When businesses consider switching to a hosted VoIP system, the first question that often comes up is, “What exactly am I paying for each month?” At first glance, the answer might seem straightforward—phone service over the internet. But the reality is that a hosted VoIP plan includes a suite of features and services that go far beyond just voice calling. Understanding these elements can help you see the true value of what’s bundled into your monthly bill.
Inside a VoIP Business Phone Plan: Features, Tools, and Value
1. Core Voice Services
At the heart of every cloud VoIP plan is fundamental voice calling. Nowadays, most service plans offer unlimited calling but note that these plans usually have “fair use” policies in the fine print. Consult the details of the specific plan to see if the unlimited calling area is limited to the United States or includes a broader range of international regions. When international calling is not included, you’ll have to pay per-minute charges to dial international phone numbers. Rates should be listed on the provider’s website.
Unlimited call plans are typically billed on a per-user per-month or per-line per-month basis, resulting in a flat monthly cost. Customers pay for their selected plan each month.
OnSIP offers an unlimited calling plan with a current promo that gives new customers free desk phones when signing up 5+ users! We also have another, distinctive pricing plan available for companies: our Basic Plan.
This plan equips you with a base set of business calling features, including voicemail boxes, ring groups, auto attendants, and a dial-by-name directory. You can easily add (and remove) additional call features on an as-needed basis to meet your requirements.
Organizations that use the Basic Plan are not charged on a flat per-user basis. They pay only for their phone calls and the specific features—both the base set and any additional add-ons—they use each month. Toll and toll-free calls are charged to the customer at a low per-minute basis.
Customers who select the Basic Plan can add all the users that their business needs without paying individual per-user fees on their monthly bills. This plan is ideal for companies that have low or fluctuating call volumes—nonprofits, seasonal businesses, tax firms, and the like.
2. Call Handling and Advanced Call Management Features
In a VoIP billing plan, companies gain day-to-day call handling features like hold, mute, call forwarding, and call transfer, all designed to keep communication flowing and professional. Also included is voicemail and voicemail to email—an important feature that enhances your employees’ responsiveness and speed.
You’ll also find advanced call management tools that are especially valuable for customer-facing teams (think sales, support, and billing/finance departments). Auto attendants, for example, help direct incoming callers to the right staff member or department without needing human intervention. And business hour rules allow you to automatically send callers to a different person or department based on the time of day and day of week that a client calls.
3. Mobility and Remote Work Support
Hosted phone systems are inherently mobile-friendly. One of the often-overlooked advantages found in a VoIP billing plan is the flexibility it provides for remote and hybrid teams. Employees can access their work phone from anywhere by logging into the VoIP provider’s softphone app on mobile devices or computers/laptops.
Softphones are essentially software-based telephones, where you have all of the interfaces and abilities of a phone right on your personal device. And by now, virtually all VoIP services have their own softphone available to customers. The OnSIP app has an online portal where users and administrators can make and receive calls, configure settings, check voicemail, and adjust call preferences. The app is available in web browser, desktop, and mobile app versions.
4. Collaboration and Integration Tools
Modern VoIP platforms go beyond simple voice calling. On the collaboration side, many cloud phone providers include tools like video conferencing, screen sharing, and presence status displays. Some plans even integrate with CRM platforms and productivity tools, allowing users to log calls, automatically pull up customer data when that person calls in, or track contact history. (Check with the specific provider to see if these integrations are included or have an additional monthly fee.)
These integrations help bridge the gap between communication and workflow, turning your VoIP system into a linchpin for daily business operations.
5. Reporting and Analytics
A business phone plan also provides monthly invoices and various reports of phone usage data. Take advantage of this invaluable visibility into call activity:
- Call detail records (CDRs): Get insights on call times, call duration, and phone number dialed.
- Real-time call queue dashboards: Monitor queue performance and agent activity.
- Call reports: Track KPIs and call analytics like average hold time, call volume, average call time with agent, and number of missed calls.
6. Security, Support, and Maintenance
Security and reliability are also key parts of the package. With hosted VoIP, there’s no hardware to maintain on-site at your office. Your monthly plan includes ongoing software updates (handled by the phone service staff), data encryption, and redundancy built into the provider’s infrastructure to ensure service continuity. Plus, support is available through a variety of avenues, including phone, email, chat, and support tickets.
So, when you pay for hosted VoIP each month, you’re investing in a robust, feature-rich communication system that supports flexibility, enhances professionalism, and improves operational efficiency. When evaluating plans, be sure to consider what’s included — not just the price — to ensure you’re getting a solution that meets both your immediate and long-term business needs.