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Can VoIP Still Work During Power Outages?
Can VoIP Still Work During Power Outages?
Many myths go around VoIP phone systems, and one of the most common ones is that if you experience a power outage, your VoIP will stop working. But to debunk that myth, if you ask whether VoIP can still work during a power outage, the short answer will be yes, it can.
How, you might ask? Well, your VoIP can still work many ways during a power outage. One of which is the VoIP system's ability to route incoming calls to your smartphone automatically. So that even when your office experiences a power outage, incoming calls will be routed to mobile phones, so you do not miss any calls.
Incoming calls can be routed to your mobile phone and your other business locations if your business has multiple locations and offices. Nextiva does a great job in automatically forwarding calls to different locations so you can rest assured your VoIP will still work during a power outage.
Most VoIP phone systems are also cloud-based, so your data is always backed up and secure and can be accessed with any mobile device with the VoIP application. In case you do not have a VoIP application on your smartphone, your system should be able to divert incoming calls to voicemails automatically. This way, incoming callers can still leave you a message on your voicemail that you can get back to when your power is back up again.
Another way to keep your VoIP working during a power outage is by connecting it to a backup power supply. Backup power supplies ensure your VoIP stays online and connected whenever an unexpected outage hits your office.
Other Myths
You may have heard that VoIP phone systems can be unreliable, but as we explained above, that is untrue, as they can still work even during a power outage. Most cloud-based VoIP phone systems have an incredible 99.99% uptime, which ensures their functionality in any circumstance.
Another myth that goes around VoIP phone systems is that they have poorer call quality than landline phones. This, however, is false; with a strong internet connection, your VoIP call quality can be as good as traditional phones or even better.
Moreover, you might also worry that VoIP phone systems are not secure. Rest assured, though, as most VoIP phone systems provide several security measures such as call encryptions, two-factor authentications, advanced monitoring, and much more.
Lastly, if you believe that VoIP phone systems won't save you much money or cost you more than what you bargained for, that is also untrue. Small businesses can save up to 45% each month using a VoIP phone system instead of traditional phones, so just think how much your larger business can save up.
Let us now present you with the best VoIP phone systems that offer a 99.99% uptime and promise to still work during a power outage.
Best VoIP Phone Systems
1. Ooma
Ooma is one of the best VoIP phone system providers that offers comprehensive features and functionalities while providing a 99.999% uptime with SLA. It supports a variety of business types and all business sizes, as it can scale with your business and grow with it.
Ooma was established in 2004, and since then, it has grown to become one of the most trusted VoIP phone system providers. It is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has earned an A+ rating from them.
Ooma offers four subscription plans to its VoIP phone system; each comes with a set of features. Here is a brief of their plans and prices:
Ooma Office plan: $19.95/month/user
The office plan is the most basic, it most suited for small businesses, and comes with the standard features you would expect such as:
- Call forwarding
- Call waiting
- Virtual faxes
- Text messages
- Virtual receptionist
- Forward calls during device outages
- One virtual fax per user
- Intercom
- Multi-device ring
- SMS messaging
- Overhead paging
Ooma Office Pro plan: $24.95/month/ user
The Office Pro plan is a slightly upgraded version of the Office plan, and it offers some extra functionalities with everything from the Office plan:
- Video conferencing
- Call recording
- Voicemail transcription
- Caller info match
- Call analytics
- Call through Ooma's desktop app
- 3-click provision
- 24/7 customer support
- 99.999% uptime with SLA
- LTE Primary and Failover connectivity
- Advanced business phone features
Ooma Enterprise plan: $27.99/month per user
The Enterprise plan offers more comprehensive functionalities such as international coverage, SIP trunking, SaaS integrations, call conferencing, analytics dashboard, call parking, hybrid deployments, and much more! All previously mentioned features that come with the previous plans are also included.
The Enterprise plan is more suited for larger businesses or enterprises, as they can save up a lot using this plan.
Ooma Enterprise Call Center plan: $49.99/month per user
This is the fully-featured plan that Ooma offers to call centers and large businesses. It packs all the features we mentioned above and graphic interactive voice response, intelligent call routing, and a call builder.
However, some features, like a toll-free number, may have their separate extra pricing.
2. Nextiva
Nextiva is our second recommendation for one of the best VoIP phone system providers that offer an incredible 99.99% uptime and the latest technology that will provide your business with the functionality it needs.
Nextiva also offers extra products that support its VoIP phones systems, such as a Contact Center, Video Meeting, Collaboration tools, and a mobile application. Nextiva presents you with four subscription plans for its VoIP phone system:
Essential Plan: $18.95/month/ user
The Essentials plan packs the basic functionalities you would need, and those include:
- Unlimited video and voice calling
- Toll-free numbers
- Business phone system
- Auto-attendant
- Mobile app
- Outlook and Google Contacts integrations
Professional Plan: $22.95/month/user
This plan offers all the perks provided with the Essentials plans, plus unlimited conference calls for up to 40 users and unlimited video conferencing for up to 250 users.
Enterprise Plan: $32.95/month/user
In addition to all the features we mentioned above, this plan provides you with unlimited voice and video conferencing participants, call recording and call pop.
Ultimate Plan: $57.95/month/user
The Ultimate plan packs all of Nextiva's VoIP phone system features, which means all that we previously mentioned in addition to:
- Ticket Management
- Customer Analytics
- Service Productivity
- Unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada
- Free local and toll-free number
- Voicemail-to-email
- Desktop and mobile app
- 24/7 customer support
Take a Look at Nextiva Plans
3. RingCentral
Our last pick for one of the best VoIP phone systems goes for RingCentral. It offers an inclusive VoIP phone system that your business will make great use of, no matter its type or size.
Call RingCentral: 888-520-8463
One of RingCentral's highlight features is its ability to seamlessly integrate with over 250 applications like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. It also allows you to build your own application and solutions using its open API.
RingCentral offers four subscription plans for its VoIP phone system:
Essentials: $19.99 per month, billed annually
The Essentials plan is best for smaller businesses with tighter budgets and those who need very few service options. It offers the following features:
- Team messaging
- Unlimited calls within the United States and Canada
- Unlimited business SMS
- Voicemail-to-text
- Document sharing
- High-definition audio quality
- Toll-free and business phone numbers
Standard: $27.99 per month, billed annually
The Standard plan is likely the best service option for smaller companies due to its deep set of features and integrations that allow for international reach and collaboration. It's also the most affordable option to customers with more than 20 users.
The Standard plan comes with all the Essentials plan's features, in addition to:
- Business phone numbers in more than 100 countries
- Unlimited internet fax
- Unlimited audio conferencing
- Up to 24-hour meetings
- Video meetings with up to 100 participants
- 24/7 service support
- Quality-of-service reports
- Collaborative software integrations such as Google Workspace, Slack, and Microsoft 365
- High-definition video quality
Premium: $34.99 per month, billed annually
The Premium plan is most suited for medium-sized businesses with at least 100 users. It allows you to make use of CRM integrations with all the features that come with previous plans, plus the following:
- Up to eight-digit extensions, with site codes
- Automatic call recording
- Single sign-on
- Hot desking
- Admin and management for multiple sites
- Advanced call handling
- Video meetings with up to 200 participants
- CRM integrations like Salesforce, Canvas, and Zendesk
- Custom integrations and platforms for developers
Ultimate: $49.99 per month, billed annually
The Ultimate plan is a fully-featured package, and it works great for large businesses or enterprises. It packs everything in the previous plans, in addition to unlimited storage.