Business-class voice-over-IP (VOIP) services are revolutionizing communications.
As organizations move their communication tools away from traditional phone service providers and premise-based PBX to the cloud, they're unlocking lower overhead costs, spending less on maintenance, and getting new features that can scale to meet explosive business growth.
For one global organization, Dell, a move to cloud VoIP saved $39.5 million and allowed their employees to begin regularly telecommuting via mobility features.
There are advantages to choosing a local company for Mid-Atlantic organizations and companies in Maryland for your VoIP needs.
Working with a locally-owned and operated organization can provide access to consulting, support, and maintenance services via local experts and techs, as opposed to third-party contractors hired by a national provider. Fortunately, there are several high-quality options based in Rockville, Bethesda, Silver Spring, and other areas of Maryland.
Not all VoIP providers are created equal. The organizations profiled here don't offer the same specializations; some focus on phone service only for smaller businesses, while others are in the managed IT vertical.
How To Choose VoIP Service Providers: Maryland
To choose the best VoIP service provider for your Maryland-based business, you'll need to have a concrete system to evaluate vendors. When considering a VoIP service provider, you should ask six vital questions. The answers to these questions will help you make the best decision for your business regarding VoIP service providers in Maryland.
- What features does your service offer?
Your business has unique needs. You’ll need to ensure the VoIP service provider you are pursuing offers the features that will meet those needs. Consider features like call waiting, caller ID, virtual extension, and more.
- Do you have experience working with clients in our industry?
Your industry may require different installation, implementation, training, or support needs from other industries. Partnering with a service provider familiar with your industry can save you headaches down the road.
- What is your experience working with clients with our capacity?
What is your business’s call capacity? Does it change seasonally or throughout the week? Ensure your service provider has the back-end infrastructure you need to maintain a high quality for all calls regardless of volume.
- What does your customer support system look like?
No matter how strong the service is, issues are inevitable. When those issues arise, will the service provider be able to support your business and solve the issue quickly? Review testimonials and customer reviews at this point in the evaluation process.
- How scalable is your solution? Can you grow with our business?
How quickly and easily can you add lines and extensions as your business grows? Business expansion always comes with growing pains, but with the right provider, your VoIP solution doesn’t have to be one of those pains.
- How reliable is your service?
We’ve saved the most essential question for last. To succeed, your business needs an uptime level of 99.999 percent. Ask about the levels of redundancy in place with your provider, ensuring a lack of downtime even in the face of power outages or other complications.
With these questions in mind, let’s examine the top seven VoIP service providers Maryland has to offer.
1. Chesapeake Telephone Systems
Founded in 1985, Chesapeake Telephone Systems provides Mitel-based VoIP, cloud communication tools, wireless data, and related services to companies in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic.
Network services include local, LD, and broadband internet connectivity. One review by a Chesapeake client in the finance industry complemented the company stating: “They get the job done right - every time."
“Our 15-year relationship with Chesapeake has really paid off… Thanks for all you’ve done!” -Chesapeake Client
2. Swift Systems
Swift is a "managed IT" partner who offers cloud, data, and business-classic VoIP in Maryland. With VoIP services run on 3CX phone systems by windows, their specialization is in managed cloud VoIP for organizations. Perhaps most uniquely, Swift offers four hours of on-site support for their managed IT customers each week. One online client review described their staff as "Very responsive."
“Very impressed with the responsiveness and pricing I've received from Swift. It's great having a partner that you can call and just have it taken care of.” -Swift Client
3. ACC Telecom
Based in Columbia, Maryland, ACC Telecom offers support for both cloud and on-premise VoIP systems, data, video surveillance, and select infrastructure services to Mid-Atlantic customers.
They offer one of the greatest ranges of phone system options to customers, working with Toshiba, Cisco, Comdial, and Avaya, as well as a unique specialty in video-based surveillance. Positive customer reviews report that on-site visits for installations are professional and go according to plan.
“3CX is a great phone system. It is easy to use and is capable of growing with our company’s needs. The system is able to make configuration changes quickly and easily to accommodate changes within the company.” -ACC Client
4. Global Telecom
Based in Owing Mills, Global Telecom (GTB) does business phones, limited data services, IT security, and managed IT services for Maryland and D.C. businesses.
When it comes to voice, their specialization is turn-key solutions for small and mid-sized organizations that need high-quality voice without extensive cloud application integration. GTB voice services are delivered over the Flex-Point IP-PBX phone system.
One happy GTB customer in the trucking industry reported being happy with their phone system and the "personal care" they received.
“I have been a customer of GTB for the past 8 years. As my business grew GTB was there with me every step of the way. Great service, great innovative technology and most of all -- affordable.” -GTB Client
5. Atlantic Business Service
ABS offers "local and national" phone services from Baltimore, Maryland. As a full-service phone company for businesses, ABS's specializations include phone system relocations, cutovers, repairs, premise-based PBX, traditional telephony, and VoIP.
As a certified Avaya partner, they have lots of knowledge about modern and legacy Avaya systems. Your organization may choose ABS for some unique VoIP use cases, including needing repairs on older and on-premise phone systems. One client in the home fixtures industry describes ABS as "very reliable."
“I have been dealing with the owners Adam and Ed for over 15 years. They respond quickly, even on evenings and weekends. I can't afford to have my phones down and these guys have always been there for me whether it is a minor problem or an emergency.” -ABS Client
6. TCI Comm
Based in Springfield, Virginia, TCI Comm is a Mid-Atlantic-based provider of managed IT and managed services for organizations including, business-class VoIP. Working with Mitel, Cisco, and Valcom solutions, TCI Comm specializes in designing cloud and premise-based VoIP options for organizations.
Clients may select this organization if they need full support for IT or essentially fully outsourced IT services. At the time of writing, no customer reviews were available via the TCI website or third-party review sites.
7. Atlantech Online
We had to include ourselves in the list. All the other companies are reliable providers and will undoubtedly provide you with what you need. However, we're confident if you give us a chance to showcase our services, products, and unrelenting desire to provide the best customer service in the industry, we'll win your business.
With a primary Maryland office in Silver Spring, we are a leading provider of business-class VoIP and true unified communications as a service (UCaaS) for Mid-Atlantic organizations of all sizes.
As one of the only Maryland business that offers our own fiber-optic Internet connectivity, Atlantech customers have the unique ability to centralize their voice and data to the same provider. This benefit offers remarkable advantages for better voice quality, cost savings, and faster troubleshooting.
Atlantech customers can also use data center and cloud services with several Maryland-based data centers, leading business continuity planning, and direct connection to the cloud.
Online reviews of Atlantech compliment their willingness to "be proactive" and provide immediate resolution to unique requests - even on weekends and holidays.
“Knowing that your 24/7 engineering team is managing our router and firewall lets me focus on my growing business instead of managing technology.” -Atlantech customer Tony Crisalli, L&R Floors
Choosing the Best VoIP Maryland Service Providers For Your Business
If you were looking for a simple, definitive answer to who the best business class VoIP provider in Maryland is, you may be disappointed. "The best" is subjective.
The right local option for a federal contractor who needs compliant VoIP, fiber, and data might not be the same Maryland company as the right choice for a small transportation company that wants repairs to their existing on-site PBX equipment. "The best" depends on your budget, needs, industry, and vision for growth.
Finding the right VoIP service provider is a process that involves research, evaluating multiple options, and picking the company that fits best. Your provider should make VoIP easy and support your business goals. We recommend evaluating potential vendors based on many factors, including the following options:
- Pricing and quality
- Redundancy, or Reliability Infrastructure
- Quality of Service (QoS)
- Uptime Guarantees
- Client References
- Industry Experience and Expertise
- Compliance and Regulatory Support
- Support and Support Availability
Atlantech Online Can Help.
As a champion of a locally-owned and operated industry, Atlantech channels our decades of telecommunications knowledge into helping local businesses understand who the right business-class VoIP vendor is for their needs - whether that's our service or another one of the companies listed here.
To make sure you’re finding the right provider, check out our free guide, 10 Questions to Ask Before You Buy Phone Service for Your Business. It will help you ask all the right questions to ensure you make the best choice possible.
