The rise of VoIP technologies gave service providers an opportunity to generate additional revenue streams. VoIP supports voice, data and media. Service providers can differentiate and deliver modular services to customers according to their needs. Shifting services to the cloud further enhances service delivery and drawing in of customers since it requires no upfront investment and users can pay only for services they need. IP PBX software is one such service that ITSPs and others can leverage to generate additional revenue.
Picking a modular, hosted IP PBX
For the IP PBX to be a money spinner for Service Providers it must be multi-tenant, hosted white label type. What this means for service providers:
• They do not have to buy the software, host it and maintain it. The IP PBX solution provider takes care of it.
• The multi-tenant model is the one to prefer. You can have a tenant who, in turn, can have several tenants in a tree-branch structure. Each account remains separate and permissions can be granted for each module. You can bill the tenant and the tenant can bill users with freedom to set rates.
• White label means they can brand it as their own service
• Multi-lingual features overcome geographic barriers of language and multi-currency feature likewise removes currency restrictions
• Billing and integrated payment gateway facilitates ease of timely payment collection from tenants and for tenants from their sub-tenants.
Optimizing costs with LCR
Competition is keen and for a VoIP service provider to attract business users with IP PBX software offering their pricing must be attractive. LCR or least cost routing is a must have feature of the IP PBX Software. It takes care of finding the best and most cost effective route and prioritizing selection to ensure low cost as well as assured connections with crystal clear voice quality.
Bundle a host of high quality call features
Rax Enterprise, a manufacturer-exporter relies on communication to coordinate and streamline production, logistics and supplies across various geographic locations. They chose full featured IP PBX software with call back, call forward, call packing, call transfer, DND, speed dial, voicemail and video call facility. This basic feature set permitted fluid communication between team members, with customers and with vendors. The multi-tenant model proved quite useful in maintaining precise accounts for their overseas branches. The best thing, according to the owner, is the subscription model. “In effect, we are paying from earnings, though the cost may be slightly higher,” he stated.
IP PBX comes in different flavors but choosing one that offers excellent quality of audio is vitally important. This should be independent of internet speeds and devices used. Users may plug in an IP phone at one end or some may make use of soft phones or smartphones. It works. That is what you expect and what customers expect so why let it be a pain point?
At this point it must be stated that even in the USA there are hundreds of businesses that still use PSTN. Some have made a partial transition to hardware IP Phones. Therefore, the package you offer must fit in PSTN, hardware SIP phones and softphones as well as mobile devices. The auto provisioning features very nicely takes care of accommodating all devices.
Modular monetizing
Today’s IP PBX offerings from top vendors are Unified communication models with a variety of modules such as SMS/Voice broadcast, WebRTC and FAX, for instance. You can develop different models starting with bare bones IP PBX service and then offer others as value added services. The call threshold plan feature offers flexibility to the main service provider and tenants to define and set limits to call usage, call duration, and destination.
Xtra Telecom in NY loved the modular feature. In fact their head honchos spent some time thinking of and designing a modular service model that would appeal to businesses of all types and sizes from one man shows to corporates. Not surprisingly, they were able to rope in more customers and today they have hundreds of customers.
Profits and cost reductions
One must be competitive in price. At the same time it is important to meet customer expectations of top quality technology backed by excellent and timely services. This can be the make or break point for service providers. If you rely on a third party and if they do not deliver you lose customers. Choose the right provider of hosted IP PBX solution offering top drawer quality of service and you will see higher retention, more customers coming in through the doors, more profits and cost reductions. IP PBX is a basic need for businesses of all types and sizes. Include it in your portfolio and you have a money spinner on your hands.
Author Bio:
Hiten Dudhatra is a Team Lead - Digital Marketing at Ecosmob Technologies Pvt. Ltd. He likes to share his opinions on IT & Telecommunication industries via guest posts. His main interest to write the content for IP PBX Software, Multi-Tenant IP PBX & Hosted IP PBX Software. @hitendudhatra
