With an increasing shift in the telecom industry and growing business communication needs, VoIP solutions are in heavy demand. There are many companies that have started using one or more VoIP software. On the other hand, many serial entrepreneurs have embarked their venture in this rapidly growing industry.
To start a business or to use the features of a VoIP solution, one needs a VoIP software solution. Of course, SaaS and rental VoIP services are made available at affordable rates in the market, but it does not give any type of ownership or control and that is why it is not that appealing to many business owners. Furthermore, the entrepreneurs who want to start a VoIP business need to have a product controlled by them. There are 2 options to get a VoIP solution as follow:
- Buy a VoIP product
- Get VoIP development services
Both approaches have their own pros and cons. Let’s explore in brief to help you choose the best option.
1. Time
The first factor to consider is time to market. You need to define how crucial it is to hit the market early or can you wait until the VoIP development finishes to build a robust and scalable solution with high-level security.
In both cases, the VoIP development service can be used to build your system. You can hire a dedicated VoIP developer or a team of VoIP development experts to finish development faster to reduce time to market. Of course, it will take a few weeks to build a system, but it is worth your investment.
On the other hand, if you are running out of time and you have no time to wait, go for an off the shelve product as with it you can get started within a few days; as soon as you finish formalities.
2. Cost
The cost to be invested in resources is one of the driving factors in making a choice for sure.
Buying a ready to use the product would be cheaper compared to building a VoIP solution from scratch. Generally, people think that buying a ready to use product is a one time investment, which is partially true. You will need to pay more to get access to the upgrades, which ultimately increases the cost.
3. Personalization
Each business has its own way of doing business and each business owner has his own preferences to run the business as per his strategy. Thus, getting a tailored solution that matches your business specifics is preferred by many.
In the case of the VoIP solution development, you can get all types of personalization into the system as you are the final decision maker in terms of features, flow, look and feel, user interface and user experience. All your VoIP development company or team would do is the development. Thus, you get a 100% personalized solution.
On the contrary, the VoIP product will be an already developed system. You will need to either use it as it is or you need to pay an additional cost to personalize it for you. Even with this sort of VoIP customization, you may not get exactly the same personalization you would expect.
4. Ownership
Ownership of the product involves ownership of the code, data, and all other things related to the system.
When you build your VoIP solution with VoIP programming services, you receive 100% ownership of the code. At the end of the project, your VoIP development company will handover you the system along with the code and all other assets related to the solution. Once you get the system, you are its owner and own everything related to it.
On the contrary, the VoIP product is owned by the provider. You will only get a software without code. The VoIP company that provided you that a VoIP solution will not only own the solution, but it will also have all the rights to make any customization of the solution.
5. Reliability
Last, but definitely not the least, is the reliability. Of course, the solution has to be secure and reliable about its performance, but it also has to be reliable about its life and operability.
When you get a custom VoIP software development, you are the in-charge of your solution and you will make all decisions about its operations and advancements.
On the other hand, when you use a ready to use VoIP product, your provider is in the position of in-charge. He has the right to stop providing you the service or terminating the business. Also, he can change the flow and vision to be achieved with the solution. Some renowned names in the VoIP industry had shut down the products and services all of sudden which left people in a dilemma.
Conclusion
These are the top 5 factors one needs to keep in mind while deciding to buy a new VoIP solution. In summation, if you have budget constraints, then go for a ready to use VoIP product. However, if the cost is not a constraint, it is recommended to go for custom VoIP software development.
We provide both, off the shelve VoIP products and custom development services for major VoIP software. Connect with us to discuss more and get a free consultation to choose the best approach for your business.
