We will discuss whether you can setup a backup for VoIP phone systems in case the power or internet goes down. Is there anything more important when running a business than being able to talk to customers? Whether it’s providing support or you’re selling products or services, you need to be there when your customers need you.
With traditional phone technology, when disaster struck, your office used to go dark. There was no chance to easily route your calls to other phone lines, backup voicemails, or really anything. If something bad happened, your customers would get some sort of awful sound through the phone letting them know you were unavailable.
When we’re talking to prospective customers about VoIP phone services, our customers want to know that this nightmare is a thing of the past. Fortunately, it is, and if you’re looking at VoIP technology, you can rest easy knowing that disaster avoidance is one of the strongest features of a VoIP phone system, enabling you to always be there when a customer needs you.
Can you setup a backup for VoIP phone systems in case the power or internet goes down?
The short answer is yes, absolutely! In fact, there is no limit to the amount of backups you could have (of course aside from financial restraints).
Of course the options that are at your disposal are going to depend on the specific system you have in place, but generally yes, there are various ways you can protect your business in case the power or internet dies. In fact, we’ve talked about this very subject before in two other articles:
- What happens to my VoIP phone systems during a power outage?
- What happens to the VoIP phone system at my business if the internet goes down?
But like I said, the backups you can have in places are going to depend on the system you have and the options available. For instance, some customers have 3 different internet providers for one location. They’ll use data over on provider, VoIP with another, with each line a backup for the other, and a 3rd line as an additional backup. This way they can let the lines fail over to each other line if necessary.
Conversely, some customers have dedicated MPLS lines directly to a data center in case commercial internet goes out.
Aside from secondary or tertiary internet lines, there are other optons available as well.
When it comes to backup or failover options, you can do a plethora of things:
- Send calls to traditional old school analog lines.
- Route calls to cell phones.
- Send calls directly to either voicemail (which can then be emailed directly to employees). or to a disaster specific line letting them know the office is temporarily experiencing an issue.
- If you have multiple locations, you can route calls to other branches, stores, facilities, or offices.
And the best part about all these options is regardless of what you choose, your customer never knows the difference!
Flexibility & ease of use in an emergency is where VoIP shines.
Unlike old traditional phone systems, a VoIP phone system can be easily managed through an internet portal. This means if you have a cell phone, your out of town, or working from home, you can modify your system as necessary quickly and easily. You can make substantial changes within seconds to your VoIP phone system in case of an emergency. Or, things can be setup so your system does this all automatically so you never have to worry about these issues!
The key is to set this all up prior to an emergency. Don’t wait until the next big storm to figure out what to do, sett it all up ahead of time and ensure you’re covered in case of an emergency. While modifying your system is easy to do, it’s necessarily easy to do when a disaster happens.
And remember, test it! Don’t expect it to work, make sure it works. Unplug your modem and see what happens when the internet goes down. Are things working correctly? If so, don’t sweat it! If not, it’s time to figure out why.
To learn more about disaster avoidance, contact us online, shoot me an e-mail directly at bbraunschweiger@tele-datasolutions.com, or give me a call on my direct line at 908-378-1201.
By Bill Braunschweiger
VoIP Engineer, Tele-Data Solutions
E-mail: bbraunschweiger@tele-datasolutions.com | Direct Line: (908) 378-1201
When I'm not helping my TDS customers keep their systems up and running at 110 percent, I like to stay active. I really enjoy playing hockey and experiencing the great outdoors while mountain biking. I have a wonderful family, I've been married for two years, I have a great six-year-old son named Nathan, and I have a wheaten terrier.
