Software Advice BuyerView: Business VoIP Report 2015
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The 2015 Business VoIP Report analyzes insights from small businesses regarding their voice service preferences, revealing that 36% currently use VoIP, while traditional services like POTS are less common. Key findings include a desire for call forwarding to mobile devices and the need for features like auto attendants, with scalability issues driving many businesses to replace their aging phone systems. Most buyers come from organizations with less than 20 employees and VoIP solutions are particularly favored in the professional services and healthcare sectors.
Software Advice BuyerView: Business VoIP Report 2015
- 1. Software Advice BuyerView: Business VoIP Report 2015 Insight into todayâs software buyer
- 2. From August 2014 to March 2015, we talked to hundreds of small businesses (companies with annual revenues of $50 million or less) in the market for a business VoIP system. We analyzed 212 of these interactions to determine the popularity of different kinds of VoIP solutions and traditional voice services. We also determined the top reasons behind new business phone system purchases and the top functionality requested by small business buyers. Key findings: 1. More buyers already use VoIP service (36 percent of our sample) than any other type of voice service (POTS usage is at 24 percent, and PRI usage is at 11 percent). 2. A combined 29 percent of buyers are either using a cloud PBX or on-premise IP PBX, while only 15 percent still rely on some kind of legacy PBX system. 3. Twenty-nine percent of buyers want a system that forwards calls to alternate devices, while 25 percent seek a system with voicemail (25 percent). Abstract
- 3. Over a third of the buyers with whom we spoke are already using VoIP, whereas POTS usage is at 24 percent and PRI usage at 11 percent. Prospective Buyers Rely on VoIP VoIP POTS PRI Cellular 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 8% 11% 24% 36% Percent of sample N = 212
- 4. 29 percent of the buyers in our sample are already using some kind of VoIP system, whereas only 15 percent still rely on a legacy system. Cloud PBXs and IP PBXs More Popular Than Legacy Systems Legacy PBX On-premise IP PBX Cloud PBX No system in place Virtual number 0% 5% 10% 15% 1% 10% 14% 15% 15% Percent of sample N = 212
- 5. Our sample relies more heavily on mobile devices than on other kinds of phone system endpoints such as softphones and traditional desk phones. Mobile Devices Are Important Endpoints For VoIP Users Cellphone IP phone Traditional desk phone Softphone 0% 5% 10% 3% 3% 5% 8% Percent of sample N = 212
- 6. Auto attendants and ACD applications must be included in phone system suites for many of our buyers to consider a purchase. Small Businesses Rely on Auto Attendants and ACD Percent of sample N = 212 Auto attendant ACD Internet fax Softphone Conferencing Call recording Computer telephony integration Dialer 0% 20% 40% 60% 57% 29% 28% 25% 17% 16% 16% 1%
- 7. Call forwarding is the most popular feature among the buyers in our sample, with many buyers specifically requesting forwarding to mobile devices. Small Businesses Need Flexible Forwarding to Mobile Devices Call forwarding Voicemail Mobile compatibility Call reporting Integration with other software Monitoring Voicemail to email Call waiting Interactive Voice Response Caller ID Hold music Remote administration 0% 10% 20% 30% 2% 2% 2% 3% 4% 6% 6% 6% 7% 21% 25% 29% Percent of sample N = 212
- 8. The top purchase drivers among buyers in our sample are end-of-life issues with aging systems and problems with scaling phone systems to accommodate growth. Buyers Replacing Aging Systems and Systems That Donât Scale Lack of scalability Aging system Lack of PBX applications Lack of call routing functionality Current system too expensive Current system difficult to use Lack of centralized setup Support issues Quality issues Uptime issues Malfunctioning system Integration issues 0% 5% 10% 15% 2% 5% 6% 6% 7% 7% 7% 9% 9% 13% 14% 15% Percent of sample N = 212
- 9. The vast majority of respondents with legacy PBX systems cite end-of-life issues with their systems as a major purchase driver. Buyers With Legacy PBXs Have End-Of-Life System Problems Aging system Lack of call routing functionality Lack of PBX applications Difficult to use Malfunctioning system Lack of scalability Too expensive 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 7% 10% 7% 7% 10% 3% 3% 19% 6% 3% 9% 6% 16% 19% 3% 10% 10% 10% 16% 16% 52% Legacy PBX N = 31 On-premise IP PBX N = 32 Cloud PBX N = 29
- 10. Problems with phone system scalability are especially common among those buyers who currently rely on cell phones for business communications. Businesses Relying on Cell Phones Canât Scale their Solutions Aging system Lack of call routing functionality Lack of scalability Malfunctioning system 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 4% 12% 11% 9% 0% 22% 17% 0% 8% 14% 16% 36% 13% 13% 26% 52% POTS N = 50 PRI N = 23 Cellular N = 18 VoIP N = 76
- 11. SIP trunking allows organizations to provision capacity for simultaneous calls more flexibly, thus allowing businesses to use fewer lines than employees. Small Businesses Provisioning Fewer Lines Than Employees 1 - 4 employees 5 - 9 employees 10 - 19 employees 20 - 50 employees 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 35.7% 9.3% 9% 26% 55% 3% 7% 12% 41% 73% 2% 21% N = 212 34% 44% 9% 13% 1 line 2 - 4 lines 5 - 9 lines 10 - 14 lines 15 - 19 lines 20 - 99 lines 4% 36% 9%
- 12. Most of the buyers we spoke with work at organizations with fewer than 20 employees. Size of Small Business VoIP Buyersâ Organizations N = 212 17% 2 - 422% 5 - 924% 10 - 1410% 15 - 1910% 20 - 4926%
- 13. Most small-business buyers are looking for a system that supports 2 - 14 phones. Number of Phones that Small Business Buyers are Currently Using N = 212 16% 2 - 430% 5 - 925% 10 - 1413% 15 - 197% 20 - 4918% 50 - 991%
- 14. VoIP systems are especially popular among buyers in professional services and health care. Industry Segments of Small Business VoIP Buyers N = 212 Professional services33% Health care10% Retail8% Legal8% Contact center6% Manufacturing6% Transportation6% Insurance5% Finance4% Hospitality4% Nonprofit3% Other8%
- 15. Read the full report Get free price quotes on top business VoIP software Get unbiased reviews & free demos on top business VoIP software Learn More About Business VoIP Software Read Report Get Free Quotes Get Free Demos
- 16. Software Adviceâą is a trusted resource for software buyers. The company's website, www.softwareadvice.com, provides detailed reviews, comparisons and research to help organizations choose the right software. Meanwhile, the companyâs team of software analysts provide free telephone consultations to help each software buyer identify systems that best fit their needs. In the process, Software Advice connects software buyers and sellers, generating high-quality opportunities for software vendors. @SoftwareAdvice /company/software-advice @SoftwareAdvice/SoftwareAdvice