premises PBX installation, telephone lines, hardware, and configuration. |
| Scalability | Users, extensions, numbers, and features can generally be added or removed through the provider. | Scaling often requires additional hardware, licenses, telephone lines, or on-site configuration. |
| Maintenance | The provider handles much of the platform maintenance, monitoring, upgrades, and troubleshooting. | Internal IT teams or a third-party technician handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting. |
| Features | Typically includes auto attendants, call queues, voicemail, mobile/softphone access, analytics, and integrations. | Features depend heavily on the PBX model, installed software, and additional hardware or licenses. |
| Costs | Usually follows a subscription or per-user model, potentially reducing upfront infrastructure costs but creating recurring service expenses. | Often involves higher upfront hardware and deployment costs, with ongoing maintenance, carrier, licensing, and upgrade expenses. |
| Provider responsibility | Provider is responsible for agreed platform availability, support, monitoring, and SLA commitments. | Business has greater responsibility for system availability, hardware failures, upgrades, and service coordination. |
In short, traditional phone systems give businesses more direct ownership and control over their telephony infrastructure, while managed voice prioritizes outsourced management, easier scalability, ongoing support, and predictable service delivery. The right choice depends on the organization’s budget, internal IT capabilities, existing infrastructure, and need for flexibility.
Migrating to managed voice should follow a phased process to minimize downtime and preserve business phone numbers, call flows, and user functionality. A typical migration includes these steps:
Assess the existing phone system: Inventory phone numbers, extensions, users, devices, PBX or IP-PBX equipment, call queues, auto attendants, voicemail, conference lines, fax or analog services, integrations, and existing carrier contracts. Document current call flows and identify critical numbers and services that cannot be interrupted.
Plan number porting: Work with the managed voice provider to submit the required porting documentation and schedule the transfer of business numbers. Verify account information and numbers carefully, and keep the existing carrier service active until porting has completed successfully. Number-porting requests may require planning, so start them early.
Check network readiness: Validate Internet/WAN capacity, latency, jitter, packet loss, firewall and NAT configuration, VLANs, DHCP, DNS, QoS, PoE switches, Wi-Fi, and backup connectivity. Test the network under realistic calling conditions before moving production traffic to the managed voice platform.
Configure the managed voice platform: Provision users, extensions, phone numbers, devices, business hours, caller ID, voicemail, auto attendants, hunt groups, call queues, forwarding rules, recording, permissions, and required CRM or business application integrations. Recreate the existing call flows and take the opportunity to simplify outdated configurations.
Test the new environment: Use temporary numbers or a pilot group to test inbound and outbound calls, transfers, hold, voicemail, caller ID, DTMF, queues, auto attendants, mobile or softphone access, integrations, and emergency calling. Complete user acceptance testing before approving the production cutover.
Onboard and train users: Provide users with their new phones or softphone applications and explain calling, transfers, voicemail, conferencing, mobile access, and support procedures. Give administrators and help-desk staff the information they need to troubleshoot and escalate issues.
Execute the cutover: Schedule the migration during a low-traffic period when both internal IT staff and the managed voice provider can provide support. Complete the number port or routing change, activate the production call flows, and immediately test critical inbound and outbound numbers. A phased rollout can reduce risk compared with moving every user at once.
Monitor and validate: After cutover, monitor call quality, failed calls, registration problems, queue performance, routing, and user issues. Confirm that critical business numbers and integrations continue to work as expected before retiring the legacy phone system.
Maintain a rollback plan: Define specific conditions that would trigger rollback, such as widespread call failures, critical number-porting problems, severe call-quality issues, or unavailable emergency calling. Document who can authorize rollback, how calls will be redirected to the legacy system, and how successful recovery will be verified. Keep the old system and carrier service available during the agreed stabilization period.
A managed voice SLA should clearly define how the provider measures service availability, voice quality, support responsiveness, and issue resolution. Before signing, evaluate these key criteria:
| SLA Criteria | What to Evaluate |
|---|---|
| Uptime and availability | Guaranteed service availability percentage, covered components, planned-maintenance exclusions, and how outages are measured. |
| Call quality | Commitments for latency, jitter, packet loss, MOS or other voice-quality metrics, along with how performance is monitored and reported. |
| Response times | Maximum time before support acknowledges an incident, with separate targets for critical, high, medium, and low-priority issues. |
| Resolution targets | Target restoration or resolution times by severity, including whether the provider guarantees resolution or only an initial response. |
| Support availability | 24/7 support for critical voice outages, available support channels, monitoring coverage, and whether after-hours support carries additional charges. |
| Escalation process | Defined escalation levels, technical and management contacts, escalation triggers, and communication frequency during major incidents. |
| Service credits | Credits or other remedies when SLA commitments are missed, including eligibility, calculation method, claim process, and maximum credit limits. |
Also check whether the SLA covers number-porting delays, emergency calling, carrier dependencies, network outages, hardware replacement, and third-party integrations. The agreement should distinguish provider-controlled failures from customer-side network problems and other exclusions so accountability is clear.
If you want to save money and increase efficiency, managed voice solutions are the right choice. They also make adding new employees and customers to your phone system easy, making it simple to grow your business. You can even use a mobile app to check up on your phone system from wherever you are.
Business owners who have used a managed voice solution say there are many benefits to using a managed system. Here are just some of the reasons why companies use managed voice solutions:
Save Time – When you use a managed voice solution, you no longer have to spend countless hours setting up and configuring your phone system. Instead, you can concentrate on growing your business.
Reduce Costs – Using a managed voice solution, your company can save thousands of dollars yearly on costly long-distance charges.
Improve Customer Service – Customers appreciate being able to reach you 24/7, even if it means calling your cell phone. Using a managed voice system, you can provide better customer service than ever before.
Increase Productivity – Having an efficient phone system makes it easier for employees to get work done. Employees can now focus on more important tasks rather than spending time on mundane tasks such as answering phones or taking orders.
Reduce Risk – Companies using a managed voice solution benefit from reduced risk because they know their phone system is secure and reliable.
While you should always look at the cost of a service, you shouldn’t base your decision solely on price. Consider the features offered by different providers. Some companies offer unlimited calling plans, while others only provide basic services. It’s important to find a company that offers what you need, rather than the cheapest option available.
As mentioned previously, many different phone systems have unique features, making it hard for customers to compare providers. The best way to narrow your search is to determine what type of phone system you need, which will help you figure out what features you need to make your life easier.
What Is The Company’s Reputation Like? – Don’t settle for any old provider. Look online for reviews, and read customer testimonials. These are great ways to learn more about a provider before committing to a deal.
How Does The Company Handle Technical Issues? – Not all companies are created equal when handling technical issues, and some companies are better equipped to fix issues quickly, while others prefer to wait until the next day or week. Find a company that takes care of problems right away.
Do You Offer Special Offers? – If you’re looking for a discount, don’t expect to get one. Most companies charge a flat rate for each line, regardless of how much you call, and some providers offer discounts for large volume calls.
Do You Have A Good Customer Support Team? – Are they willing to answer questions promptly? How easy is it to reach someone via email or live chat?
How Long Has The Provider Been Operating? – Plenty of companies have been around for years but haven’t provided excellent customer service. Make sure you choose a provider who has been operating for several years and has a solid reputation.
Is The Price Right? – Finally, make sure that the price is reasonable. After all, you want to save money without sacrificing quality.
If you want to start saving money and increase productivity at your business, consider using a voice solution. When it comes to choosing a provider, there are a lot of factors to take into account. Hopefully, this article helped you understand why shopping around is important for the best possible service. When you start shopping around, you’ll see many options for every budget. It can be challenging to decide which provider is right for you with so many choices. Fortunately, we’ve done the work for you.
Contact us today for more information on our Managed Voice Services. We would love to help you find the right solution for your business.
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