V For Vonage

March 31, 2006

By Staff

Internet phone company, Vonage, is quickly growing and proving that the Skype is not the limit. By placing calls over the Web it’s helping home businesses save a fortune on their phone bills. And it could help you too.

Vonage is a world leader in the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) business, with over 1.4 million subscriber lines all over the world.

VoIP

VoIP technology allows people to make phone calls with their computers. Voice signals are transmitted over the Web rather than through the copper wires that have been the backbone of the telecom industry since the days of Alexander Graham Bell.

By doing so, services like Vonage can undercut the big phone companies by offering cheaper monthly calling plans. Residential subscribers can make unlimited calls to the UK and Republic of Ireland for only £7.99 per month. Small businesses can do the same for £18.99 and receive a free dedicated fax line. Both plans include many free features, including Caller Display, Call Waiting and Voicemail Plus, which allows you to manage your messages by phone, e-mail and online.

And since Vonage includes an adaptor to connect your broadband connection to your existing phone you don’t have to sit by your computer to make a call or splash out on a new handset, as you might have using Skype.

Big Savings

Anthony Williams is the Managing Director of Williams Ross, a social care consultancy, specialising in children and family services. Like many home-based entrepreneurs, Anthony needed a cost effective telecoms provider, and after a number of years with Telewest decided to look to Vonage for a better deal.

“We used to utilise Telewest for our broadband, TV and as our telecoms provider. We had three phone lines but with bills of £120 per month, we felt this was too high. We opted for Vonage because the price of the telephone package was very attractive.”

Williams Ross Consultancy has been using Vonage since January 2006. By turning to Vonage, Anthony was able to reduce his line rental costs by £20 per month. Call and special feature savings (such as call waiting and caller display) are £21 per month on three land lines, which will result in an annual saving of over £490 per year for
Williams Ross Consultants on the cost of their telecoms.

Anthony adds “The Vonage fax line has more than adequate free phone calls adding yet further savings, which would take the annual savings to in excess of £500 per year. To a small family-run business, this is both impressive and significant. If we were a slightly larger company with a need for more phone lines, the savings would obviously be much more.”

For more information about Vonage visit their website at www.vonage.co.uk