Q: What is your job? What does your company do?
A: Consultant. We create database-driven Web sites for small businesses and nonprofits.
Q: Do you use VoIP at home, business, or both?
A: Home office, although sometimes the box goes with me to client sites, including in one extreme case, the middle of the desert, out of reach of cell phone coverage but with satellite Internet: Burning Man.
Q: Why do you use Internet telephony?
A: Flexibility, price, features.
Q: Where do you call?
A: Local and domestic long distance. Mostly long distance, lots of conference calls with long-distance bridge line numbers.
Q: What are your favorite features?
A: 1. Dual ring. I can have incoming calls simultaneously ring my cell phone and a cordless plugged into the VoIP box. I don't have to remember to turn on forwarding when I go out. I can also use the cell phone for caller ID and answer on the IP phone without incurring any billable cell minutes.
2. Web-based administration. I can change call forwarding and ring preferences with the Web, even when I'm out of cell range.
3. Web-based voicemail. Notification by e-mail straight to my cell phone via SMS. Listening to messages in random-access order.
4. Free calls to other Vonage users. Comes in handy when calling a couple of clients and colleagues.
Q: What do you miss from regular phones?
A: 1. Ability to operate without power.
2. Independence from IP connection, reliable quality.
Q: Any problems?
A: Still wrestling with trying to change over an existing phone number to the service. The process has changed and the response has been slow; we have had to file several trouble tickets and jump through several hoops.
If there's lots of traffic on the Net, I sometimes get dropouts (rare).
There are some bugs in the Web interface.
Q: Any tips for other users?
A: In combination with a cell phone, it can provide an alternative to a standard landline.
Q: Would you recommend it?
A: Generally, yes. If [I were] buying today, I'd do more comparison shopping since choices have expanded. There are still some features I'd like, such as Wi-Fi options.
MORE REAL-LIFE USERS
MITCH RATCLIFFE
VoIP saves his virtual office more than $15,000 per year in long-distance fees.
Read my story
JAMES TUCKER
Wanted better business phone quality than a cell phone could offer.
Read my story
Free Phone + Bluetooth @T-Mobile.com
