While Jason VanDevender, the CEO of Internet marketing firm ANSR, may not have anticipated how rapidly his business would grow, he knew a full-featured, scalable phone system was necessary. He also understood the need for a solution that would keep pace with staff changes and additions, offer simple routing to secondary phone numbers or e-mail addresses, allow individualization of messaging for each employee, and prove reliable enough to ensure instant communication between buyers and sellers during critical negotiations.

The hosted solution specifically designed for small businesses provided ANSR with the power of a full-featured traditional PBX.

ANSR services a broad spectrum of clients in a variety of sectors, including the real estate, mortgage, automotive and education arenas. The firm faced a challenge not unusual to many small businesses–finding a reliable, affordable and professional voice communications system.

Coupled with its expansion into the real estate market in Indiana, the company faced an even more daunting challenge in addressing its communications needs. With the operation of two distinct businesses under the same roof and sales associates scattered across the country, ANSR required a solution that could best meet its unique situation at an affordable price.

“Each division of the company relies heavily on voice communications to seamlessly conduct day-to-day business,” VanDevender explains. “Additionally, a phone system that could improve productivity across multiple business models and allow for constant adjustments to fit the needs of each area of focus was an important part of our strategy.”

Because ANSR’s services and business model are non-traditional, it invested much time and research examining non-traditional communications options, such as voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), that offered attractive pricing and features that would best fit its needs.

During an extensive examination of a variety of solutions, VanDevender realized that some solutions could tether his organization to long-term contracts, up-front equipment costs and long waits for customer service. Plus, as the list of solution “must haves” continued to grow, he realized the company might have to sacrifice something to afford day-to-day maintenance within a pricing structure that fit its needs. Hiring someone to maintain a communications system was not an option for the organization, and buying service bundles with unnecessary calling features was unattractive.

Instead, ANSR was seeking a service provider that allowed customers to pick and choose features as needed, and offered a solution that was ready to be implemented right out of the box. VanDevender also wanted to find an innovative partner that would complement ANSR’s core business by harnessing the power of the Internet to meet the scalable needs of emerging businesses.

After reviewing several options, VanDevender selected a pre-configured, hosted VoIP PBX solution from Vocalocity that could be installed in less than an hour. The system easily integrated into the company’s existing phone system, did not involve a tech support person visiting its office and did not require any equipment beyond IP phones.

The hosted solution–specifically designed for small businesses–provided ANSR with the power of a full-featured, traditional PBX and the cost-effectiveness and scalability of a VoIP solution. The company no longer uses traditional phone lines and now relies on a broadband connection to transport calls over the Internet.

When implementing this new system, ANSR was initially concerned whether its network could handle the influx of voice packets. ANSR worked with its service provider to configure its routers to manage voice before data transfers and was guided through this process with no downtime.

“As an emerging business, our communications needs change daily,” says VanDevender. “VocalocityPBX forwards all calls directly to our sales personnel no matter where they are, allowing us to operate with a virtual staff that is dispersed nationwide. We can create and maintain call groups, create unique on-hold messages, set up 800-number access for conferencing large groups, and receive voice mail as e-mail attachments.”

The system also allows ANSR to set up new personnel on the network with the click of a mouse. In less than five minutes and without the support of IT staff, it can assign new extensions from anywhere in the country. Tasks that would normally require hours of configuration efforts with traditional PBX phone systems are handled quickly, without the need for tech support visits.

“Initially, we began using a hosted PBX solution with 10 extensions in one office location,” says VanDevender. “Today, we are using the same VocalocityPBX to manage voice communication for two offices with 31 extensions. Plans are in progress to open a third office that would bring the total number of extensions to 48. Despite our growth, the system is as reliable and efficient as when we began using it.

“We remain delighted by the amount of money we save on phone usage compared to our previous options,” he adds. “We have realized a 40 percent savings over traditional phone equipment and long-distance plans.”

VanDevender also praises the customer service ANSR receives. “Our hosted VoIP service provider, for instance, conducts a weekly conference call so we can ensure we are benefiting as much as possible from our solution,” he explains. “During these calls, we learn how to best use current features, make quick changes or alterations while on the road, and get advance information on new features and product upgrades. These calls also provide a forum for us to interact with other companies who use these services, creating a network for idea-sharing and even lead generation.”

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