VoIP service providers have been banking on cheap international and domestic calling rates and low service fees to sell the VoIP service to customers looking for low cost phone service. However, business finance managers do not make decisions based just on per minute cost savings. Small business VoIP service providers need to work harder - persuading business leaders on the fast returns of investing in VoIP systems.

Faster break even for technology costs

Trends show that businesses are looking at new tools and technologies that promise breakeven within 6 months - a sharp contrast to customary industry expectations of six quarters. Though VoIP has made great strides in recent years, this requirement puts a lot of pressure on its service vendors. They now must substantiate their claims with fiscal break even data to win contracts as corporate budgets are confined to projects that show major returns preferably within the same financial year.

Phased completion of projects

Limits on technology costs have made CIOs, CFOs, and IT managers rethink their project roadmaps. Technology needs are now met in a phased fashion. Earlier, moving to a VoIP system was a huge task involving changes in data lines, servers and desk equipment. The position today is much improved. Interoperable equipment makes it possible for executives to implement modules of a long running project as and when funds are on hand and business downtime is minimized.

Quantifying results of VoIP systems

The gains of implementing VoIP systems can be assessed accurately by considering both quantifiable and unquantifiable results. Voice clarity and other useful features are intangible results that positively impact staff productivity. Apart from this, CTOs need quantifiable results that have to be measured differently over a cyclic period. A few tactics used by CTOs to quantify the performance and savings from a VoIP system include:

• Assessing the impact of the time expended in reconnecting dropped calls on a worker's productivity in terms of wasted hours.
• Collecting feedback from customers and analyzing the impact of a clear phone connection on sales lost or gained.
• Comparing the expenditure of managing a tele-presence suite over VoIP services with {an executive's travel} expenditure.
• Spreading the net cost of a new VoIP system over the operations and maintenance budget of an existing system over a period of 6 months.

A factual picture of the financial returns cannot emerge without accounting for the actual cost of ownership. If a VoIP system manages a break even period of half a year, business heads can remove a line item from the budget. Few CEOs would argue with such a cost benefit.

VoIP system service providers - Proving claims

VoIP service providers have to come up with sound financial information to support their claims. They need to arm themselves with case studies and statistics to prove the actual cost of ownership over the existence of a VoIP system. For example, a system that breaks even in less than half a year and does not need costly maintenance at least three years is a sure winner with CTOs. The budget assigned to the enterprise's business VoIP system can be amortized over 3 years.

As VoIP systems are adopted in offices and homes, service vendors must deal with bigger expectations from clientele. Enterprise VoIP system resellers must do their homework and gather essential financial information to influence prospective buyers of the possibility of a six-month ROI. All high aiming VoIP service providers must gain this expertise to win contracts.